Daycare Observation of Toddlers Essay

In today’s working society, parents need to rely on quality daycare for their children. However, finding a daycare that will strive to nurture each child’s unique qualities and create a work environment that encourages professionalism, growth, and diversity can be stressful for a parent because of the realization of how important this decision may be. A daycare teacher must focus on many different areas to provide a developmentally appropriate curriculum for young children. As a teacher in a toddler room, my girlfriend Christine needs to communicate to her peers, children and parents on a daily basis both verbally and non-verbally. As I entered the room, early this morning, I noticed five children, each of them doing his or her individual thing. About 70 percent of children, at this toddler age, have a vocabulary consisting of 50 to 250 words (Ginny Graves, 2003); however, only one of them spoke when I entered the room. Once the two females of the room noticed me, they immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at me in a disapproving way. One of the females hid behind the shelf, exposing only her part of her face, while the other turned her back to me to continue playing in the â€Å"dramatic play† sand box. As for the three boys, they seemed content, as if I were not a foreign object in the room. The set of twins waved to me as if to say â€Å"Welcome to our room† while the third boy said â€Å"Hi† with a big smile. I previously met the set of male twins on a recent previous trip from a few days ago; therefore, the warm welcome from the boys was expected. As I said, â€Å"Hello friends† to the children of the room, Christine immediately said â€Å"Hello Pete†, along with a big wave and smile to give example to the children. After taking a few steps into the room, I was asked to bend down so that I was at there level. Christine began to associate me with a picture of myself, which is posted on the closet door at the toddler’s eye level by saying, â€Å"Friends, we know Pete, he is in the picture†. Christine held the hands of the two females and brought them over to the picture and pointed to the picture of me and asked, â€Å"Do you see Pete in the picture†? One of the girls pointed reluctantly and the other bowed her head as in an uninterested manner. A few minutes into the observation and it was snack time, well at least to one of the twins it was. The boy was pointing to where they keep the snacks so Christine bent down to his level and began to say â€Å"You are pointing to the cabinet, does this mean you want snack†? The boy grunted as if to say yes. Christine said, â€Å"Yes you are right, it is time for snack, but what do we do right before snack?† Once the rest of the children heard this, they began to jump up and down to show their appreciation of snack time. The children understood what had to be done by placing his or her hands in the air. â€Å"That’s right. We need to wash our hands first before we eat†. Christine gave each toddler one direction at a time as to not overload them. She asked that they stand in a line in front of the sink so each of them could wash their hands, independently reinforcing with word labels as to how the child is washing his or her hands. She then played a game with them to find their appropriate place at the table. For each child, she asked them to sit in a colored chair that she announces for them to sit in, and then repeat back to her the color; this seating arrangement changes daily so that they learn their colors and as well as how to appropriately say them. This exercise helped them with speaking to others at a proper tone by not shouting. Once they all sat, she gave each child the option for apple juice or cranberry juice. Only one boy was able to make the decision on his own using words while the other grunted and pointed. As one of the females finished her first sip, she said the word â€Å"cold†. Whenever a child uses telegraphic speech, it is highly recommended for the instructor to reiterate what was said by the child in complete form (Michael K. Meyerhoff, 2002). Christine said, â€Å"That’s right. The juice is cold. Can everyone say cold? What else is cold?† The snack chosen by Christine was a common snack consisting of â€Å"Gold fish† and craisins. As the children began to eat the snack, there was one disapproving member of the bunch. This child immediately tossed her plate on the floor to show she was not satisfied with her snack. Christine immediately displayed her disapproval of this children’s action by saying to  her â€Å"Please use your words. We do not throw the craisins on the floor. They are for eating†. This child acknowledge what she heard by trying to speak the word â€Å"Sorry†. Once the children were finished eating, they were notified that they would be going outside in 10 minutes. Again, the children showed their appreciation by jumping up and down in excitement. Toddlers communicate with a combination of grunts and gestures as a preferred method of communicating. Understanding what the toddler is attempting to communicate, through these combinations, comes with time, dedication, understanding and patience. ;Spending just a short amount of time sheds new light as to why Christine needs a few minutes alone to herself when she arrives home. All day long she has keep all her non-verbal communication positive in front of the children for eight hours a day; this includes showing her pearly whites in the room even when she wakes up on the â€Å"wrong side of the bed† (Christine, personal communication, August 19, 2005). References: Ginny Graves (2003, April). Parents magazine: Toddler Talk Michael K. Meyerhoff (2002, April v20) Pediatrics for Parents: Perspectives on Parenting: Communication and language acquisition skills in toddlers. P8(2)

Translations by Brian Friel

Leaving Cert Comparitive study : Translations by Brian Friel Translations is a three-act play set in the tumultuous nineteenth century country of Ireland. The action takes place in a hedge-school where students are faced with the invasion of English speaking soldiers. One of these soldiers falls in love with an Irish girl and then mysteriously goes missing. The son of the master of the hedge-school is forced to go into hiding to keep from being condemned for the crime, although he is not responsible for the soldier's disappearance. Translations is a play about love, tradition, and the circumstances that force the break with these traditions.Characters Manus Cares for people at the beginning of the play. Intelligent and educated. Runs away at the end. Lacks ambition and vision. Owen Friendly with everyone. Takes Manus' place at the end in caring for Sarah and Hugh. Betrays Ireland with the English. Ran away for six years, like Manus does at the end. Yolland Wants to learn Irish and un derstand the people. Doubts moral validity of what he is doing. Overly romantic about Ireland and its language. Cannot face up to authority. Hugh Agrees to help Maire at the end. Uses Manus and blatantly prefers Owen. Sometimes pretentious.Major Areas of Study: Language and power†¦ Language and communication†¦ Language and identity (both cultural and individual)†¦ Progress†¦ Friendship and love†¦ The past and mythology†¦ Education†¦ Sample Questions 1. Why do you think that Friel gave his play the title Translations? 2. The play is set in 1833. How does Friel make its themes relevant to a modern day audience? 3. Do you agree that Translations is more concerned with the fate of individuals than the fate of nations? 4. â€Å"The play is about the characters' search for their true identities. † Do you agree?

Good education Essay

The plot tells you what happens in a story, but the theme tells you what the story is about: What is the underlying message? What is driving the action? It is also helpful to ask â€Å"why†: Why did the author choose this setting or this conflict? Why did the author choose this tone? Why are these characters behavinI agree the â€Å"The Road Not Taken† (Frost, 1916) has a journey or pilgrimage theme, for the person in the poem is struggling with his personal journey in life. Specifically, he is trying to decide which road in life to take. You did an excellent job identifying the major symbol in Frost’s poem, the road itself, and your angle is fresh and unique. Until now, I never considered the fact that one of the roads represents a path or pattern he has been on already for a period of time. Whereas, the other road is change. Many of us wonder how life would be, if we choose to change courses. Honestly, in the past, I thought of the roads in terms of difficulty. I was thinking one road is more challenging than the other and will require more out of the person to get to the destination. For example, I wonder how different my life would be if I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Creative Writing at the New School for Social Research in New York like I originally intended to do instead of enrolling in a Master’s program that was not geared towards producing society’s next writers. Instead of living the life of a writer and earning my sole living from it, I went down  another, less traveled road–the one that ends with me earning a post-doctorate degree, lecturing/presenting research at scholarly conferences, and writing non-fiction. I am still traveling as you can see, for the road is long, a marathon to say the least, and requires dedication, and perseverance. For those reasons, many may choose not to take that road, because it is a longer, more challenging journey. Here, I see how the color yellow would symbolize age, too. Over time, we must eventually choose one of the two roads. g this way? Why should we care?

Associate and Joint Ventures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Associate and Joint Ventures - Essay Example oint venture is likely to be determined by a number of factors including size of enterprise, the expected length of the venture, the identity and location of the entities and the objectives of the participants. The reason behind this strategic alliance between the companies is not a single one in fact there are many. Companies engage in these activities to benefit more and reduce the risk involved with competition and failure. Here are a few advantages which the companies seek in order to maintain growth and expansion due to a Venture. By forming a joint venture a company can easily expand their business and could possibly cover more market share in the market. This is because the company has more resources, greater capacity, a better distribution channel A joint venture also makes a company more flexible because a joint venture are formed for a limited life span and also it only covers part of company’s processes, therefore joint ventures limits both the company’s commitment and the business exposure in the existing market. Since different businesses have different size of business, therefore by forming a joint venture with a small business with a larger business the smaller business is not able to invest or bring in more assets into the venture as compare to the larger business, this results in an imbalance in the joint venture. A simple and easy to form venture is a partnership. It is the relation which exists between persons carrying on a familiar business. There are also certain mixtures of mediums or arrangements, such as limited liability partnership. However tax and commercial factors may sometimes lead to the use of an unincorporated system, e.g. a partnership or limited partnership, the stream of ventures is mostly between companies or those entities which are recognized well. The simplest form of association for joint ventures is an agreement under which the participants consent to associate as autonomous contractors rather than shareholders

