Childhood Obesity Essay Introduction Essay

Introduction Obesity is a serious and major health complication contributing to 112,000 deaths annually most of which are preventable. Obesity is to a condition where excess fat has collected in the body has to the level of adversely affecting one’s health. There is no general agreement on the lowest explanations of obesity in adolescents and children. Therefore, most professionals accept the guidelines published on body mass index (BMI) to measure cases of overweight in children and adolescents. The increase of obesity among children in 2008 increased from 5 percent to 17 percent in the same year. This paper will focus to explore the causes of obesity in children and give methods on how it can be prevented. One is considered as obese or overweight when his or her body mass index BMI exceeds 30 kg/m2) (Flegal, 2000). Body mass index is obtained by measuring an individual’s weight in kilograms relative to his or her height in meters. Presently obesity is the widest spread medical problem affecting children and teenagers in developed countries like the United States. Other measure of obesity include: a) Weight-to-height tables- These tables define being overweight and give ranges for a healthy weight based on the height of a teenager or child. b) Body fat percentage- Fat a percentage of body weight, is a strong indicator of obesity. Boys are regarded obese when their body fat is above 25 percent and girls over 32 percent. Obesity has profound effects on the life of a patient by increasing the possibility of contracting variety of diseases. The following are health consequences of obesity according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cancers (breast, endometrial and colon) Coronary heart disease Hypertension Stroke Type 2 diabetes Dyslipidemia Osteoarthritis Gallbladder and liver and disease Gynecological problems (infertility, abnormal menses) In addition to the health consequences above, obesity can also create social, as well as, emotional problems to an individual or patient due to the stigma associated with one being overweight. Causes of obesity Physical exercise and dieting are among the best ways for treating obesity. One can improve his or her diet quality by reducing the intake foods rich in energy, e.g. those high in sugars and fat and increasing the consumption of dietary fiber. Drugs such as anti- obesity medication drugs may be taken to lower appetite or inhibit the absorption of fat. A gastric balloon may enable one lose weight if exercise, medication and diet are not effective. Surgery may also be performed to lower stomach volume and or bowel length. This leads to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food. Below are some of the major causes of obesity (Ferry, 2011). Physical inactivity- The increased use of computers, video games and televisions have largely contributed to an inactive lifestyle for many teenagers and children in developed countries like the U.S. On average, teenagers and children in the United States of America spend three hours daily watching television. This form of recreation not only uses little energy but also encourages eating of snacks. Only one-third of children in the United States have daily physical exercise education in school. Dietary habits- The eating habits of teenagers and children have shifted away from healthy foods such as vegetables and whole grains to enormous reliance on fast foods, sugary drinks and eating processed snacks. These foods tend to contain high levels of fat or calories but low in essential nutrients. Unhealthy eating habits include eating when not hungry, watching television while eating or eating while doing homework e.t.c. Genetic factors- Some families tend to have obesity. Parents who are obese tend to have obese children. It is very  crucial to note that obesity does not occur through genetics alone, but when one eats more calories than he or she uses. Socioeconomic status-Non working parents or families with low incomes are more likely to consume excess calories for a given level of activity. Specific medical conditions can cause obesity but are rare. This includes inherited disorders of metabolism, hormone or chemical imbalances. Certain medications can alter how the body stores fat or processes food, thus resulting to weight gain. There is limited evidence to support the fact that some people who are overweight eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism. Obese people require more energy expenditure than people who are thin due to the energy required to maintain their massive body mass. Conclusion Obesity is considered a major cause of deaths worldwide with increasing prevalence in children, teenagers and adults. The American Heart Association has guidelines for healthy children and families. It recommends that one should eat adequate calories and eat a wide variety of foods to obtain adequate nutrition. It also recommends that the total cholesterol taken per day should be less than 300mg. These guidelines are only applicable to children above two years of age. It is necessary for everyone in the family to apply these guidelines and not just those who are obese. Schools should introduce anti bullying campaign to assist overweight children. The biggest responsibility falls on parents to ensure their children observe healthy eating tips. References American Heart Association. â€Å"Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children.† Apr. 19, 2012. . Ferry Jr., R.J., ed. Nutrition and Health: Management of Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, 2011: 416. United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. â€Å"Childhood Overweight and Obesity.† Apr. 27, 2012. .

Endangered language

At present, both individuals and governments are concerned about language diversity as an increasing number of reports have demonstrated a considerable decrease In the number of languages during the last few centuries (Romaine, 2007). Additionally, the future of many languages Is also dismal. As a consequence, whether or not to protect endangered languages Is a quite controversial Issue at present. This essay will discuss both advantages and disadvantages of preserving languages, which are quite essential for governments and other organizations.One argument put forward is that humanity should care about languages because it may promote the development of cultural diversity. Just like biology, a language is not only related to an individual nation's value or right, but also connects to the culture system all over the world (Crystal, 2000). From this perspective, the damage to any factor in the system will cause unpredictable results in this system as a whole (ibid). In addition, the d iversity may promote the development of culture.That means languages often lay an important role In our society through diversity, regardless of its population. Nevertheless, It Is advised that some linguists' claims for the protection of language may neglect Its essence and true function: that Is communication. In other words, If a language Is spoken only by a few people, It Is not a true language (Mali, 2000). Certainly, It Is beneficial to other languages and cultures. However, the benefit Is not because of the uniqueness of different languages, but due to removing barriers and making connections across them (ibid).Therefore, a language becomes extinct because it has lost the function of communication instead of other reasons. Additionally, protectionism seems to cause a negative impact on economy and society, especially in some multicultural society. Take Indonesia as an example, the government impose an ethics test in the local language on foreign lawyers (Krieger, 2013). As a result, not only do the local lawyers have a few opportunities to communicate with their foreign colleagues, but It also harmed the economy. In conclusion, the disadvantages of protectionism outweigh the advantages.Language and Linguistics Compass, 1(1-2), 115-132 endangered language By crusader 1230 decrease in the number of languages during the last few centuries (Romaine, 2007). Additionally, the future of many languages is also dismal. As a consequence, whether or not to protect endangered languages is a quite controversial issue at present. This play an important role in our society through diversity, regardless of its population. Nevertheless, it is advised that some linguists' claims for the protection of language ay neglect its essence and true function: that is communication.In other words, if a language is spoken only by a few people, it is not a true language (Mali, 2000). Certainly, it is beneficial to other languages and cultures. However, the benefit is not communicate with their foreign colleagues, but it also harmed the economy. In conclusion, the disadvantages of protectionism outweigh the advantages. Thus, it is Crystal, D. (2000), Why should we care? Language Death, Cambridge University Press snakelike. Com Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://www. Snakelike. Com/essay/

Jamaica Kincaid “Girl” Essay

The story of Jamaica Kincaid â€Å"Girl† is about a mother giving the instructions to her daughter. The mother uses strict, demanding tone while parenting her daughter. She gives the orders, and expects listening and obedience, regardless what the girl says. Through mother’s words to her daughter, through the directions she wants her to follow, the mother reveals strictness, egocentricity, and exactingness that are her most conspicuous traits. The mother believes that numerous instructions will make her daughter become a proper lady. This story supports the idea that a woman should be domesticated. The mother or a speaker describes the household chores and wants her girl to do them correctly. â€Å"This is how you sweep a corner; this is how you sweep a whole house.’ (Kincaid 396) Considering the time this story was written, little women were not taught how to do a successful career, they were taught how to become good wives for their husbands. The mother is addressing her remarks to her daughter. She takes the position and does not listen to the girl. There is a gap in the relationship between two women, shown through the girl’s little speech. The mother is instructing how to act, talk, behave, and eat. However, this does not make her a bad mother. All that she wants is her daughter to know the values of life. The mother teaches her, probably, the same way her mother used to teach her. The mother tells her daughter how to cook and set up the table. â€Å"This is how you set a table for dinner with an important guest.† (Kincaid 396) On one hand, all that we see in this story is mother and her guidance. On the other hand, in spite of mother’s strictness and directness, she reveals her praiseworthy characteristics by willing to make her daughter a proper lady. She wants her daughter to have outstanding manners and to know how to behave in front of the men. I believe that the culture the author was writing this story in, plays a very important role in this story. The mother wants her daughter to become a proper lady by guiding her and providing her with the strict instructions. She believes that the more detailed she is, the better her daughter will know. Despite the commands and strictness, the daughter will learn the values of life.