What causes gas prices to fluctuate Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What causes gas prices to fluctuate - Assignment Example f gas in many industries, there are a myriad of reasons that could be attributed to the constant changes in the price of gas, and the lack of price stability on the commodity (Diewert, Greenlees & Hulten, 2010). This research will seek to explore the fundamental reasons that drive the fluctuation of gas prices. The research will be a descriptive study that will be seeking to provide answers to various questions raised in relation to the problem of fluctuating gas prices. The study will involve collection of information concerning the current state of the problem in seeking to determine the factors that have driven the observed phenomenon of price fluctuation (Creswell, 2009). Although the research might not be able to provide conclusive answers, it will be able to present some of the key elements that could be associated with causing the price fluctuations. The study will be able to yield rich data that can be relied on by policy makers in establishing solutions to the problem. The sources of data will include economic journals and other academic materials providing explanations to causes of price changes. A survey of the industry will also provide information about the operational factors within the industry that could be causing price fluctuations. The collected data will be analyzed using STATA, which is a software that facilitates replicable analysis. Qualitative data analysis approaches will be employed to initially analyze the data collected from the various sources (Tracy, 2013). Logical analysis through inductive reasoning will be utilized in seeking to stratify the data before it can be analyzed using the STATA software. The initial analysis will be able to group the collected data into different categories in order to determine the factors that have been identified from the data collection. The stratification will be used to initially identify the factors that have caused the fluctuations in prices of gas. The factors will further be classified

Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Property law - Essay Example Furthermore, it is Debra who has been making payments on the mortgage for five years and she was also the guarantor for Fred in the initial few years. As a result, she is the one who has a considerable financial investment in the house. The basic principle that applies in the case of voluntary dealings is the presumption that a person making a transfer intends that the transferee remains a nominee only, while the person making the transfer is to retain a beneficial interest in the property2. This applies in the case of Fred, who originally had the title to the property, but later transferred it to Debra. It may be possible to apply proprietary estoppel on the basis of representation3, i.e, despite Debra owning title to the property, Fred is to have rights in respect of the property. As a result of such rights which Fred may have in the property because he has been living in the council house and the property was also in his name initially, his interests in the property may pass on a beneficial interest to Stan.4 But in this instance, it must be noted that Fred has not left a will, therefore the question of beneficial interest in the property passing through the will5 does not apply. In arriving at a determination of whether or not equity will apply, Lord Scarman has stated that the conduct and relationship of the parties must answer three questions: â€Å"First, is there an equity established? Secondly, what is the extent of the equity, if one is established? And, thirdly, what is the relief appropriate to satisfy the equity?"6 Firstly, in establishing whether Fred was the substantial owner in equity, the question that arises is whether Debra allowed or encouraged Fred to assume that he had rights in the property, rather than a mere hope for such rights, which is not sufficient7. In this case, it was Fred who was the continuous resident of the council house and Debra was the one who moved back in with him. Furthermore,

First Mover Versus Follower Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

First Mover Versus Follower - Essay Example This advantage seems to be borne out of the fact that the First mover has access to extent of resources that later entrants might not have and thus gain advantage that the latter might not have. However, often, the first mover is unable to take make use of the advantage and that leaves space for the Second mover or the follower to move in to avail the advantage that still exists. The term first mover advantage means the first company to launch a new kind of product or service should have a competitive advantage over those that start afterwards . The advantage exists in the form of an opportunity that has to be made best use of. The opportunity can be availed successfully by first movers only if before the competitors enter the market, they build a customer base, build a strong brand, develop economies of scale and develop distribution channels such that a competitive edge is built and sustained. However, a follower may overtake a First mover especially if it has one or more of the fo llowing: A better product: If the follower is able to learn from the mistakes the first mover made, then it is able to build a better product and have an edge over the former. Better distribution system: A follower might be able to build a better distribution system in turn helping it gain a lead over the first entrant. A strong brand: The Follower might be able to build a stronger brand and thus help them position themselves ahead of the first mover. The internet boom of the Nineties was what made the First mover concept and became apparent as a phenomenon, obvious in business terms. Till then it was more of a notion. However, this phenomenon and its importance as a business concept has been on the decline since the recent economic downturn. The first mover is the first major or significant company to move into a market and not necessarily the first company to do so. For a company to attempt becoming the ‘first mover’, it should figure out whether the benefits are more than the risks. Many times, the first movers are rewarded with profits and a monopoly in the market. However, at other times, they are unable to build up on the advantage and this leaves the opportunity for other entrants to compete and effectively gain advantages and potential to capitalize on the same. The term â€Å"First Mover advantage† was made popular in 1988 in a paper by Professor David Montgomery and co-author Marvin Lieberman. Overtime this phrase and the underlying concept caught the attention of the industry and business community and prompted huge spending in new businesses or markets often ignoring the nature and extent of underlying risks. Researchers have shown that First movers have inherent advantages based on empirical and theoretical study of the various mechanisms that confer advantages to the early entrants. However, they withdrew their claims about the concept in a retrospective paper written 10 years later. In a research conducted in 1993, researcher s concluded that almost half of the first movers in the market in their 500 sample brands had failed to gain advantage over competitors. The study also showed that followers who entered the market relatively early had greater success in the long run. As per their study, the said followers had entered the market on an average of 13 years later than the pioneers. As per studies, based on order of entry, the following is the

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Plan - Essay Example By combining these two measures you will be able to significantly increase your annual profits. Essentially the goal for any business is to increase yearly sales. How do you accomplish this with a product that is already competitively priced? You do this by creating an online presence. Nearly everything is digital these days, why shouldn’t your company be? A business webpage allows users to easily access all the information they are looking for about your products and services. You can also easily add a cart allowing customers to shop directly from your site. This is where you can compete with your prices by offering discounts for bulk purchases and have specific sections geared for businesses and schools. Another valuable hint about creating an automated system is you can reach a larger community. Rather than only focusing on your specific city, you will be able to reach millions around the globe. You could potential double your yearly sales by simply having a virtual store. In today’s ever growing technology, no business will survive without a functioning website. Paperclips are virtually the most inexpensive and multi fictional item on the market today. Here’s where we are proposing you expand your target market by offering specialty items. What we mean by this is rather than sticking to the same old plastic and metals.

The film, Aviator, illustrates the terrible problems sometimes Research Paper

The film, Aviator, illustrates the terrible problems sometimes associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in both the life of - Research Paper Example Analysis of the Film Aviator Aviator is a film based on the life of one of the most significant personalities in the field of aviation, Howard Hughes. His story is exceptional due to his achievements in two fields namely filmmaking and the field of aviation. The story presented his feat in his first movie which is entitled Hell’s Angels, a war film that he had made through his trait of being perfectionist. At around the same time, Hughes explored the construction, engineering and production of different types of planes (Aviator film 2004). Howard Hughes explorations and successes in different fields are the main highlights of his life. He is one of the greatest Americans of his time because he is known as an not only as an aviator but also engineer, industrialist, film producer, director, and one of the wealthiest man in the world. His endeavors and projects were financed on his billion dollar inheritance from an equally inventive father who had developed the drill bit or the Hughes rollerbit which became the main apparatus for 75 percent of the world oil wells (Brown and Broeske 10). Through his life though, Hughes had one considered flaw which was his behavior. He is considered by people around him as a person who was very hard to get along with. His exaggerated attention to details often caused and escalated problems in his work and his interactions and relationships with other people. His behavior ranges from minor actions described by people who know him as bizarre to serious and threatening circumstances that often lead to accidents in his flight or lost of relationship with a woman or with work acquaintances (Brown and Broeske 165). Hughes profound personality attracted the interest of medical experts. Thus in the long run he was considered as the most well known example of a condition referred to as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). One of the experts who studied Hughes life, Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz who is a professor in UCLA School of medicine a nd a forerunner in the research on OCD confirmed that the aviator’s ‘four decades of profound emotional anguish.’ Upon recognition of Hughes’ case, his life and behavior became one of the most studied cases of OCD in countries all over the world. Another expert who concluded that Hugh Hughes has OCD is Dr. Anthony Dietrich. He is the son of Noah Dietrich who is the Hughes Empire Chief Executive Officer. Hughes characteristics namely nonconformity, over adventurous disposition can be considered as general signs of his struggle to control obsessions and compulsions (Brown and Broeske 184). In his life, the effects of OCD covered different aspects of his life such as his job, his behavior, his life choices and his relationships and interactions with people surrounding him. It is then important to study the present knowledge, information and developments on the condition which is one of the main themes in the film Aviator. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD Ob sessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, is a type of anxiety disorder. It is described as a condition which is based on the fixation to undertake ‘recurrent, unwanted, thoughts or obsessions and/or behaviors that are repetitive or referred to as compulsions.’ Compulsions are performed to be able to achieve a feeling of satisfaction and temporary relief. Failure to perform such rituals can