Business research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business - Research Paper Example This strategy was a part of the nation’s attempt to maintain the targeted exchange rate value of its domestic currency against a basket of major and influential currencies in the world. Despite a few reports about illegal resource transfers across international premises, the Chinese managed to keep a major proportion of their total stock of financial resources with themselves through profound government intervention (Morrison, 2009). The hypothesis testing conducted in the previous section, in connection with the susceptibility of Chinese firms to impacts of the crisis, also found an insignificant effect of the same. In fact, the subtle truth is that, even though the Chinese experienced hardships on account of the financial distress, they were far better off than what the Western economies felt, where recession was declared officially. As far as statistics are concerned, the Bank of China, the largest nationalised commercial bank in the nation, was responsible for a total of $10.8 billion amount of investment in US owned mortgage-backed securities, nearly 3.5% of its total investment securities portfolio in 2006. Although this figure fell down to 1.4% by the end of 2008, yet, according to Fitch Ratings, this was the highest figure among all other Asian financial institutions (Chim, 2007). The investment into securities was a consequence of excessive stocking of US financial assets, which amounted to a sum of $2.13 trillion as on June 2009, in order to keep its exchange rate floating at the targeted level, compared to that of US dollars. The Chinese government considered it wiser to invest in US securities rather than holding such a huge quantity of money idle (Morrison & Labonte, 2009). The exposure of the Chinese economy to US financial securities however, was not limited to just mortgage backed securities; rathe r there were huge investments of Chinese renminbi on credit

Potato Osmosis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Potato Osmosis - Assignment Example The researcher states that even the simplest unicellular protozoan needs to communicate with the external environment for survival because it needs to ingest food, eliminate waste products and toxins of metabolism and exchange gases through respiratory mechanisms. This communication is further developed in a more intricate manner in the multicellular organisms where exchanges take place within and between the cells in carrying out their assigned physiological functions. All cells are bound on the outside by a limiting membrane akin to a boundary wall which separates and protects the cellular components from the external environment. This membrane is known as the cell wall and the plasma membrane in plants and animals respectively. This membrane is a specialized component which selectively permits passage of water and other components across it either inward or outward depending upon the gradient of the fluid environment and internal contents or due to selectivity for particular molec ules through specialized pores or channels. Two of the processes by which such exchanges take place are known as diffusion and osmosis. Diffusion is simply the movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a lower concentration (intranet.landmark.edu). Diffusion occurs within a single compartment or environment where molecules move from a region of higher concentration to a lower concentration until equilibrium is reached. Such diffusive activity can take place inside a single cell. Osmosis too is also a movement of components within a solution either from a higher gradient to a lower one or selectively under active transport systems controlled by cellular physiology, but this diffusion occurs across a semi-permeable membrane such as the plant cell wall or the animal plasma membrane. The plant or the animal cell walls are selectively permeable for certain molecules and do not allow other molecules to pass through them.

Operations and IT Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operations and IT Management - Essay Example This will significantly reduce conflicts when we come to implementation or operations of the managers. The information lifecycle approach has strengthened customer relationship management, which is a widely applied strategy for running a company’s relations with its customers, clients as well as sales prospects. It encompasses the use of technology to organize, computerize, and harmonize business processes-mainly sales activities, but, in addition to those for marketing, client service, along with technical support (Fitzsimmon, 2005). The predominant goals are to find, attract, and convince new clients, nurture and lock in the customers, which the company already had before, entice previous clients back into the fold, and minimize advertising costs and client services. Customer relationship management illustrates a company’s broad business plan including client interface sections as well as other departments. Computing and valuing customers’ correlation is crucial to implementing this strategy. This has tremendously reduced conflicts between operations managers and information technology managers, due to specialization and division of areas of jurisdiction within the business system. Information privacy and data security; operations managers and information technology managers are now working concurrently to ensure that there is information security. Given the fact that security is an area of concern in the business sector, the two bodies have no choice but, to pull together as a team in considering the desire for information and data privacy, as well as the legislative and cultural standards. Some clients would like their pertinent information to remain their secret, and not to allow any other unauthorized persons, without their permission access to it. Information lifecycle approach enables business firms to keep different business documentation for a different

According to Ghaye (2001) there is a growing body of knowledge which Essay

According to Ghaye (2001) there is a growing body of knowledge which suggests that reflective practice has the potential to transform who we are and we do. Dis - Essay Example This model purports that the first phase of reflection is awareness. This may be triggered by either disturbing or positive thoughts or feelings about a situation or event – which in this case is the critical incident. During the second phase of reflection, the person undertakes a critical analysis of what transpired. He draws upon his significant knowledge and experiences, and on the application of novel knowledge. Such realizations, in the form of new knowledge, are the expected output of the analysis. This entails critical thinking and self-assessment – this comes with increasing awareness about the self (Scanlon & Chernomas, 1997). The last stage is the development of a novel approach in accordance with one’s critical analysis and the implementation of novel knowledge onto the context or situation for which one has undergone the reflection. The new approach that one intends to adopt may be characterized by cognitive, attitudinal and behavioural modifications. A logical expectation would be adaptive when one considers that the person increases in his effectiveness both as a person and as a team member. Apparently, learning has transpired. In effect, this perspective of reflective learning suits a handful of theoretical models. These include that of Schon (1987) which advocates the reflective practitioner and â€Å"knowing-in-action† framework. Reflective learning journals are significant tools in translating theory into viable action, that is, praxis. Reflective learning journals have been utilized for quite some time now, specifically in the nursing and teacher education disciplines, to improve individual learning effectiveness, encompassing critical and creative thinking (Kobert, 1995; McCrindle & Christensen, 1995; Meyers & Jones, 1993). In an early application, Hahnemann (1986) had nursing undergraduates spend 10-15 minutes in class time doing their journal entries over the semester. She reported

Critical Issues in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Critical Issues in Marketing - Essay Example (BRASSINGTON, Frances, 2006) Each one of the "four P's" is a variable that is managed in creation of the marketing blend that draws customers towards company. (CANT, M. C., 2009) This paper hereby emphasizes on the five critical issues in the modern marketing practices that are widely acknowledged as culture jamming, self-help, super markets, counter culture and selling of celebrity. The term "Culture jamming" refers to a cultural backtalk by switching to the language of ascertained power. (GOODMAN, Jennifer, 2006) The process comprises of playing with memorable structures of communiqu and interfaces like "posters, billboards, official language, protocol, spaces and imagery" (GOODMAN, Jennifer, 2006) and spiraling them back against its creator. An undermined note could contain critique of the original or might ally with a novel political message for instance "Class War: Just Do It." (GOODMAN, Jennifer, 2006) Usually, culture jamming is considered as time saving as it is a quick job on an existing advertisement with need of merely a marker. It evenly involves the design of professional media, necessitating the superiority of intricate graphical design and copywriting. Culture jamming had brought an up to date twirl to an elongated legacy of court jesting, opinionated satire and jokey commotions of the society. (KOTLER, Philip, 2005) Unlike its antecedents, although, this modern dissident game is participated principally with signs and symbols in the community that has already approached to be pervade by them. (SOLOMON, Michael R., 2003) The phase for the materialization of culture jamming was laid in the early 20th century as mass fabrication; mass utilization and mass haulage set its foot in Europe and North America. (KOTLER, Philip, 2005) The pace conveyed with these innovative growths shaped a flood of information leading way for industrialized civilizations to search for and grow extra competent codes of message to cope with it all making symbolic lingos more imperative than ever and gave birth to countless novel symbolic code from street map emblems to commercial logos, all intended to craft swift sense of gradually more multifaceted information. (KOTLER, Philip, 2005) In the precedent two decades, culture jamming has caught on far-off and broad range, credit to

Unit 7 Case Manegment Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 7 Case Manegment Discussion - Research Paper Example The environment may not be supportive of that since he may find himself getting back to drugs again. He is therefore requesting case management to assist his friends who are still in the streets to get off drugs. He is asking his parents not worry about him anymore since he is now drug-free. He may not be sober but he can be able to take care of himself and he wishes his parents could understand that. He also wants people to change their attitude towards him. Most people think he can’t take care of himself because he is been a drug addict before .They also think he can’t take care of his dog. But the fact is, he is very responsible and takes good care of his dog, takes it for a walk in the park and ensures it has a lot of food. He also travels with him everywhere he goes. My client is in the maintenance and relapse prevention stage. This is the stage where a patient is trying to incorporate new behavior and avoiding any slips. My client having been a drug addict, he has changed his drug-life behavior and trying to start a new life. He is also doing his best in avoiding any slips despite the neighborhood being full of drugs and addicts. To help the client in the stage to move forward, I will recommend that he relocates to a drug-free neighborhood to avoid any event of falling back to drugs again. I also recommend that he be re-united with his family and let them and other people accept him and support him by seeing him as a transformed and responsible individual. He will also need constant counseling to help him through the whole process. One guiding principle of the Recovery Model that relates the interaction with the client is that Community involvement as defined by the user of service is central to the recovery process. This is directly related to my client since it’s the community group that helped him to get to where he is. Were it not of this community that is still donating household foodstuff,

Plasma Television And LCD Television Essay Example for Free

Plasma Television And LCD Television Essay Introduction Television technology has continued to evolve to be what it is today since the late 1930s when it was first commercially available. Today the television set has become a very basic household commodity in institutions and homes as source of entertainment and news. The T.V. today has evolved from the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) to such advanced technology like the Plasma and LCD televisions that have taken the world by storm. But what’s the difference between these two latest models? Outwardly the models are almost alike, they are thin and flat. However, they differ in the technology behind them though they deliver almost similar results. (Robert Silva) The technology behind the Plasma television is based on the fluorescent light lamb and the display consists of cells. A narrow gap separates the two glass panels within each cell, where neon-xenon gas is injected and sealed in plasma form in the process of manufacturing. The LCD television on the hand uses a different technology of manufacture. LCD panels that are made of two layers of transparent material are â€Å"polarized† and bound together. (Robert Silva)   A special polymer is coated in one of the layers that hold the various liquid crystals. To create an image, current is passed through each individual crystal, these allows the crystals to pass or block light forming an image. Because the crystals by nature do not produce their own light, external lights like a fluorescent bulb are required to illuminate the created images for visibility. (Robert Silva) LCD television is more expensive than the Plasma television, however most consumers or users are never interested in the technicalities thus do not understand the difference, all they look for is a stylish set to suit their homes. (Robert Silva) REFERENCE Robert Silva: What are the Differences Between an LCD TV and a Plasma TV? Retrieved on 17th March 2008, from http://hometheater.about.com/od/lcdtvfaqs/f/lcdfaq2.htm