Entertaining books are useful in term of academic english Research Paper - 1

Entertaining books are useful in term of academic english - Research Paper Example The pleasure provides relaxing escape from the routine problems, and also provides leisure moments in the process of learning English. Creating adequate time and space for recreational reading, based on high quality English literature, ensures enthusiastic readers and also enhances academic achievement. The power of literature, for instance books, in provision of entertainment and recreation is immense. Ensuring the effectiveness of entertainment literature in recreation is generally the most significant result of the entertainment books program (Thompson, 2008). Experience is also ensured through the entertainment books. The readers increase their horizons through the experiences illustrated by the entertainment books. In the entertainment literary world, the readers gain more experiences, meet new individuals, and understand new places. The students adequately understand past, present, and future English language aspects. The cultural application of the English language is also ensured through adequate understanding of academic English. The readers understand common academic English goals, as applicable across different school environment and also nationalities. Examples of entertainment books that enhance academic English experience include; Patricia Giff’s Nory Ryan’s Song, and The Butterfly authored by Patriccia Pollaco. The book illustrates the survival situation during the 1845 famine in Ireland. In academic English, historical illustration of historical events is very significant. The Butterfly illustrates the Jewish pe rsecution that took place during the Second World War. The book illustrates the correct approach of explaining historical events through academic English (Thomas, 2011). The recreational literature ensures understanding of the language model; for the readers and listeners. Good entertainment book exposes the readers to the correct sentence structure, standard story format, and several word usages. The readers who use English as their

Performance Enhancement in Manufacturing Facility Essay

Performance Enhancement in Manufacturing Facility - Essay Example While such programs are essentially characterized by the conventional monetary and non-monetary incentives to a greater extent, there are some novel elements such as de-structuring and delayering of certain positions in the hierarchy. Such efforts have produced some positive results though the extent of them is not known. XYZ Company was founded in 1899 by a group of investors includingGiovanni Agnelli. Apart from cars, it is also manufacturingrailroadvehicles,tanksandaircrafts. On 2009, XYZ Company became the world's sixth largest carmaker as well as Italy's largest carmaker. XYZ company-based cars are constructed all around the world, with the largest number produced outside Italy being built inBrazil, where they are best-sellers. It also has factories inArgentinaandPoland. XYZ Company has a long history of licensing its products to other countries regardless of local political or cultural persuasion (Robbins, 2009). Joint ventureoperations are found inItaly,France,Turkey,India,Serbiaand Russia. XYZ is a company that supplies good job opportunities to the employees. However the XYZ Company's operations are increasingly being affected by a lack of uniformity in work standards among its employees in different manufacturing plants. It's basically higher level of absenteeism, low morale, poor motivation and ultimately the work related stress of employees at some of the European factories have been reported. However those work related problems are

Gender and Communication Essay Example for Free

Gender and Communication Essay When we think of gender, we often think of male or female; thats only half of understanding gender. The denotations of male and female actually refer to biological and physiological sex. Gender is a sociological construct of values, ideals, and behaviors about what it means to be either male or female, and are often regarded in terms of masculine or feminine, respectively. Many people use sex and gender interchangeably, but one does not have to be male to identify as masculine, and vice versa. we have both a biological, physical characteristic;sex with a superimposed cultural construct gender. The same applies to both race and culture, respectively. Race refers to groups of people who are distinguished by shared physical characteristics, such as skin color and hair type. Culture refers to the customs, habits, and value systems of groups of people. People of the same race may not share the same culture; similarly, a culture isnt necessarily comprised of people of the same race. Women and men communicate most effectively when they understand the â€Å"invisible rules† unique to each gender. Research presented by Dr. Pat Heim in her video, â€Å"The Invisible Rules: Men, Women and Teams,† indicates that each gender is a â€Å"culture† in itself, raised with invisible rules of conduct instinctively known to all adult members of that gender. Therefore, men and women behave according to two separate sets of rules about what â€Å"right† is. I. Consequently, behavior that seems natural and appropriate to one gender culture can seem baffling, hurtful or wrong to others. When we work with someone of the opposite gender and he or she does something that seems a bit strange, we often become intolerant and defensive. We do not realize that men and women come from different cultures, even if they are raised in the same homes, educated in the same schools and live in the same country. II. The two gender cultures are different in many ways. Understanding the invisible rules unique to each gender can help us become better team members and leaders. It is important to remember that these are generalizations on gender behavior based on the 80% portion of the bell curve. There are always exceptions to the rule. Examples given are based on what research tells us. A. In every culture of the world, children are taught to be appropriate adults through the games they play. When boys are growing up, they play baseball, basketball, football, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians and war, all of which are hierarchical team sports. They learn how to compete, be aggressive, play to win, strategize, take risks and mask emotions. Playing their assigned role in the hierarchy, boys learn to obey their coach unquestioningly, become leaders and play with people they do not like. In essence, boys learn how to garner power, manage conflict and win or lose without becoming emotionally involved with their â€Å"competitors. † B. More than likely, the girls we grew up with were not playing team sports. Girls play with people they like (usually one-on-one) and learn their cultural lessons from â€Å"doll games† in which there are no winners or losers. Girl play reinforces â€Å"getting along and being nice,† protecting friendships by negotiating differences, seeking win-win situations and focusing on what is fair for all instead of winners and losers. C. girls (unlike boys) have â€Å"flat† versus hierarchical relationships. A very important rule in women’s culture is that the power in interpersonal relationships is always kept â€Å"dead even. † There is never a â€Å"boss doll player. † Girls who try to be the boss quickly learn that this damages friendships. Consequently, when adult women enter a hierarchical workplace, they often attempt to equalize power, negotiate relationships and share power equally. III. Does this mean that since the Coast Guard is a hierarchical organization, women cannot succeed? Of course not. Does it mean that the hierarchical leadership style is always the appropriate choice? Again, absolutely not. The command and control leadership style associated with a hierarchy works most effectively in time-bound situations, when there is no alternative or in emergencies. For example, on scene at an urgent search-and-rescue case, the command and control style works best. Time is limited, one person needs to be in control of the situation and everyone needs to fulfill their specific roles. A. However, take the same SAR case and look at what is going on in the Operations Center. There, the supervisor needs the expertise and ideas of everyone on watch to make the best decision. Each person might provide additional ideas as to how the case could best be handled. In a flat structure then, the leadership style is based on involvement. B. This style works most effectively when you need creativity and psychological buy in and you need them to make it work. Clearly, the Coast Guard has many different situations that require different leadership styles. Using the same style in every situation is a quick recipe for ineffectiveness. By understanding the different styles, we can more successfully choose the appropriate one for the situation. IV. Sometimes the tendency for women to associate with one style and men to associate with the other leads to misunderstandings. For example, on a large cutter, a male chief was supervising a female second class petty officer. He directed her to perform a certain task. After listening to the tasking, the petty officer recommended an alternate method that she had learned at another unit and proved to be very successful. A. The chief assumed that she was being insubordinate. In his view, being a team player meant knowing your role in the hierarchy and playing your role without question. The chiefs anger and unwillingness to listen to her ideas made the petty officer feel unwelcome on the team. For her, being a team player meant helping the group by recommending ideas that might benefit the team. B. The two different structures (hierarchical versus flat) have different definitions of what makes a good team player. Both members were working within the invisible rules that had been programmed into them from an early age. Neither felt good about the interaction, and their trust in each other was seriously damaged. Had either of them been aware of the differing styles, this unpleasant situation could have been avoided. conclusion As you can see, the unique socializing experiences of men and women as they grow up create separate rules and realities for each gender. It is not a matter of who is â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong. † One challenge that women face today is that most organizations are run by the rules of team sports. This fact does not absolve women from learning the hierarchical, goal-focused rules of most men, nor does it absolve men from the need to learn about the strengths of the flat, process-oriented focus most women bring to the workplace. The Coast Guard needs both styles to be successful. It is important to promote the best possible communication between men and women in the workplace. As we move between the male and female cultures, we sometimes have to change how we behave; speak the language of the other gender to gain the best results from the situation. Clearly, successful organizations of the future are going to have leaders and team members who understand, respect and apply the rules of gender culture appropriately.

A World Health Organization

A World Health Organization Why is health a social issue? Health, in the light of World Health Organization definition, is understood as subjectively felt physical, mental and social well-being as a result of appropriate adaptation to the environmental conditions. Psychical health relates to proper human system functioning. Mental health is connected with ability to recognition of peoples feelings and emotions, coping with difficult situations, problems and stress. Social health concerns the human community, its development and adaptability to the environmental conditions, what means ability to live independently as well as in a social group and retain both individual and group identity. There were many attempts to classify factors conditioning health. During early 20th century up to 1970s, it was considered, that health mainly depends on health service. At the beginning of the 1970s way of perceiving determinants of peoples well-being changed. In 1974 Marc Lalonde, Minister of Health for Canada, proposed The Health Field Concept, in which he distinguished four basic factors conditioning health (Fig. 1.): Lifestyle (50%) Physical and social environment (20%) Human Biology (20%) Health Care Organization (20%) This approach influenced on change in health policy and established base for health promotion In modern societies, some of the main problems regarding the health such as illnesses induced by ageing, globalization, new technologies, and genetic engineering have cultural and social grounds. State of health is strongly dependent on social processes and occurrences such as lifestyle (for instance nutrition, recreation, reaction for stress), social cohesion, wealth, education, working conditions and emotional relations. All this things can on the one hand make worse or on the other hand improve the state of health. Currently, it is considered that, the socioeconomic factors (for instance incomes, social status, education level, social support) affect a persons health to the highest degree. Depending on these conditions, the peoples lifestyle can favour health or be harmful to it. Poverty and low level of education are reasons of health inequalities. In general, people with low social status are less healthy, have worse access to health care and take risky for health actions more often. Social support in human living environments is regarded as significant factor shaping positive health and fighting pathogenic influence of potential stressors. In recent decades, people witness a dynamic development of technology and science. As might be expected, new technologies facilitate human lives and make them more efficient. It is possible to say, that in present circumstances, people are able to have an influence on their state of health. However, not always advances of science and in technology go hand in hand with improvement of quality of life. People, preoccupied with making their lives more comfortable, more and more frequently forget about their biological existence. New facilities, means of transport, automation, all kinds of machines are reducing physical activity in their daily life to a minimum. Mass-media, especially television, take them a lot of free time and force them to the sedentary way of life. Nowadays, people suffer from many ailments defined as civilization diseases, which increase alongside with the (continuously) quickening pace of living. Undoubtedly, work is also a very important determinant of health. When it is done for pleasure, work can give a sense of happiness and positive energy. In practice, it means that actions based on harmony with the environment and self-realization favour persons health. Work, which is not a vocation, is a reason of stress, unwillingness and apathy. Meanings of health change in the popular culture and public awareness. Besides strivings for avoiding diseases, more and more people need fitness, vitality, good looks and good mood. Apart from interest in length of life, there appeared care for its sense and quality. In recent years, there is observed a considerable increase in importance of health in sphere of personal aspirations, aims, and values of individual. Health is no longer defined only as an absence of disease and discomfort. Healthy lifestyle becomes in many environments a phenomenon on the verge of fashion. Health issues come into prominence in public discourse, concerning inter alia social and political priorities. The right to health is one of the most important elements of the human rights. Nowadays, health and disease become valuable goods of expanding market.