Hr Challenges In The Hiring Process Management Essay

Hr Challenges In The Hiring Process Management Essay Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the spectrum of challenges encountered by the HR professionals while managing the hiring practices in a multicultural society in medium-to-large health care organizations, both private and governmental, within Abu Dhabi and Al Ain cities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research methods were used to obtain the required data, and in-depth individual interviews with key HR professionals were conducted. Findings The findings of this study have indicated that there are unique, major and minor challenges that workforce diversity inflicted on the hiring process, among the selected health care organizations in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Research limitations/Implications The time and resources for this research study were not adequate to gather sufficient samples outside Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. All interviewees have rejected the tape recording and it was difficult to conduct focus group interviews to gain wider perspective. Since this research is qualitative in nature, it is hard to generalize across other sectors and cities. It is required to have quantitative researches in this area. Originality/value This paper provides valuable insights regarding the hiring processes challenges in Multicultural society in UAEs health sector which has not been adequately investigated before. Keywords: Hiring Challenges, Culture, Multicultural society, Diversity Management, Recruitment, Selection, Orientation, United Arab Emirates, Health industry. Paper type Research paper Introduction Diversity management has been one of the widespread research areas in Human Resources Management in the 21st century that aims at understanding and improving the management of culturally diversified workforce in organizations. Diversity is a fact that could not be ignored or avoided and it has both good and bad sides. The importance of this topic lies in the significant impact of cultural differences on how work groups interact (Kossek Others, 2003). Also, it is seen as a source of competitive advantage through effective management of a diverse workforce. Another reason is the changing composition of workforce around the world towards different language, age, gender, ethnic background, nationality, lifestyles and other characteristics (Seymen, 2006). According to Harris (2004), Promoting cultural synergy influences social change in human behavior and improves system effectiveness. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in general and UAE in particular, are considered a rich area for research on diversity management due to the unique composition of workforce and demographics (Forstenlechner, 2010). This high level of diversity has great influence on managing the hiring process and results in many challenges which will be discussed in this research. Multicultural Societies According to Marshall (1998), multicultural societies are featured by cultural pluralism which means the division of the culture into diverse religion, age, ethnic, linguistic, racial groups, national origin or gender (DNetto Sohal, 1999; Kossek Others, 2003). It can be found at various levels, such as cities, nations, schools, neighborhoods or businesses. Organizations foster and manage diversity in order to survive in increasingly heterogeneous societies and to sustain their competitive advantage. Diversity stimulates problem solving, creativity and system flexibility (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin Cardy, 2007). Diversity Management at multicultural (or diversified) organizations means building and maintaining policies, practices and regulations that will treat all employees fairly and will leave no advantage for a group over the others in order to enable them to reach the required levels of performance to achieve the organizational goals (DNetto Sohal, 1999; Jenner, 1994; Thomas, 1994). The Hiring Process The hiring process is divided into three sections: Recruitment, Selection and Orientation. The Recruitment Process is the process of creating a pool of candidates who are potentially suitable for the position by using a variety of recruitment sources. The selection process is the process of making the hiring/rejection decision for the list of applicants according to the selection criteria and by using a variety of selection tools. While the orientation process is the process of getting the new employee to know all aspects of the organization (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2007; Ivancevich, 2010). Diversity Practices in the Hiring Process Successful organizations aim to attract the best candidates regardless of their ethnicity, gender or age. Their hiring practices should be based on job-related and organizational criteria. In addition, the recruiters should be trained and skilled to run a successful selection process (Kandola Fullerton, 1994; Cornelius, 1999). And in order to assure that a diversified group of candidates apply to the job, the advertisements should be placed in ethnic language newspapers as well as the regular daily newspapers and websites. It is also important to have a diversified interview panel and selection techniques that would allow diverse people to answer to the questions or tests at their best capability (Morrison, 1992; Schreiber et al., 1993). The interview panel should be highly skilled and trained to understand candidates from different cultural backgrounds, researchers have found that most interviewers have no understanding of special interview techniques that suit candidates from different ethnical backgrounds (Caudron, 1990; Morrison, 1992). Challenges in Multicultural Societies The literature on cultural diversity management has studied issues like understanding the concept of diversity management (McVittie, 2008; Miller Rowney, 1999), the effect of diversity on individuals and groups, the benefits of diversity (Risberg SÃ ¸derberg, 2008), the diversity management best practices and HR strategies (DNetto Sohal, 1999, 2003), and the effect of diversity on organizational performance (Richard S. Allen, Gail Dawson, Kathleen Wheatley, Charles S. White (2008); Velma E. McCuiston, Barbara Ross Wooldridge, Chris K. Pierce, (2004). Most of the available literature has addressed the diversity in Western European context (McVittie, 2008, Miller Rowney, 1999; Harris, 2004; Leveson Joiner, 2009 ; Kramar, 1998). On the other hand, less attention is given to diversity management studies in the Middle East region and the subject is considered under-studied according to the 4th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference (2010). Some of the available literature in the region studied employees attitudes towards diversity (Bakr Ahmad Alserhan, Ingo Forstenlechner, Ahmad Al-Nakeeb, (2009) ; Tariq M. Khan, Fintan Clear, Ahmed Al-Kaabi, Vahid Pezeshki, 2010) as well as managing diverse teams in the Middle East (Forstenlechner, 2010 ; Neal, 2010). With regards to the challenges faced by HR professionals in multicultural societies, the literature has studied the challenges in Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and the hiring difficulties when doing business abroad (Dowling et al., 2008). Increasing diversity through recruitment practices is another widespread topic (Tipper, 2004) as well as challenges in leading diversified workforce in general (McCuiston et al., 2004). Some of the challenges that face HR professionals when managing a multicultural workforce is convincing the higher management that diversity as well as good quality diversity management programs are useful to the organization. These challenges stem from the fact that some top managers still perceive diversity management as costly and can cause disruption in the organization (DNetto Sohal, 1999). Another challenge faced by HR professionals is the communication issue (Adler, 1986; Loden Rosener, 1991). Case of UAE The United Arab Emirates, like the GCC labor market in general, is considered a unique case because of its workforce composition. According to the (Statistics Center Abu Dhabi, 2010), the size of the employed labor force in 2008 in the city of Abu Dhabi was 889,417 of whom only 10% are nationals. This high profile of non national workforce is considered a challenge for HR Professionals. According to Mohammed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (2008), the insufficiency of skilled labor in Gulf countries and UAE is a major problem. Most of the literature about UAE has discussed topics related to Emiratization as an employment challenge (Forstenlechner, 2008), diversity in banking sector (Alserhan et al., 2009) and difficulties in training a diversified workforce (Jones, 2008). No literature was located on the challenges in the hiring process within a multicultural society like UAE. Therefore, this study contributes to the HR Management literature by exploring the spectrum of challenges encountered by the HR Professionals while managing the hiring practices of culturally-diverse workforce in UAEs health care organizations. Challenges in the Hiring process in UAE The supply of the labor force is being affected by the economic and growth conditions. For example, India (which is a strong resource for cheap labor inside UAE) now undergoes a major technological and economical growth which causes the skilled labor to return to India (or what is called Brain Gain) and reduces the flow of labor outside the country (Anand, 2007). According to Al Ali (2008), it is difficult to strategize for long term programs as this non-national workforce is hired on a temporary employment visa which is considered a transient environment that doesnt encourage long term commitment as it creates a sense of job insecurity and uncertainty. Therefore, special efforts need to be given in the hiring process to attract and retain the workers. Another challenge facing HR professionals is hiring female workers. According to Naithani (2010): Participation of female in migrating workforce to GCC is one of the least in the world with only 29 per cent of the migrants being females. This shows that females have less opportunity for finding a job. Also, the laws and regulations related to visas and work permits sometimes prevents workers from exchanging jobs as they would need a no objection certificate from their previous sponsor (Naithani, 2010). The majority of non national workforce in the UAE is from Asian countries like Philippines or India, which is considered a challenge when hiring. According to Al-Waqfi Forstenlechner (2010), managing groups of people from similar nationality has multiple difficulties and can lead to conflicts, stereotyping as well as to less commitment as these groups indentify with their similar social group over the organization. STEROTYPING MAHA ADD HERE In terms of team management, multicultural workforce can be a true challenge when managing teams. Therefore, the hiring process should take into consideration that the new hire will fit in the team (Neal, 2010). According to Mohammed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (2008), 91% of the key positions in Gulf countries are occupied with expatriates due to lack of qualified national workforce. The report also revealed that in healthcare, only 63% of the Arab CEOs believed that there is an adequate transfer of knowledge and know-how from expatriates to nationals which led to continuously depending on expatriates to fill the positions and not achieving the required Emiratization quotas. The report also highlighted that fact that the cost of non national labor is increasing significantly which will reflect on the hiring process in terms if rising wages and security. In terms of hiring expatriates in different levels, the report shows that it is extremely difficult to hire in senior management, followed by middle management and operational/technical positions. Methodology Since the research approach that has been selected is exploratory in nature, qualitative research methods are best suited for obtaining the required data. To explore the variety of challenges encountered by the human resource personnel while managing the hiring practices requires the use of qualitative research methods. The researchers have decided to conduct the research on health care organizations due to ease of access and availability of many heterogeneous hospitals in size and ownership. Data Collection The selected organizations are located in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain cities, these hospitals were all selected within Abu Dhabi Emirate to save travelling time and expenses on the researchers. Five in-depth interviews were conducted with key HR personnel in the selected organizations. The researchers have approached the organizations through email and phone calls to obtain the approval for interviews. Once the approval was obtained, a detailed email was sent to the interviewees including the date and time of the interview as well as a consent form stating the purpose of the study, the procedures, and the confidentiality of data. All of the selected organizations have rejected the use of tape recording. Following acceptance of their verbal approval, the research team was divided into groups to conduct the interviews simultaneously. All interviews answers and notes were transformed from handwritten notes to typed transcripts and notes ready for analysis. The adopted analytical approach was Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) where the research team scanned the transcribed text, created and applied relational coding between categories and recognized common themes across participants. The research team has adopted the introductory techniques shown in Appendix 1. This ensures conformity and unifies the approach to potential participants at all research sites. Research Questions The literature review has discussed few challenges faced by multi cultural organizations in the hiring process; however, it has not totally uncovered those challenges in UAE. Hence this research aims to explore more challenges faced by the HR Department during their hiring process in multicultural organizations. In this study, two main research questions were formed. These questions were ordered from general to specific and from most significant to least significant. Further questions were probed according to the interviewee answers. Main Research Questions: RQ1: What are the hiring challenges faced by HR professionals in health care sector in the multicultural society of UAE? RQ2: What were the most difficult challenges faced? What were the least difficult challenges faced? The interview is mainly loosely structured with open-ended questions to maximize participants responses (Mack et al., 2005). Data Analysis Kvale (1996) details seven stages of conducting in-depth interviews. Verifying involves checking the credibility and validity of the information gathered. A method called triangulation is used as a means of checks and balances. Basically, one type of triangulation would be to use multiple perspectives to interpret a single set of information. Another simple way to triangulate would be to have a colleague read the transcripts to see if he/she came away with the same overall meaning (Guion, 2009). Initially, each team member was assigned a transcript, since the research sample consists of five health care facilities and the research team members are five. Each member read the assigned transcript and attempted to identify main themes. Then, as a method of credibility and validity check, triangulation was implemented. Afterwards, the research team sat together to do the final analysis. Categories were color-coded by using text highlight color. This section represents the final template of data analysis. Each title covers a broad theme and its associated categories. The initial research objectives are directly addressed by the following themes: Communication Challenge, Working Hours, Hiring Cost, Group and Team Management, Cultural Group Dominance, Failure to Adjust to the Culture, Turnover, Bias and Stereotyping, Selection Process, Emiratization. These themes provide a general outline of the research team interpretations of the interviewees perceptions. Participants in this research were referred to the as interviewees. The words of the interviewees were presented in quotes where they were italicized and bounded by double quotation marks. The final discussion section of this research report will review the research analysis entailment in relation to the research objectives and derive from the interview data a summary of perceived diversity challenges in the hiring process. Each title presents a data summary within each theme Results Research questions The results of this study have indicated that all selected hospitals have been facing challenges in the hiring process due to high rate of cultural diversity in UAE. The reported challenges were divided into major and minor ones. Some of these challenges were found to be common among the selected hospitals, like communication, hiring cost, culture group dominance, and group and team management. The minor challenges were found to be the working hours, Emiratization, failure to adjust to culture, biases and stereotyping, turnover, and selection process (certificate authentication and background check). The research questions have also uncovered new challenges that were not found in the studied literature review, for example the working hours, failure to adjust to the culture, selection process (certificate authentication and background check). Discussion The challenges were sorted under the three phases of the hiring process: recruitment, selection and orientation phases. Based on the discussed literature review, the challenges are: Diversity Challenges in Recruitment Phase Working Hours: Attracting a diversified workforce in terms of gender was found to be a challenge affected by some culture group requirements in working conditions. For example, Arabic female candidates prefer shorter working hours due to family obligations as well as cultural norms. The nature of work in the health sector requires 24/7 service which may not be suitable for females. On the other hand Naithani (2010) has reported a different set of challenges pertaining to hiring female workers. Also, it was reported that UAE national candidates want to continue their education which may conflict with the working hours. This challenge was not discussed in the researched literature review. Some locals are still studying so they cant leave the collage to work with us. With UAE fen males, it is difficult for them to accept shift jobs because they need to go home late. Cost of Hiring: The cost of hiring was found to be a common challenge in all hospitals which confirms what Mohammed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (2008) and Naithani (2010) have reported. In terms of health sector, the problem is even bigger. Part of the cost is related to the workforce demography in UAE which is composed mainly of non-nationals. These include the cost of international advertisements, the cost of relocation (i.e. visa, air tickets, shipping allowances, and hotel accommodation), competitive compensation packages, the high cost of living, using hiring agencies abroad, and the high standard lifestyle and backgrounds of certain nationalities. The other part of the cost is related to UAE employment regulations. The Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) regulations which require passing the licensing test for the medical jobs. The test for nurses is online however for the physicians they must take it in person inside HAAD. The hospital brings them on a visit visa to take the test and bears the accommodation and other expanses. Not all candidates pass the exam; hence the hospital takes the risk of losing such expanses. The maximum number of exam trials is three. Furthermore, security check is required by UAE immigration law before hiring any candidate they should pass the security clearance. However, not all cases are being cleared which imposes a hiring cost on the organization. We face a major problem related to the cost of hiring because first we bring the medical staff on a mission visa which costs us 1800 Dhs, tickets charges and hotel accommodation to take the exam an in many occasions they fail. We bare the cost The maximum number of trials for the exam are three, and if they fail we are unfortunate Emiratization: The challenge that was tackled by Mohammed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (2008), as well as in this research, is related to Emiratization particularly the lack of qualified local workforce in the health care field led to the heavy dependence on non-nationals. In most cases the non-nationals are more qualified so the selected hospitals prefer to hire the expat over the local employee based on skills only. Some challenges were unique to our research findings. For example, the female UAE nationals wear the veil which conflicts with organizational policies. As a result, Emiratization efforts in the health care are challenged by this matter. In addition, as previously mentioned in the working hours theme, Emirati female candidates are repelled by the long working hours in the health sector. Moreover, Emirati workforce is more attracted to work in the governmental sector because of better packages. We do have instructions to nationalize medical positions, but local candidates prefer to apply for governmental hospitals due to better benefits. And To attract more UAE nationals, the aptitude tests differ between the non-nationals and the UAE nationals. The test runs for 30 munities for locals while 20 for non-nationals. As well as the test is easier for locals than others Diversity Challenges in Selection Phase: Communication It was found that communication is a major challenge among all selected hospitals; the same was reflected in the studied literature review (Adler, 1986; Loden Rosener, 1991). It was found as a common challenge during the interview time because some candidates do not speak English or if the interviewer is not bilingual. Because I speak only English, when I interview an Arabian candidate who doesnt speak English, I call for a translator Another part of this challenge is the necessity of selecting bilingual candidates who speak both Arabic and English to communicate easily with the patients. All the doctors must be able to speak Arabic and English to build a trust relationship with their patients. The same situation is for the nurses as they need to understand the patient language and needs. Bias and stereotyping Another challenge revealed by our research is bias and stereotyping during interviews. The HR department in one of the hospitals is made up solely of one nationality which could increase the risk of biases during interviews as the selection panel is usually a one man show. Add Drs Ref about Emiratization The nationality of the hiring committee members generally consists of the local people of the country who are having enough knowledge about the people residing in their country so the local people are usually chosen for the selection procedure. The gender does not generally matters in this procedure as the person who is recruiting should have knowledge of their sector instead of gender which is not seen in this area. The age of the committee members are aged which have great experience in their whole life which are filled with the fully filled experiences which are bad and good every time. We dont consider this problem a major one because we do make our selections based on personal qualifications requirements. I conduct all the interviews by myself. Background and Security Check Two unique challenges were uncovered by this research. First, the challenge of conducting background checks overseas because of the difficulty in checking the criminal records and the possibility of falsifying these records. Second, the slow and tedious certificate attestation process. UAE Embassies around the word have a system called IntegraScreen to make sure the certificate is authentic. As an example of the first challenge, HAAD requires the proper certificates authentication that they conduct by themselves to avoid any forged certificates. As mentioned in the previous phase of recruitment, failure to pass the security check clearance reduces the pool of candidates in the selected hospitals. HAAD also requires the proper documentations; hence they run the authentication by themselves to avoid any fraud certificates. Emiratization A final challenge in this phase is linked to Emiratization as some of the selected hospitals have tailored their selection tests (i.e. English Proficiency Test) to accommodate the deficiencies in the national workforce, for example, one of the selected hospitals and in an attempt to attract more UAE nationals have created aptitude tests which differ between the non-nationals and the UAE nationals. We make our English Test for nationals easier to attract them as part of our Emiratization program. The test runs for 30 munities for nationals while 20 for non-nationals Cultural Group Dominance The selection of the candidate is influenced by the HR department inclination towards the selection of certain nationalities like Indians and Filipinos. The selection decision is generally skewed towards candidates who fall under the interviewer nationality preference. This can partially explain the cultural group dominance. An example of this dominance, one of the selected hospitals mentioned that it has 30% of its workforce from Philippines and 20% from India. Most of them are in clerical and nursing jobs. Their majority is because they are qualified and they pass the licensing exam. Another hospital mentioned that Indians constitute almost 70% of the total workforce, in this organization all HR Department professionals are Indians. The diversity rate in our HR department is 0% Diversity Challenges in Orientation Phase: Cultural Rigidity: During the orientation training some of the new comers may remain culturally rigid against the newly introduced national culture of UAE. For example, some of them may reject the idea of adhering to the dress code which is reflecting the UAE Islamic culture. During Ramadan Time, non Muslims are not aware about prohibition of eating publically so we tell them to go for a specific room to have their lunch. Limitations of the study This research study has some limitations. Due to the lack of sufficient time and resources, the research team was not able to expand the study to other sectors and cities. Hence the study was in in a confined regional area (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain). The research team has planned to do focus group interviews with tape recordings to enable the interviewers to focus on the discussion rather than note taking, and to gather information from different perspectives. However only one or two HR personnel per hospital were available and they have all refused tape recordings. Most of the studied organizations have refused to give precise documented statistics about the level of diversity. The majority of the interviewees were from the HRs management; hence it is likely that their answers to the challenges have a negative bias. Implications for future research The newly explored challenges in this research have implications for future researches. First, as this study focused only on one sector Healthcare and in two cities (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain), future researches can study different sectors and emirates using quantitative research methodology to study those challenges in dept in order to identify their causes and help to find solutions to them. Second, this study lacks the use of focus group interviews to gain different perspective and the interviewees were mainly from the management of the HR. Hence future research can be done by interviewing focus group members with different levels of seniority. Third, this study was done only in UAE, it can be replicated to other GCC organizations to assess the level of challenges in UAE compared to other GCC and find the gaps. The study can be further expanded to include Middle East countries to asses UAEs challenges in a regional market.