Turkish Migration To Germany History Essay

Turkish Migration To Germany History Essay In our presentation we are going to analyze a specific case concerning to the European continent. We will focus on the Turkish migration to Germany and all the consequences and implications it has brought to both countries since its beginnings until now. In order to do so we have to understand the general context of the continent, its history and the cultural backgrounds of the different players. We will see the differences in terms of languages, religions and common behaviors inside the old continent. We will start with basic information about Europe: Historical political divisions Population Countries Sub-regions Languages Finally we will make a brief review of the actual situation of Europe and we will talk about the European Union from its birth until these days (noting its relevance with our specific subject). As the center of the presentation is going to be the Turkish migration to Germany we will go through its history. We can find its roots in the 17th and 18th centuries and study its evolution and the conflicts that it has presented. European history On the second half of the 18th century there was a transformation in the British Empire on the social and economic structures that would lead to the posterior Industrial Revolution in the 19 century. The colonial expansion leaded to an increasingly demand on products, so the empires had to modernize their structures. The industrial revolution brought development for the whole continent in matter of technology and infrastructure, but in the end of the 18th century the French Revolution started to shape the actual foundations of the modern Europe. After the establishment of France as a republic, Napoleon and his campaign, and its posterior deception proclaiming himself emperor, the Empires started to show their own nationalism in different location of the continent. The Italian reunification, and the German unification, leaded by Otto Von Bismarck are two classical examples of the basis of nationalism. These empowered each empire and this would be the trigger of an arms race at the end of the 19th century. The Turkish nationalism finds its beginning on the last decade of the 19th century. By the beginning of the 20th century several states of Europe had won their independence and the tense relations among the several empires would lead to the First World War in 1914 which faced the Central Powers against the Allied Powers. The result of this war was the victory of the Allied Powers, and the new European order was established after the several treaties like the Versailles Treaty. The most affected empires after the war were the Ottoman Empire (which concluded in 1922) and the German Empire. The Germans were not quite happy with the Versailles Treaty, and especially a military called Adolph Hitler started to promote a new era for the German nationalism. In 1933 Hitler was elected as the new Chancellor of Germany and one year later he proclaims Fà ¼hrer and absolute emperor of the 3rd Reich. The fascism promoted by the Reich was influenced by the Italian fascism, and later it would also inspire the Spanish fascism. The Hitler ´s project with the Nazism was defeated in the end of the 2nd World War in 1945, and changed once again the European order. After this war the whole continent was in ruins. The human losses and infrastructure damage were crushing. Right after the war end, the reconstruction of Europe started with economic founds to stand up the old continent. Most of the states were united for one single objective and this common feeling would lead to the birth of the communities that later on led to the foundation of today ´s European Union. European Union The EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the European Community. It has built a single market that allows the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. It maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union cite_note-15 Sixteen member states have adopted a common currency, the euro, constituting the Eurozone. The EU has developed a limited role in foreign policy, having representation at the World Trade Organization, G8, G-20 major economies and at the United Nations. In certain areas, decisions are made through negotiation between member states, while in others; independent supranational institutions are responsible without a requirement for unanimity between member states. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by member states citizens, to whom the citizenship of the European Union is guaranteed. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six countries in 1951 and the Treaty of Rome formed officially the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy community in 1957 by the same states (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and West Germany). This was the very first origin of the European Community. Since then there have been several enlargements to become in the EU as we know it today. EU enlargements: 1973- Denmark, Ireland and UK. 1981- Greece. 1986- Spain and Portugal. The EU flag started to be used. 1990- East Germany. 1993- Maastricht treaty and official formalization of the EU. 1995- Austria, Sweden and Finland. 2002- Euro as a currency. 2004- Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Hungary. 2007- Romania and Bulgaria. Language Native Speakers Total English 13% 51% German 18% 32% French 12% 26% Italian 13% 16% Spanish 9% 15% Polish 9% 10% Dutch 5% 6% Greek 3% 3% Czech 2% 3% Swedish 2% 3% Hungarian 2% 2% Portuguese 2% 2% Catalan 1% 2% Slovak 1% 2% Danish 1% 1% Finnish 1% 1% Lithuanian 1% 1% Bulgarian 1% 1% Romanian 1% 1% Slovene 1% 1% 1Published in 2006, before the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Native: Native language Total: EU citizens able to hold a conversation in this language With 27 member countries and a population of nearly half a billion, the European Union covers a large part of Europe. Since its creation, it has worked to bring prosperity and stability to its citizens. Its policies and actions affect all its citizens directly and indirectly. The European Union is the worlds biggest trading power. It accounts for 17% of the world trade (similar to the US), and is also the first investing power in FDI. The European Union has 495 million inhabitants the worlds third largest population after China and India. Country Population (millions) China (CN)   1 321.8 India (IN)   1 129.9 EU-27   495.0 United States (US)   301 Russia (RU)   141.4 Japan (JP)   127.4 Eurostat, www.census.gov One of the EUs main aims is economic progress. Over the last 50 years, and especially since the 1980s, much has been done to break down the barriers between the EUs national economies and to create a single market where goods, people, money and services can move around freely. Trade between EU countries has greatly increased and, at the same time, the EU has become a major world trading power. GDP in billions of euro (2007) Country GDP (billions euro) EU-27 12276.2 US 10094.5 Japan 3197.6 China* 1787.3 Russia* 610.6 *2005 Sources: IMF, Eurostat. In all EU countries, over 60% of GDP is generated by the service sector (this includes things such as banking, tourism, transport and insurance). Industry and agriculture, although still important, have declined in economic importance in recent years. If a country has applied to join the European Union and its application has been officially accepted, it becomes a candidate country. At present there are three candidate countries Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. Before a candidate country can join the EU it must have a stable system of democratic government, institutions that ensure the rule of law and respect for human rights. It must also have a functioning market economy and an administration capable of implementing EU laws and policies. The specific membership terms for each candidate country are worked out in negotiations with the European Commission. The candidate countries differ in size, with Turkey by far the largest. Its population is bigger than any current EU member except Germany. Together, the three candidates would increase the total EU population by 16%. When you compare their GDP in PPS per inhabitant, the candidate countries are considerably less wealthy than the EU average. However, Croatia has a per capita GDP which is higher than those of Bulgaria and Romania, who became EU members in 2007. Economic reforms in recent years have brought great changes in the candidate countries, helping to create new jobs. But employment rates among people of working age in the candidate countries are lower than the EU average. In the candidate countries, as in the EU, services (including tourism) are an important part of the economy. As with the countries that have joined the EU since 2004, the candidate countries have a larger share of the population employed in agriculture than the EU-15. Germany The federal Republic of Germany is located in central Europe. With more than 82000.000 people it represents the most populated country among the members of the EU. It is also the third biggest international migrant destination in the world. The reunification of the German States was in October 3rd in 1990 (one year after the fall of the Berlin wall). Germany stands as the third biggest economy with a GDP of US$ 3.67 trillion. It accounts for GDP per capita of US$ 44.728. Christianism has the biggest representation in Germany accounting for 64% of the population. Islamism is the second one (4%) followed by Buddhism and Judaism (0, 25% each). The German management style is rigorous but not ruinous. The companies fight for market share and not for market domination, in contrast with the American styles. The managers are always committed with all the processes inside the company in order to follow production methods closely and know their shop floors intimately. Turkish migration to Germany. The Germanic states have been in contact with Turks since the 17th and 18th centuries when the Ottoman Turks attempted to expand their territories through the Balkans. Two sieges were held in Vienna in 1529 and 1683.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_in_Germany cite_note-7 It was the latter incident that, after the retreat of the Ottoman army, left behind many Muslim Turks who first became permanent residents in Germany. The relief of Vienna and the Ottoman retreat left behind large numbers of Ottoman soldiers and camp followers, either as stragglers or prisoners. Diplomatic relations were established between Berlin and Constantinople (todays Istanbul) in the 18th century, and by the 19th century trading treaties were set up between the two cities. These developments encouraged the crossover of citizens between the Ottoman and German states.