How Can You Reduce Fresh Water Scarcity?

How Can You Reduce Fresh Water Scarcity? Abstract (100) The purpose of the report is finding the water scarcity in Singapore and the useful solutions. According variable data from the research, the readers can find the direct reasons of the problem and each specific solution for each reason. Furthermore, the exact outcome of every case is demonstrated vivid by data. Then, the government will measure the possibilities of different solutions. Finally, I reckon the official research group should research more reasons for water scarcity and establish the Water Association. After everything, the Singapores Water Association can help more countries which are facing the water scarcity. Introduction (150) This report has lots of variety plans and the solutions of the water scarcity in Singapore. The most direct cause of the water scarcity is the capacity of water source in Singapore. Most areas in Singapore are facing the thorny problems, especially the areas that are surrounded by the oceans. Furthermore, the pollution of water in Singapore is seriously fatal problem; the low efficiency of water use is one significant factor of the water scarcity. On the other hand, the population of Singapore is increasing rapidly while the demand for water is increasing at the same time. Moreover, the areas of the entire country are really limited and small. On the contrary, the areas of Singapore are only one in 22 in Beijing. This is why the catchment of natural water is certainly small. In order to solve this problem, the Singapore government should make more storage of water in every local city. Methodology (100) Before you take actions to make the water scarcity disappear completely, you have to make the exact plans and collect branches of data about the pressing problem. In order to know more details of the water scarcity can the severity of this. I researched the history of the water demand and supply in Singapore. Furthermore, I collected different statistics of the water demand and supply. Then, I compared these two situations together and figure out the difference of these. Finding (250) The fresh water issue is one of the most influential problems in Singapore. Singapore has been dependent on Malaysia for nearly forty percent of its water supply. It is why the water source is the dispute between these two countries. On the other hand, although Singapore is not short of the fresh water and it receives approximately 2400 mm of the rainfall annually, the only problem faced by the country is the ability of the storing of the rainfall. And the limited amounts of land areas are the other issues the country faced. In order to solve the problem, Singapore has managed to reduce domestic water consumption from 172 liters per capita per day in 1995 to 157 liters in 2007. Moreover, there are loads of variable activities arranged to teach Singaporeans to notice the importance of water. The Water System asked different schools and leaflets on conservation are distributed to households. Furthermore, the modern societies have established the catchment areas and build dams and get m uch fresh water from the sea and ocean. The last point is that the government suggests Singapore should consider the social and economic impacts of sourcing of water by desalination and recycling. According the graph, we can see the No. of desalination plants is growing up while the capita of domestic water consumption is decreasing slightly. The data can demonstrate the concept of saving water is so essential for the local people. On the other hand, the volume of used water treated is declining obviously. http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/singapore.htm Discussion (250) From this range of data, we can easily notice Singapore have created lots of different strategies to overcome the water scarcity. First of all, one technique is that has been successfully growing Singapores water supply is rainwater harvesting. Actually, Singapore can get a amount of water but they do not have any useful ways to harvest them. Therefore, using innovative and advanced technology to overcome a lack of space and improve the ability of collecting rainwater. On the other hand, the capacity of NEWater is becoming the dominant source of water supply in Singapore. It occupies approximately 30 percent of Singapores water needs. Depending on this tendency, the government of Singapore planned to triple the current percentage of future water demand by 2060. Moreover, the Desalinated Water is one of the most significant sources of water scarcity in Singapore. Singapore has one of Asias largest RO plants, which produces 30 million gallons of water each day. The second desalination plant was built in Singapore in 2013, about 100 million gallons of water per day and it ranks about 25 percent of Singapores current water demand. My hypothesis is Singapore should make more storage in every local city. The Singapores government is thinking about the exact ideas that I thought. If the country does not have enough money, they cannot spend their money on making more desalinated water. This is why Singapore has already solved the problem by itself and not cooperates with Malaysia because of the income of the entire country. Conclusion (150)   Ã‚   From the Finding part and Discussion part, we can easily find branches of the strategies to overcome the water scarcity in Singapore. However, their possibilities of success are definitely different. If the stint of the plan is sufficient, the Singapores government can take the action quickly. In addition, if the volume of the rainwater is not desirable and reasonable, the harvesting of the water is cannot be successfully. I reckon the government can make more conduction with other countries and make the Water Association to help Singapore. And it keeps measuring the demand of water in Singapore. I suggest that people can research more ways to create the capacity of the water. After that, the research team can figure out more reasonable reasons why the water scarcity is so serious in Singapore. The last point is that other countries that are suffering about water scarcity. Reference List https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-sciences/the-issues-of-fresh-water-in-singapore-environmental-sciences-essay.php http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/singapore.htm http://www.wateronline.com/doc/looking-to-singapore-for-water-scarcity-solutions-0001

macbeths descent into evil Essay -- essays research papers

Macbeth’s Decent Into Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The character Macbeth in the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth faces decisions that affect his morals. He begins as an innocent soul, dedicated to serve his kingdom and its king, Duncan. As time passes and opportunities present themselves combined with the deception of the evil witches, Macbeth begins his descent into madness. Macbeth’s innocence and loyalty are completely corrupted due to his over confidence, guilty conscience, and the inevitability of human nature. Macbeth looses sight of what is morally right to do in life because his logical choices are changed by these factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth was capable of achieving his place as king but his path to greatness would not have occurred without his ability to be overconfident. This ability was responsible for his overall position as being blind to the possibility of failure. The witches assured him that he would be essentially invincible and that only in what seemed to be impossible situations, would his life be threatened. Macbeth explains:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let fall thy blade of vulnerable crests;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I bear a charmed life, which must not yield   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To one of woman born† (5.8. 13-16). Macbeth was so confident that the idea of someone not being born of a woman was impossible in itself and therefore he had nothing to fear. However, it was this overconfidence that the witches depended on. They wanted the overconfidence to prevent Macbeth from understanding the consequences of his actions, and to do so they overwhelmed him with security:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His hopes’bove wisdom, grace, and fear:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And you all know security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is mortals’ chiefest enemy† (3.5.29-33).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another factor resulting in the inevitability of Macbeth’s evil was his Guilty conscience. Macbeth knows his actions are wrong a... ...lp of Lady Macbeth the deed is done. She is unmoral and changes Macbeth’s decision with intimidation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have given suck, and know   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How tender’tis love the babe that milks me:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would, while it was smiling in my face,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you have done to this†(1.7.59-64).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth’s life is a tragic story about how he was deceived and molded into an evil man. His evil, sparked by lady Macbeth, began with the murder of king Duncan. Macbeth’s heart couldn’t handle the sin but Lady Macbeth forced him to change his mind. Macbeth’s evil was a result of his overconfidence, guilty conscience, and his human nature, all of which are traits that could be seen in any person in search of power. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. : , .

Discussion Boards :: Personal Narrative Writing

Discussion Boards I guess I’m just behind the times but to be honest, I have never ventured into an online community. This i s not sn’t because I don’t like computers or the internet, I just have never had any interest with comp ut outer related activities. So, trying to write this paper was very discouraging at first. I had no idea what MOO’s were, except for the sound that a cow made, and MUD’s, well, they just sounded a little dirty. Basically, I had never heard or knew of any online communities in my life! Through my English class I was eventually exposed to the various online communities, such as MOO’s, MUD’s, discussion forums, and e-mail lists. In class one day we were assigned to go to these different web-sites to experience the different online communit ies. So, with my feet slightly wet, I dove further into the world of virtual communication. Not knowing really where to begin I did a search for discussion forums. Through the search I found out that there is a forum for just about anything you can imagine. There were over 5,000 results that came up and I became overwhelmed with the obvious interest that people had in these communities that I had no idea about. I narrowed it down and searched for discussion on the terrorist attacks. The first web-site I stumbled across was MostlyAmphigory.com . There was no particular reason that I chose this one, I just picked it out of the search results. Mostly Amphigory had a general discussion board on which various topics were discussed, some which were about the

Clockwork Orange Essay

The decision to choose between good and evil is one simple choice that separates a human from being a machine. Being unable to choose from the two is â€Å"†¦like little chellovecks made out of tin and with a spring inside and then a winding handle on the outside† (Burgess, 203). There comes a point in a man’s life where he stops being a machine and becomes something else entirely. In the book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, the twenty-first chapter was excluded from the earlier publications, but then added to the latter ones; although the ending of chapter twenty provides beneficial lessons, the twenty-first chapter of A Clockwork Orange is a superior conclusion to the story as it shows character development and accomplishes the morals of the story. This story follows a fifteen-year-old boy named Alex, an immature adolescent who disregards the law and engages in rape and â€Å"ultraviolence†. Soon Alex is apprehended and sentenced to prison where he is a victim of a conditioning experiment known as the â€Å"Ludovico treatment† in order to rid him of all of his evil desires. The treatment ends up being a success as Alex is no longer able to participate in violence or rape at his own will. As the story continues, the government cures Alex of the condition under the agreement that he sides with the government. At the end of chapter twenty, Alex departs from the audience realizing â€Å"I was cured all right† (Burgess 192). Although the end of this chapter is not nearly as satisfying and powerful as the ending of chapter twenty-one, it still provides an important lesson that readers should recognize. We as readers learn about the inherent evil of the government as we watch the Ludovico treatment’s success in controlling Alex’s violence. There is importance in informing readers of immoral actions involving the government and challenging them to question what is ethical or not. â€Å"He [Burgess] has presented us with a stark image of evil, and perhaps of a greater evil in attempting to counteract it. He has warned us of a slippery slope† (Newman 68). In the book, the Ludovico experiment is intense  and disturbing even for readers who have been exposed to Alex’s extreme actions. Even though Alex is presented to us as a clear image of evil, Burgess’s readers can still recognize something that is not just immature. Burgess is successful in showing his readers that sometimes something that is supposed to be pristine can be corrupt. He shows us that a government that has the appearance of being good does not mean that it is good. Though this ending is powerful, it does not completely satisfy or give any development to its readers. â€Å"Burgess offers us no real answers, however. At the end of the 20th chapter, it is clear that Alex intends to resume his life of ultraviolence. Seemingly little thought is given to those he has killed, or those he is likely to kill† (Newman 68). The ending of chapter twenty shows its readers that Alex is aware that he is in fact cured and will continue to act the same as he once did at the introduction of the story. Earlier in the story, Alex kills two women before being sentenced to prison. Since these deaths were very brutal, readers expect remorse from Alex especially when he is unconditioned from the reclamation treatment. Because Alex is released from the torture of the Ludovico technique, we predict he will regret the actions that caused the torment. When Alex does not show any actions towards his past transgressions, we envision him to kill again. As a result, this conclusion gives the readers no sort of progress throughout the events before. Since Alex was forced into changing his immoral actions, he never made any improvement in his own power. Even though readers can recognize that the treatment is immoral, they can still see that Alex is not making any progress. He was forced into a direction to be a test subject of something that had the appearance of being good. Although he is now three years older from when he was first sentenced, Alex ends where he once started, a child. In order for him to grow as a person, he first must realize that his actions are wrong. In the added twenty-first chapter, Alex encounters one of his old â€Å"droogs† and becomes aware of his transgressions and reanalyzes where his priorities are. As a result, the conclusion of the story surrounds Alex’s character and the maturity he begins to embrace. â€Å"But now as I end this story, brothers, I am not young, not no longer, oh no. Ale x like groweth up, oh yes† (Burgess 204). As Alex starts to distinguish his developing maturity, he finds himself evaluating  what adulthood requires. â€Å"In chapter 21, Burgess presents a mellowing, increasingly reflective, eighteen-year-old Alex who is coming to see that this previous violent behavior was childishly perverse. He thinks of marriage, stability, and the son he one day hopes to have. He contemplates explaining to his son all his past crimes as an admonition† (Hong 34). As Alex begins to become bored with the violence and rape he had previously committed, he reaches a place in his life where he has never been to before. Before the Ludovico treatment, Alex was a criminal and a child who needed to be cured from the sickness that grew within him. Even though Alex rejoices saying he was â€Å"cured,† he was not cured from his real problem; his evil ways. In order for him to be truly cured of his old desires, he needs to choose for himself to turn from what he once was. Through his experience with the Ludovico technique, Alex reaches the realization that part of growing up is turning from what has prevented his progression. â€Å"Free to will and free to choose again, even if he wills to sin, Alex is capable of salvation. In the view of Burgess, all individuals, even these as violent as Alex, could reform and acquire the moral growth. The moral maturity comes with age† (Hong 34). Though Alex did not show any signs of remorse or regret, he showed the desire to improve to a higher level of maturity. Something that he was unable to do at the end of chapter twenty, Alex is no longer immune to salvation. Regardless of the intensity and degree of the crimes Alex has committed, he has a chance to repent and break free from what has been chaining him down his whole life. This provides improvement in Burgess’s main character, as Alex can finally choose for himself what he must accomplish in order to mature as a man. Character development is clearly necessary for Burgess as he expresses, â€Å"There is, in fact not much point in writing a novel unless you can show the possibility or moral transformation, or an increase in wisdom, operating in your chief character or characters† (Burgess 168). Through the ending of chapter twenty-one, Alex displays progression in his character. If the novel ends at chapter twenty, Alex is right where he began. Once Alex has decided to choose goodness and maturity, the story finally reaches what the readers have been striving to see. As Alex finally looks to turn to the next chapter in his life, the book comes to a point where hope  is finally achieved. â€Å"When man has reached a hopeless impasse in his savage quest for improvement, he must make the sensible moral choice. The individual is a ‘creature of growth and capable of sweetness’, as F. Alexander puts in his typescript, so he could be liberated or saved† (Hong 34). Liberation comes from someone who chooses to become saved from the thing that once was holding that person down. As he made this choice he matured as a character. If Alex were to not make this choice, the main theme would not be as impactful since he did not choose goodness. Alex once displayed his view on goodness in the novel stating, â€Å"They don’t go into what is the cause of goodness, so why of the other shop? If lewdies are good that ’s because they like it, and I wouldn’t interfere with their pleasures, and so of the other shop. And I was patronizing the other shop† (Burgess 46). Alex shows us evil, just like goodness, is a choice when he refers it as â€Å"the other shop.† Again later in prison, the chaplain tells Alex, â€Å"goodness comes from within. Goodness is something chosen† (Burgess 93). This statement has no meaning to Alex unless he himself chooses goodness. Although Alex chose the Ludovico treatment, he did not choose goodness. The conditioning forced Alex into goodness rather than him choosing it for himself. The chaplain then goes on further to say, â€Å"when a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man† (Burgess 93). Burgess desires to indicate that it is not what a man chooses; it is the idea that he is able to choose. A man who is incapable of a moral choice can never attain redemption, but a man who admits his wrongdoings can choose to repent and reach salvation. Throughout the story, free will is displayed as the decision to choose something rather than being another subject or machine of the government. Although Alex ultimately seems as if he will begin to choose goodness, Burgess wants to make sure that goodness is something that must be chosen, rather than forced. In A Clockwork Orange Resucked, Burgess shows his readers that good and evil must both be equally offered. â€Å"†¦ by definition, a human being is endowed with free will. He can use this to choose between good and evil. If he can only perform evil, then he is a clockwork orange – meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil† (â€Å"ACO Resucked† 168). As Alex was once a toy wound up by the  appearance of pure goodness, readers soon find that evil was what turned the lever. At the beginning of the story, it appears that Alex is already â€Å"a clo ckwork orange† as he seems as though he can only perform evil acts with his henchman. As the end draws near, we find that Alex always had the choice of goodness, but never chose it until he had nothing but the choice of goodness. Burgess again expresses, â€Å"It is inhuman to be totally good as it is to be totally evil. The important thing is moral choice. Evil has to exist along with good, in order that moral choice may operate. Life is sustained by the grinding opposition of moral entities† (â€Å"ACO Resucked†168). Without evil as a valid choice, the choice to be good becomes nothing more than an empty action. In the novel, Alex too refers to himself as one of those â€Å"malenky machines† at the end of chapter twenty-one, saying being young is like being one of those machines. He goes on and says that they cannot control where they are going and crash into things along the way. Alex comes to the realization that he does not want to be a toy anymore. Without the twenty-first chapter, Alex would still be a clockwork orange, leaving him as just another machine. Not only does the twenty-first chapter accomplish the morals of both maturity and goodness, it also resonates for readers as a symbolism for free will. The twenty-first chapter is necessary for Alex’s character development as well, and achieves greater emotional value for its readers. According to Burgess, the choice of either goodness or evil is something that everyone should be entitled to. Regardless of what someone chooses, goodness or evil should be chosen in order to remain a human. For a human who does not have a choice, â€Å"grrr grrr grrr and off it itties, like walking, O my brothers† (Burgess 203). Works Cited Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. Ed. Andrew Biswell. Res. ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print. Burgess, Anthony. â€Å"A Clockwork Orange Resucked.† A Clockwork Orange – Authoritative Text Backgrounds And Contexts Criticism. Ed. Mark Rawlinson. Norton Critical. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011. 166-70. Print. Hong, Liu. â€Å"The Perplexing Choice In Existence Predicament: An Existential Interpretation Of Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange.† Studies In Literature & Language 1.8 (2010): 29-38. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. Newman, Bobby. â€Å"A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: Burgess and Behavioral Interventions.† Behavior and Social Issues 1.2 (1991): 61-69. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet Essay