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_in_Germany cite_note-11 As a consequence to these developments, the Turkish community in Germany, and particularly in Berlin, grew significantly in the years before the First World War. During the World War I the Ottoman Empire and the German Empire fought as allies. During the postwar period the Turkish governments supported the Federal Germany in all the international instances. Nevertheless as the postwar was left behind and the migration of the Turkish to Germany started to be massive the situation between both countries has been deteriorated. During the Nazi regime and since the beginning of the Second World War, foreign workers were incorporated to the labor force and the industrial production of Germany was held by war prisoners. The evolution of Germany as an immigrant receptor country started in the 50s. Decimated by the war the German soldiers were not able to cover the labor force needed when they came back to their home. Until 1950 this gap in the demand was covered by the fugitives of the East Germanic zones. Since 1959 (and later on with the Berlin Wall in 1961) many German companies suffered a huge lack of qualified workers leading to the signature of working contracts from workers coming from Greece, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia and Yugoslavia. These contracts objectives were to recruit the Gastarbeiter (guest worker) in order to impulse the German miracle. The Gastarbeiter were foreign men that arrived into Germany without their families with the intentional to return to their homelands as soon as possible. This immigration to Germany brought huge benefits for all. The German enterprises could keep their growing rate; German government received extra contributions for the payment of pensions from the foreigners without having to pay anything to this group of workers. In the other hand the foreign nations could low the unemployment rate and receive money from Germany, all these because of the money remitted by the workers to their families. Finally the labor qualification of the workers increased in the German companies. In 1965 the foreigners law entered into force, this law made more flexible the permissions for residence and work for the foreigners. Both the entrepreneurs and the foreign workers were convinced that their stay in Germany was temporary, so the term Fremdarbeiter (foreign worker) was officially substituted by Gastarbeiter (guest worker), making emphasis on the provisional status. Later in 1971 the Work Permit Decree established that the foreigners with more than 5 years in Germany would receive a limited permission to stay another 5 years. These conditions plus the high population growth and mass unemployment within Turkey led to a massive migration of Turkish to Germany. By 1973 around 80% of the Turkish in western Europe were living in Germany, and although this share decreased to 70% by 1990, Germany remained by far the most important country of settlement for Turkish migrants. In 1978 Germany applied the law of family regrouping law and the arrival of migrants looking for political asylum. After this in 1983 the return to the original country for those who wanted to was facilitated by the German government, and in the following years the migratory quantity was negative. Since 1985 the immigration in Germany increased again due to the massive arrival of refugees because of the conflicts in the Balkans. On January 1, 2000, the new Nationality Law entered legal force which introduced elements of the ius soli for foreign children born in Germany for the first time. The law also brought new regulations for adult foreigners by reforming the old ones: among others a reduction of the necessary time of sojourn and the introduction of a language test in the naturalization proceeding. This change in law was the first step to solve a problem in the legal integration of immigrants to Germany which had already become obvious for quite a considerable time. Nowadays from the 2,3 million of Turks living in Germany, only 700.000 have German passport. Negative sentiments towards immigrants, which have been evident in most industrialized countries during the last decade, are often expressed as fears that immigrants adversely affect the economic welfare of the native population. Immigrants are often perceived as a burden for the public budget as they allegedly pay less tax and contributions, on the one hand, but claim more benefits and disproportionately consume Government-provided goods and services. The effects of globalization on the labor market in European countries have become a major issue of public debate. The concern is that either jobs will be exported to low wage countries, or that immigrants will replace domestic workers in the destination country or depress local wages. Trade theory suggests that the mobility of factors of production reduces returns to the factor that is imported, and increases returns to other factors. Therefore, high-skilled migrants, for instance, should reduce salaries for high-skilled labor (as the offer of high-skilled labor is now more plentiful) and increase returns to capital and low-skilled workers. A major topic in the discussion on the impact of immigration on labor markets is the issue whether natives and foreigners are substitutes or whether foreign workers complement Germans in production. But overall, migrants have little aggregate effect on native wages and employment, though they can have more of an effect on different subgroups of natives. It is of substantial importance for the evaluation of the effects of immigration to know in which industries migrants work. In 2003 almost 60 % of immigrants were employed in the tertiary sector. A high percentage was also employed in manufacturing and construction. Over the past 20 years, there is a shift in sector distribution of migrant employees towards the tertiary sector. For a long time immigrants to advanced economies were viewed as workers who were pre-dominantly depicted as suppliers of cheap low-skilled labor. More recently, attention has shifted toward immigrants who start their own businesses. Self-employed or immigrant entrepreneurs have set up shop all over the western world and shaped the cosmopolitan look of many advanced economies. Self-employment by immigrants provides important socio-economic benefits for those directly involved in this process, as well as to the broader immigrant community and the immigrants host country. In terms of consumption, immigrants have also an important impact. Turkish Studies estimated, based on a survey of Turkish and German households, total consumption volume of Turkish community in Germany to be about 10 Billion German Mark in 1992. Over 45,000 Turks have purchased either a flat or a house in Germany. They make up a significant consumer group in the housing, car and stock exchange markets and show more interest in consumer goods than Germans. The study concludes that Turkish households have higher consumption than German households. This finding is to some extent in contradiction with a general expectation in the relevant literature that migrants have a much higher savings ratio than natives. It is due to migrants expectation of their future income to fall if they have a positive probability of returning home, or an assumed higher marginal utility of consumption in their home country. Immigrants remit the bulk of their savings to their families back home. The political and academic debate on the cultural context of migration has so far focused on the Muslim minority though, which nowadays accounts for 3 % of the total population of Ger-many. Due to the fact that the majority of Muslim migrants have settled down permanently in Germany, members of the Muslim community have been working towards establishing their own institutions and practicing their traditional rites in Germany. These efforts include the construction of representative mosques and Muslim cemeteries, the practice of Muslim burial rituals, dress codes, the ritual slaughtering of animals or the introduction of Islamic religious instruction at public schools. Particularly the construction of mosques and cemeteries results in visible changes of German cityscapes: There are no longer just numerous in conspicuous backyard mosques, but also representative Mosque complexes. On account of their architecture, size and symbolic significance, such building plans have in almost all ca ses triggered controversy within local communities. There can be noticed impacts in all the fields (not only economic or religious). The German eating habits and the restaurant scene have fundamentally changed over the last decades: Non-German produce and meals have become an integral part of everyday life for almost everybody. The large number of ethnic food stores offering non-German products, above all Turkish greengrocers and the Asia Shop, also draw many customers from the receiving society. The prime example is the Turkish Dà ¶ner, or kebab, which has become the most popular type of fast food in Germany. Since the end of the 1990s, kebabs have become the product with the highest sales figures on the German restaurant market. Migration and the media has been a topic widely elaborated. Two aspects appear to be particularly relevant: Immigrants as media consumers and producers, as well as immigrants as topics of reports in the German media. The German media market offers a wide range of products for non-Germans, most of them being monolingual and addressing one nationality only. Over fifty non-German newspapers are produced in Germany; among the languages of former guest workers the majority of them being published are in Turkish. Additionally, there is a Turkish radio station in Berlin. In addition, there have also been plans for setting up a German-Turkish TV channel. At the same time, German-Turkish film and television companies play a more important role on the German media market. Conclusions: Europe has been characterized through all its history for its ethno-diversity due to several intercultural encounters. The creation of the European Union and all its laws has consolidated even more the cultural mixture environment inside the continent. Because of being the first economy in the world, the EU constitutes an attractive market for migrant workers from both its member and non-member States. The actual situation in Germany with the Turks is the result of the evolution of 400 years of tight relations between both cultures. The II World War and the lack of men hand labor was a critical factor that triggered the migration to Germany. The specific conditions and relations allowed that a huge part of these migrants to be Turkish. Turkish migrants still represents a relevant source of hand labor and entrepreneurship in Germany. Turkish represents the majority of the minorities in Germany. The immigrants influence in Germany can be seen not only in the economic terms but also in all the social, political, religious and cultural issues that involve a cross-cultural encounter. Methodology This work is going to be presented in the course Organizations and cultures, as an oral exposition on Thursday 22nd April 2010. We will use Microsoft Power Point slides and some other multimedia backup.

Binge Drinking Among College Students :: Alcohol Abuse Essays

Binge Drinking Among College Students   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We all know what it is like to wake up in the morning, with our head aching, and our body feeling like it was just hit by a train. College students world wide know this feeling. These are the results of binge drinking. The question of why college students continue to submit themselves to alcohol is unknown. While many reasons are given, the cause generally falls into one of three categories, peer pressure, insecurity, or to help solve there problems. But the one thing students don’t realize are the consequences and effects that binge drinking can have, health and social problems are just a few.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main reasons students feel the need to binge drink is peer pressure. They do this because their peers are doing it and they want to fit in better. College dorm rooms offer many different places for students to drink. Dorm rooms give a great place for a few people to get together, and before you know it â€Å"everybody’s doing it†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insecurity is another incentive to why students binge drink. Drinking alcohol has been a large part of society for many years. People find that it is easier to meet people when they have been drinking. Drinking has also been used as a way to get close to some one. There are also many social events drinking has created. There are cozy bars â€Å"where every body knows your name,† cocktail parties, and the high school favorite, house party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students also binge drink to help them solve there problems. They turn to alcohol to aid themselves with hiding their feelings and numbing there pain for a while â€Å"We’ll talk over a beer,† is something that people will say when they need to talk about something. In english terms this means lets have a beer and forget all our problems. Problems that range from, stress from school work, stress from a significant other, or even stress of home life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects of binge drinking go far beyond short term memory loss and â€Å"hangovers†. Binge drinkers miss class, get behind on school work, engage in unplanned sexual activity, have run-ins with police, and get injured or hurt.

Free College Essays - A Separate Peace :: A Separate Peace Essays

A Separate Peace "Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb." This is a quotation from the novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles. My focus in the following will be on Man's Inhumanity to Man. There is a strong relation of this to the novel for which I read. My first point which I will talk about is about Finny's tragic fall and how Gene was the cause of it. My support from the story is Finny's desire to jump from the tree. Gene said that he was coming to join him but Finny reminded him about studying. Gene's thoughts on the matter were, "He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us, I couldn't stand this." My second support is Gene's actions leading to the accident. He took a step toward the trunk, put his knees and jounced the limb. Thus, Finny lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. My third support goes back to the scene of the accident after Gene watches Finny fall. And he thinks to himself, "It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make." More less, this is a sign of pride within Gene as he watches the good athlete, Finny fall out of the tree. My second point is on the scene where Brinker brings Finny and Gene to the mock trial to let everyone know the real truth about the cause of the accident. In other words, it was a way of blasting away Gene and shoving his reputation as a respected individual into the ground. My support from the story is when Brinker and three acquaintances come into Gene and Finny's dorm and pull them out. After they entered the Assembly Room, Brinker remarks, "You see how Finny limps." This phrase was the beginning of his plan to set the truth loose, or primarily break the friendship link between Finny and Gene. Brinker chose the Assembly Room as the setting for this trial since there is nothing humorous about the place. It is a place which would be terrible for Gene's sake to talk about the cause of the accident.

Critical Thinking: Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and “Person-In-Environment” (PIE) Essay

Critical thinking, what has happened to it? Is it apart of our daily lives or is it a part of the past? Can you tell me the definition of critical thinking or would every person’s response be different? Does today’s science have anything to do with critical thinking? How does evidence based practice (EBP) and â€Å"person-in-environment (PIE) relate to critical thinking? In this essay I will answer all of these questions plus give you more information on the subjects. So, by the end of this essay you should have a clear understanding of critical thinking: evidence based practice and â€Å"person-in-environment†. Let’s start with the question of what has really happened to critical thinking? It looks like to me we live in a very complicated fast paced world, where we all have problems and issues and at times they are very hard to comprehend. Yet still decisions have to be made. The interpretation of critical thinking goes as far back as the Socrates but in 1906 William Graham Sumner stated that the concept of critical thinking is: â€Å"the examination and test of propositions of any kind which are offered for acceptance, in order to find out whether they correspond to reality or not†. He goes on to say that â€Å"Men educated in it cannot be stampeded. They are slow to believe. They can hold things as possible or probable in all degrees without certainty and without pain. They can wait for evidence and weigh evidence. They can resist appeals to their dearest prejudices. † Another definition of critical thinking has been defined by Ku, K. (2009) as â€Å"judging information, evaluating alternative evidence and arguing with solid reasons. † (pg. 70) So it may seem too many that this notion of critical thinking (also embraced by educational theorists at the turn of the 20th century) is really declining in popularity in this new millennium. To others critical thinking, if somehow it became generalized in the world, would produce a new and very different world, a world which increasingly is not only in our interest but is necessary to our survival. Now after researching the subject of critical thinking I find out a lot of more information. Such as critical thinking is two things. One is the particular examination of an opinion or conclusion based on that specific examination. Two is when presented with a question, problem, or issue of someone’s opinion or conclusion a creative formulation is formed. I also found out that the practice of reasoning is something critical thinking concentrates on. Practicing self-awareness, tolerating ambiguity when faced with ethical dilemmas, and applying knowledge gained from multiple sources are all key components of critical thinking (Carey & McCardle 2011) Critical thinking is that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism. (The Critical Thinking Community 2011) Overall critical thinking makes you work on your thinking continuously, to make your thinking the object of every thought, to make your behavior the object of your own thinking; to make your beliefs the object of your thinking. The extent to which any of us develops as a thinker is directly determined by the amount of time we dedicate to our development, the quality of the intellectual practice we engage in, and the depth, or lack thereof, of our commitment to becoming more reasonable, rational, successful persons. Now for is critical thinking apart of science? Yes, it surely is. In the development of critical thinking science can be seen as the ultimate extension. Science entails thrusting ideas together and putting them to the test. The PIE system attempts to broaden the perspective, by placing psychiatric problems in a much broader context of social problems and challenges (Karls & Wandrei, 1994). This is a step forward, as there is some attention to strengths in this model. It cannot be said to come from a strengths perspective, however, which would seem to require a greater transformation and shift of focus. More importantly, this dichotomy is based on the illusory idea of therapeutic neutrality or transparency. That is, it assumes the practitioner has little influence on the experience or presentation of the client. No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor. References: Carey, M. & McCardle, M. (03/22/2011) Critical thinking, Journal of Social Work Education. Issue: Spring-Summer, 2011 Source Volume: 47 Source Issue: 2 COPYRIGHT 2011 Council on Social Work Education ISSN: 1043-7797 Karls, James M, & Wandrei, Karin E. (1992). PIE: A new language for social work. Social Work, 37 (1), 80. Retrieved July 7, 2010 from the ProQuest database. Ku, K. (2009). Assessing students’ critical thinking performance: Urging for measurements using multi response format. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 4, 70-76. The Critical Thinking Community (2011) Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking. Retrieved from: http://www. criticalthinking. org/pages/our-concept-and-definition-of-critical-thinking/411

“Coming Back” by David Hill and “Tully” by Paullina Simons

‘Teenagers don’t always know all the answers. Texts can offer important lessons, which may assist responders in reflecting their own values’.Ignorant, unknowledgeable nature of youth exists as a naturalistic quality amongst teenagers; characters within the texts ‘Coming Back’ by David Hill and ‘Tully’ by Paullina Simons further endorse this characteristic. The themes of guilt and recovery as well as Pain and friendship provide insight into fundamental lessons that attest the responder’s values.A central concern addressed in ‘Coming back’ by David Hill is the primary battle existent within Ryan, which is endorsed in a series of actions that Hill associates with guilt. Both Ryan and Tara are heavily affected by the results of a tragic, traffic accident that hospitalized Tara Gower due to the negligence and recklessness of Ryan and his peers.Ryan foreshadows the car accident; repetition, short sentences and colloquial lan guage- â€Å"If only. Two little words with one massive bloody meaning. If only† emphasizing Ryan’s guilt and regret in conjunction with the accident. Direct language, low modality, negative connotations- â€Å"I had to punish myself. Hurt myself.† Forceful, objective tone and repetition in Ryan’s speech reiterate his guilt, as self- harmful thoughts began to justify his physical actions and behavior. Self -harm is a common result of pain amongst youth, which is demonstrated through the insightful texts of both ‘Coming Back’ and ‘Tully†, evidently guidance is often essential for teenagers during adolescents.Unknowing nature can result in fear, hence freezing recovery processes. Tara Gower’s recovery was often simultaneously affected by her fears and fears of the unknown. The enormity of Tara’s recovery is continuously illustrated throughout the text; demonstrated by the use of formal jargon- â€Å"An impact severe e nough to cause brain injury may also cause damage to other organs resulting in contusions of the heart† reflecting the serious notions of Tara’s condition, whilst providing facts and extenuating the trauma of the car accident.Medical context also reflects Ryan’s fears, providing dense, factual realizations that he unfortunately caused. Imagery, personification, metaphorical language-â€Å"I was too tired to fight it. All around me the river kept eating away.† Demonstrating Tara’s dream like state and reflecting her  fears of fading away. Initially Tara’s language is figurative and short, however her language develops over time. First person, imagery, positive connotations, high modality- â€Å"I felt myself swallowing. Orange Juice. A chocolate milkshake-my favorite!† indicating she was able to distinguish taste, but not able to feed herself during this point of recovery. Some of the most tragic issues are best conveyed in the depth of a novel, as they provide insight into fundamental lessons that attest the responder’s values.Pain is an explicit theme present in the text ‘Tully’ by Paullina Simons; how Tully copes with pain is a fundamental aspect of this text. The full horrors of Tully’s childhood are slowly unveiled; although the narrative begins when she is 17, flashbacks and accounts of her torn experiences as a child characterize her behavior and beliefs. She was abandoned by her father and unwanted by her abusive mother from a young age; repetitive clauses, negative connotations, recurring motif- â€Å"From the time Tully was two, she learned fear and with fear she learned hate, and with hate she learned silence† demonstrating she was raised in an atmosphere of neglect and unpredictable violence.Her pain resulted in self harm; metaphor, imagery, personification- â€Å"I do it because I want to feel what death feels like. I just want unconsciousness to wash over me- to h eal myself† illustrating the irony and juxtaposed nature of healing and death, provoking feelings of anxiety, portraying how damaged Tully has become. ‘Tully’ offers important lessons, which are relevant to societies concerns and beliefs.Friendship that endures through life times is a bold theme explicit in ‘Tully’. Regardless of her pain she found refuge in friendship with Jennifer and Julie, until Jennifer committed suicide in their senior year. She wrote a letter to Tully prior to her death; religious references, high modality, colloquialisms, metaphorical language- â€Å"God is going to call upon you to summon all your strength, all your iron clad, gritted teeth, clenched fists will to pull you through† demonstrating Jennifer believes Tully is unbreakable and will overcome her death, however, Tully sees it as an act of betrayal and is shattered by the harsh loss of Jennifer.Tully spent many hours compulsively cleaning the bathroom afterâ₠¬ ¦ and the unforgettable expressionless face of Jen’s father; low modality, emotive language,  imagery- â€Å"he is still stunned, yet I’m already falling, already can’t breathe without her† illustrating her affection towards Jennifer. Jennifer’s death had a huge impact on Tully, which reflects her future behavior and values.The themes of guilt, recovery, pain and friendship are undying concepts present in many teenagers lives, the notions of these themes are universal as ignorant, unknowledgeable nature of youth exists as a naturalistic quality amongst teenagers; characters within the texts ‘Coming Back’ by David Hill and ‘Tully’ by Paullina Simons further endorse this characteristic, demonstrating that teenagers do not always know the answers.

How the Media Gives the Pit Bull a Bad Name

Dog breeders are often confronted with the truth that the media have no idea about dog breeds. Neither do they have an idea of what makes a â€Å"dangerous dog†. Due to their misreporting of facts regarding various breeds, they have instilled an unwarranted fear in society when it comes to certain dogs, most specially, the pit bull. No dog is untrainable nor are they born vicious. Although most dogs are sociable, loving and fun, dogs like the Pit Bull are genetically predisposed to animal aggression.There are actually several breeds of the Pit Bull that include the Terrier line like the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog. Once the poster dog representing America in the World Wars, the breed has gone from a beloved breeds used on television shows from Our Gang to Little House on the Prarie, to headlines of your local newscasts.The media has represented the breed as a vicious attack dog eve n as Pit Bulls continue to work in the armed services, search and rescue efforts, therapy, and dog competitions. If a Pit Bull were truly a vicious animal, it is really doubtful that it would be the breed of choice for any of these human interaction services.   The Pit Bull is normally of a tenacious, courageous nature and displays a love for their humans. It takes a huge commitment on the master's part to train such a breed. But the training is eventually worth it. The dog just cannot mingle with other dogs due to the aggression the dog poses toward its fellow dogs.The media needs to be educated to some facts about the Pit Bull. Such as, even though the Put Bull ranks number one in breeds in the USA, it does not rank number 1 in biting. The Golden Retriever has been proven to be the more aggressive dog. A Pit Bull posing a danger to children is also a myth that the media propagates. No dog should ever be left unsupervised in the company of children.Pit Bulls have also become the staple of urban mythology because people tend to fear the way they look even though the dog is of a small size. It has not helped that media reports have fuelled the hype that has seen the breed become one of the most persecuted breeds today. Dog attacks are most often the result of bad breeding and training.If a dog farm raises the Pit Bull, one can assume that the dog has led a rough life full of mistreatment and neglect. That is not the case for all the dogs of this breed. Sadly, people would rather believe the worst of the dog rather than give it a chance to prove that is loving, kind, and playful. Pit Bull bites are over hyped and not representative of the real Pit Bull situation. According to the website Save the Pits! :The 2004 statistics from the American Temperament Test Association show that 83.4% of American Pit Bull Terriers passed the temperament test. This is higher than the Beagle (78.2%) and the Border Collie (79.6%). The temperament test consists of putting the dog through a series of confrontational situations – if the dog reacts aggressively or fearfully, it fails.Those who report the news have to understand that there is a difference between Animal Aggression and Human Aggression. The truth of the matter is that dogs themselves can differentiate the two aggression types. Put Bulls are unlawfully bred and trained by unscrupulous breeders to participate in dog fights so animal aggression exists in the breed. Pit Bulls love human interaction and are not even capable of differentiating between a pet loving human and a potential attacker. In the event it does bite a human, it can be rehabilitated by an animal behaviorist.The media continues to tarnish the Pit Bulls reputation with unwarranted reports. The public must be educated about Pit Bull misconceptions because the media has never been known to be receptive of anybody telling them they are wrong.The Pit Bull is easily confused with about 10 other breeds. There have been actual bite r eports done that report a Pit Bull as the attacker but later investigations prove it was not a Pit Bull. The media does not bother to report that.Sensationalist reporting by the media has turned the Pit Bull into an under dog. Dog bites are blown out of proportion with headlines that strike fear in the reader's hearts.   The reason for this is clearly explained by the Save the Pits! Article:Thanks to the media and general sensationalism, the Pit Bull is a newsworthy dog. In this country, bad news makes the national papers and sells more than good news, which just tends to make the local papers. The media has transformed the Pit Bull from what it used to be – America's favorite dog – into the devil dog that it is today. No one wants to see a story with the title ‘Man bitten by Labrador' or ‘Man bitten by Jack Russell'. Stories involving Pit Bulls are much more newsworthy, and unfortunately their popularity does not seem to be waning.Until dog breeders, tra iners, and owners can find an effective way to stop the maligning of the Pit Bull by the media, the poor dog will be unjustly accused of and punished crimes it is not capable of committing.Work CitedPit Bull Training Secrets. 2006. PitBullTrainingSecrets.US. February 23, 2007Animals and Pets. Save the Pits!.February 23, 2007 http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/Pit_lovePet Orphans of Southern California. Dangerous Breeds. February 23, 2007 http://www.petorphans.org/infamous.sh

George Reid Andrews Afro Latin America

GEORGE REID ANDREWS: AFRO-LATIN AMERICA In this paper, I would arguer that the history of USA is intertwined with the issue of Blacks – their enslavement and freedom but it has not as yet been focused that this subject has far greater impact in Central and Latin America, thus the greater impact of blacks in Central and Latin America would be the main theme or argument of this paper. This book, Afro-Latin America by George Reid, is the first attempt to focus on this side of the African Diaspora. With remarkable skill George Reid Andrews has woven the history of people who came from Africa to South America – broadly speaking. He traces their path from slavery to freedom and how this in turn left its stamp on the politics, economics and culture of this region. As individuals and as groups they pursued the path towards freedom, equality and acquirement of citizenship by being part of the military, political movements, civic bodies, unions, religious activities and in various cultural streams. The book travels through two centuries and should be of interest in all interested in the past, present and future of Latin America. It is one of the best anthropological accounts of this region. The style is gripping with detailed statement of experiences, of the people of African origin in the former colonies of Spain and Portugal and the stamp of their influence on these parts on all walks of life – society, economics and culture. While the history of the Blacks is well researched and ably presented in USA, it is not so with Latin America where there is still an air of mystery and vacuum. It is ironical that it should be so considering the fact that it has the highest number of Africans residing here outside the African continent (Fagundes 68-78). The book starts with the stunning statement – â€Å"New Census Shows Hispanics now Even with Blacks, the headline proclaimed. Documenting a profound shift in the racial and ethnic composition of American Society, the 2000 census of the United States showed that, as a result of the continuing immigration from Latin America during the 1990s the national Hispanic population had grown by more than 60%. For the first time ever the country’s 35. 3 million Hispanic residents slightly exceeded the black population of 34. million† (Andrews 3). The Blacks and Hispanics are not always distinct groups as is generally thought of. In Latin America blacks comprise a quarter of the population. The â€Å"heart of the New World African Diaspora† (Andrews 3) lies not in the north of the border in USA but in South America. During the slave period ten times more Africans came to Spanish and Portuguese America than to USA. By the close of 1900 the former outnumbered the latter by 3:1 – 22% of the population in Latin America while it was 12% in USA. With immigration, commerce and tourism ties are getting stronger and hence it is necessary to sketch a history of the Latin American African Diaspora as distinct from USA African Diaspora. In this book such an attempt has been made. The term Afro-Latin-American made its debut sometime during the 70s. Hitherto it was Afro-Venezuelans, Afro-Cubans etc. Latin America is the cluster of American countries under the rule of Spain or Portugal from 1500 to 1800 (Madrigal 99-108). There are many other people living in this region – not only those who have come from Africa; there are Indians, Whites, Asians etc. But whether as a minority or majority the Black presence is strong in the field of agriculture and slavery. Blackness has become synonymous with a lower social status leading to a popular mass culture. The proportion of Blacks fell because of neglect disease and death. Also there was more mobility and mixing in the south unlike the rigidity of the north. Black tended to become whiter with material success; the Black became the Pardo or Mulatto. The idea was to bar them from European ancestry privileges (Aguiar 299-308). The book is not about the race as defined scientifically but as used socially. It looks at the issue from two angles – it delves on the multi racial society of Afro-Latin-America and also as the single largest group of Africans who had been uprooted from their original homeland. Whatever the shade of black the author uses the term to refer to that group whose African ancestry is known and recognized. The previous plantation regions of Latin America were shaped irrevocably â€Å"by the presence of Africans and their descendants† (Andrews 284). Hence to understand what it is like today one has to know about the people who carved it to be what it is now. In reacting to the constraints of slavery on the one hand there were the obvious violent actions like running away, revolt, theft and attack while on the other there was a slower but more lasting response like negotiating with the masters, taking into hand speed of work, appealing to courts, forming families and keeping alive African practices (Aguiar 299). Runaway slaves formed communities, black militias and mutual aid societies were formed and the people expressed their feeling through formation of athletic, social and cultural clubs. Soon civic organizations, political parties and newspapers made their debut. It all rolled into the formation of civil rights movement. By the end of 1800 slavery had been abolished in Latin America (Halperin 489-495). Chapter one covers the first years of slavery while in chapters four and five the author tries to explain how the colored communities tried to whiten and blacken themselves in trying to find their identity that would be acceptable to their own community as well as to the Whites against the background of a growing mixed population. Here, there arose a problem. In USA there was a clear cut line dividing the Blacks and Whites. But in Latin America the Afro-Latin people penetrated different layers of society and economy with politics having an influence. Many of the Blacks were free and could not be bracketed with the salves. Europeans, Native Americans and people from the Asia added to the cocktail to make a mixing of blood rarely seen elsewhere. Thus the concept of race no longer remained a scientific issue but related to socio-economic factors (Bizumic 871-899). The biggest influence was felt in the sphere of culture – in dancing, music and religion. Andrew goes into detail saying how initially they were termed as barbaric by the Europeans and then in the 20th century there began a change of attitude when the idea of nationhood took roots. Capoeira, Cndomble and Carnaval are three of the significant cultural expressions that have their roots in the tradition of Africa. There is an underlying belief that Africa is very much throbbing and alive in these modern cultural renditions. Ironically the Europeans have also taken these on and absorbed them in their psyche. The book focuses on these aspects and at the end the reader is left with a feeling that more could have been said. Instead of devoting separate chapters on these themes he has scattered these all through the book. He has focused more on economics and politics. After reading the book there is the feeling that the problems of race are going to be more complex in Latin America than what is going on in USA (Shrestha 113-139). In this sense this book is a good introduction to understand the present to gauge the future. The book however would be rather heavy for the casual reader but it is great for serious thinkers and scholars. The author details the relationship and effect of the coming of the people of Africa to Latin America. There are detailed notes and bibliography to guide the students. It is ideal for all interested in the race factor and the trans-Atlantic slave trade that happened in this part of the world as distinct from USA. Slavery is stressed in USA but the fact is that it existed much earlier in places like Brazil. The book reveals new facts that have so far remained unknown. It will enlighten the reader about the birth of the countries of the western world and the large part the people of African descent had played for it to become what we see today. This book introduces the reader to the history of the Blacks connected with Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rica etc. and supports the thesis that the influence of blacks in the South America is far more greater than that of mainland United States. Works cited Aguiar, Gilberto. Effects of demographic and ethnohistorical factors on average heterozygosities of South Amerindians. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 88. 3, (2000): 299-308. Andrews, George Reid. Afro-Latin America, 1800-2000. NY: Oxford University PressUS, 2004. Bizumic, Boris. A cross-cultural investigation into a reconceptualization of ethnocentrism. European Journal of Social Psychology 39. 6, (2009): 871-899. Fagundes, Nelson. Genetic, geographic, and linguistic variation among South American Indians. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 117. 1, (2002): 68-78. Halperin, Edward. The poor, the Black, and the marginalized as the source of cadavers. Clinical Anatomy, 20. 5, (2007): 489-495. Madrigal, Leo. Ethnicity, gene flow, and population subdivision in Limon, Costa Rica. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 114. 2, (2001): 99-108. Shrestha, Nanda. Black migration at the margin of freedom. International Journal of Population Geography, 9. 2, (2003): 113-139.

How and Why the Nazis Rose to Power

In this essay I will explain how and why the Nazis rose to power, elaborating on the circumstances of the great depression, the Weimar republic, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Hitler and the Nazis were not prosperous in gaining power from up to 1928, this is because people thought all Nazis were brutes and believed that Hitler was a big joke. Nobody was interested in the Nazi ideas or plans and plus, Germany wasn’t quite ready for them. But Hitler soon came into power in many different ways. He promised to undo the Versailles Treaty which Germany had to reparation to England and France.He also promised to restore hope and to deal with the depression. Hitler also blamed the Jews for inflicting tragedy to Germany. Everyone soon agreed to the Nazi plans for getting rid of democracy and started to follow his ways. In 1929, the American stock exchange collapsed and caused an economic depression. America called in all its foreign loans, which destroyed Weimar Germany. Unemployment in Germany rose to 6 million. The German companies collapsed, the unemployment rate was extremely high, everyone resulted to violence and farming was a crisis because of the low food prices.The government didn’t know what to do so in July 1930 the chancellor cut wages and unemployment pay which had to be the worst thing to do during the depression. The anger and bitterness helped the Nazis to gain more support; in 1928, the Nazis had only 12 seats in the Reichstag and by July 1932 they had 230 seats and were the largest party. The Weimar Republic was after WWI when Germany became a democratic republic after the Kaiser fled. German citizens were allowed to vote, hold meeting for trade unions and would only be arrested if they broke the law which was all fair.There were many problems with the Weimar Republic which was the high unemployment, hunger, poverty; hyperinflation and the leaders were blamed for signing the hated Treaty of Versailles. The Weimar Republic lasted until 1 945, when the German government was finally dissolved because of the Second World War. The main reason why he became chancellor was because of the great depression advantage he had but Hitler was also a great speaker, with the power to make people support him. The depression of 1929 created poverty and unemployment, which made people angry with the Weimar government.People lost confidence in the democratic system and turned towards the extremist political parties such as the Communists and Nazis during the depression. The SA also attacked the Nazis opponents. The Nazis were clearly all Fascists because they all had very extreme right wing views which were racist and nationalistic (e. g. getting rid of Jews/ perfect race). There are many reasons why Hitler had come to power. Germany had just been through a war and had lost. The Treaty of Versailles made a contract for Germany which made living in Germany very hard.The people of Germany were poor and where upset with the Treaty. They wanted someone to help them out of the hole they were in. So Hitler offered them everything they wanted, the people of Germany were brain washed with posters, radio, newspapers and leaflets. Hitler's speeches where strong and effective, the Germans liked the idea of having one strong leader. The Nazis were organised and smart, people liked that; in 1930 The Nazis pulled 6,500,000 votes. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg on 30th January 1933 which was 1/3 of the total votes an outstanding 13,500,000.

Operations Management in Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Operations Management in Action - Essay Example These are the same operational issues affecting Zorro Organization. Operations management has the sole role responsibility of ensuring that an organization’s business operations are both efficient and effective. Efficiency is directed on reduction of wastage, delays and improvement of services and goods offered to a client such that they are of high quality. This requires designing a system that will ensure smooth running of operations. As Lee (2009) clearly puts it, the very first stage is to design an operations system. Here, Zorro Organization determines the kind of service they are going to offer as per the client’s instructions. The service to be offered in such a way that it will not overuse the organization’s resources, but it should also be operational and satisfy the customers’ needs. The next thing is planning how the resources available will be used to ensure that the service offered is up to the customer’s standards. To offer some services, more resources in terms of staff and time are required. The management plans this during this stage so that the customer gets all the required services on time. The very last stage is working with the various staff or teamwork to offer the service. This information was obtained from the human resource manager of Zorro Organization. Having looked at how the operations management system of Zorro Organization works, let us now look at some of the problems, issues and challenges it encounters. One of the major problems is globalization; there are so many regions in the world and in each region, there is a difference in operations management. Each region has its own unique strategy in operations management. This leaves the organization with the question whether their facilities in different parts of the world should use their own operation management systems or uniformity should be inherited from the mother company. For instance, in some

The birth of a nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The birth of a nation - Essay Example Their main objections have focused on specific scenes in the movie that involve â€Å"a white girl killing herself to escape from a Negro pursuer and a black politician coercing his benefactor to give his daughter in marriage,† as can be discerned from the contents of a letter from the Secretary of the NAACP (The Birth of a Nation and Black Protest). Besides, there have also been disputes against the historical accuracy of the events portrayed in the movie and many believe that Griffith has distorted the facts to suit his interest of serving the cause of white supremacy. However, all the debates and controversies aside, there is no denying the fact that â€Å"The Birth of a Nation† is an elegant work of art of epical proportions and a classic that has set the standard for future movies, besides being the most expensive film produced till that time. One of the best aspects of the movie is that it portrays the ravages of war in such a palpable manner that the audience wil l start hating the concept of war. Movies, as the most popular mass communication media, serve the purpose of creating awareness in people about various aspects of human life. â€Å"The Birth of a Nation,† from this perspective, can be understood as having undertaken a noble mission of apprising the audience of the destructive power of war and the havoc it can wreak on human lives. The movie displays a message immediately after the titles are shown, which reads, â€Å"If in this work we have conveyed to the mind the ravages of war to the end that war may be held in abhorrence, this effort will not have been in vain† (Griffith 1915). To ensure communication of this theme to the audience, Griffith resorts to the depiction of various situations that his characters confront in the story before, during and after the war. The senior Cameron, petting little puppies and then putting a kitten on top of the puppy, is symbolic of a