Known as a minimalist and experimental composer, Richard Gavin Bryars unleashed an emotionally intimate constructed piece out from a lone old vagrant singing, Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, this one thing I know, for he loves me so†¦ Originally recorded from footage of a documentary by his friend Alan Power in 1971 (Grimshaw), this aged voice served as the focal point and backdrop for Bryars’ poignant yet challenging work unfolding and reiterating itself over the course of 74 minutes in length. Whereas music that falls under Minimalist movement, sometimes associated the emotional neutralization of repeated materials, Bryars’ has the reverse effect in which rather than numbing the listener’s sensibilities, he heightens them and instead of imposing postmodern indifference toward the subject matter, it forces confrontation with it (Grimshaw). The entire lengthy music might deflate the interest of its listeners as the lines simply repeated over the recording, but Bryars managed to extract the spirit of the tramp’s captive song as he slowly introduced an accompaniment. The first part was merely the sole voice of the old man then eventually enhanced by string quartet, followed by plucked bass and guitar. Moreover, as the instruments subsequently fade out, the tramp’s song continues and eventually underscored by a much richer sounding ensemble of low strings, then woodwinds, brass, and delicate percussion and finally full orchestra and choir (Grimshaw). The soul of the music originated from the compassionate nature of the old vagrant who sang the religious tune during the recording of Power’s documentary that was about the life of street-people around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo in London. Bryars’ recounted; while they are filming the documentary, some people broke into drunken ballad or opera songs, but there was a particular homeless old man sang â€Å"Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet†. When he played it at home, he noticed the exact tune of the singing to his piano, and, he discerned that the first section of the song that is 13 bars in length formed an effective loop that repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. Therefore, he took the tape to Leicester and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape having the idea of adding orchestrated accompaniment to it. During the act of copying, he left the door that lead to the large painting studios, and when he came back, he found people weeping and silently listening over the old man’s singing, at that point, he realized a great emotional influence from the noble faith and tranquil music (Howse), a merely accidental root behind this epic. This particular Bryars’ piece was a breakthrough as there were other versions made during the latter years. Tom Waits singing along with it in 1990 and Jars of Clay released their own version on their album Who We Are Instead in 2003, aside from the fact that it was also used for several theatrical presentations. Covering credits for its very straightforward message to the people, the unyielding constancy of the lyrics—repeated over 150 times—essentially keeps the music from achieving greater feats. It is said that no matter how many times you paint a house, it remains to be the same house. Still, that verse holds together the entirety of the minimalist piece, a factor that you cannot simply neglect. Focusing on keeping his music very simple yet haunting, this composer and double bassist is a native from Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and born on January 16, 1943. His first musical reputation was as a jazz bassist working in the early sixties with improvisers Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley. He abandoned improvisation in 1966 and worked for a time in the United States with John Cage, until he collaborated closely with composers such as Cornelius Cardew and John White. He taught in the department if Fine Art in Portsmouth, Leicester from 1969 to 1978, and there he founded the legendary Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra whose membership consisted of performers who â€Å"embrace the full range of musical competence† — and who played or just attempted to play popular classical works. He also founded the Music Department at Leicester Polytechnic (later De Montfort University) and served as professor in Music from 1986 to 1994. Meanwhile, his first major work as a composer owe much to the so-called New York School of John Cage—with whom he briefly studied, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown and minimalism. His earliest piece was The Sinking of Titanic (1969) and was originally released under Brian Eno’s Obscure Label in 1975 and the Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971) both famously released in new versions in the 1990s on Point Music Label, selling over a quarter of a million copies. The original 1970s recordings have been re-released on CD by Virgin Records. A major turning point in his development was his first written opera Medea, premiered at the Opera de Lyon and Opera de Paris in 1984. He has written another two operas, both with libretti by his long time collaborator Blake Morrison: Doctor Ox’s Experiment, and G, commissioned by the Staatstheater Mainz for the Gutenberg 600th Anniversary. Aside from that, Bryars has also produced a large body of chamber music including three string quartets and a saxophone quartet both for his own ensemble and for other performers. He has also written extensively for strings as well as producing concertos for violin, viola, cello, double bass, saxophone and bass oboe. He has also written choral music, chiefly for the Latvian Radio Choir, with whom he has recently recorded a second CD, and for the Estonian Male Choir. From being a jazz bassist, composer, professor and opera writer, he also made a name as he collaborated with visual artists, worked with choreographers who have used his pieces, and written numerous Laude for the soprano Ana Maria Friman, to name a few. And to date, he recently completed a theatre piece, To Define Happiness, with Peeter Jalakas for Von Krahl theatre in Tallinn, and a project around Shakespeare’s sonnets, Nothing Like the Sun, with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North. Gavin Bryars is an Associate Research Fellow at Dartington College of Arts and Regent of the College de ‘Pataphysique. And married to Russian-born film director Anna Tchernakova with three daughters and a son. He is currently living in England and British Columbia, Canada. WORKS CITED Howse, Christopher. â€Å"The Assurance of Hope†. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. xix. ISBN 0-8264-8271-6 Mckeating, Scott. http://www. stylusmagazine. com/articles/seconds/gavin-bryars-jesus-blood-never-failed-me-yet. htm Grimshaw, Jeremy. â€Å"All Music Guide†. http://www. answers. com/topic/jesus-blood-never-failed-me-yet-orchestral-classical-work http://www. gavinbryars. com/ http://www. myspace. com/gavinbryarsmusic http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jesus%27_Blood_Never_Failed_Me_Yet

Effect of static label on a customer Essay

Effect of static label on a customer Introdution            Static labels give directions to the user for example the oil change labels instruct the user on when to change the oil and it is not difficult to remove or reposition those stickers and they don’t leave stains on consumers service wherever they are applied. On smooth service or on glass they look very attractive and thus pleasing the user. They should not stay on the surface applied more than one year. Static labels are used by both big and small businesses. Static labels can be applied to a variety of services because of its static holds both side of the service (Kraurup, Russel 2005). They have greater advantage to the consumer because the labels can be re-applied again and no adhesives are used            An application frequently uses static controls when labeling several other controls or sorting out a group of controls (Kraurup, Russel 2005). The above static control are termed as static labels and they influence the interactions of the customers and the application, there are four major types of static control static labels .They incude text static label , graphic static labels,image static labels and owner drawn static label. Despite the fact that static labels are normally child windows, it becomes hard to select them (Kraurup, Russel 2005).Thus, they cannot be able to accept the keyboard focus also they can have interface of the key board.  A basic graphic static label shows a filled rectangle that can be drawn in many style that include white black or grey. Frames can also be designed to give three dimensional outlook by the use of etched style . the frames must be filled a single color of the five . Applications can also get back a grip to the object of a graphic which is connected with the static label. An owner static label permit an application so that it can be to be accountable for bringing a static control.            Static labels are used mainly because of the static bonding they cause. This is widely used in labeling of products e.g. a stack of newspapers or magazines as it prevents them from shifting during transportation (Kraurup, Russel 2005). The labels cause an electrostatic charge, which in turn makes the materials to bond temporarily. This ensures they stick together during transportation hence making handling easier.            Customers prefer these labels mainly because they do not leave residues on windows especially: as long as the surface is smooth and non-porous (Kraurup, Russel 2005).These static cling labels are also readable even from a distance. Another important aspect of the static labels is that they can hold on to their surface for a long time without having to worry it will come out due to environmental factors like wind (Kraurup, Russel 2005).            For business/ industrial customers, these static labels are of critical importance because they will not have to worry about labels on their products coming out during transportation especially with the long lines of distribution (Kraurup, Russel 2005).            This electronic charge may have negative effects on the customer and humans in general. Some of these labels may produce a huge charge causing shocks on the users. Reference Krarup, S., & Russell, C. S. (2005). Environment, information and consumer behaviour. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Source document

Prosocial Behaviour Essay

Prosocial behaviors are voluntary behaviors made with the intention of benefiting others (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998). This definition carefully circumvents the potential benefits to the person performing the prosocial behavior. Prosocial behavior is often accompanied with psychological and social rewards for its performer. In the long run, individuals can benefit from living in a society where prosociality is common (which, in evolutionary terms, increases reproductive potential). It has therefore been difficult for researchers to identify purely altruistic behaviors, benefiting only the recipient and not the performer. Nevertheless, behaviors benefiting others, but whose main goal is self-advantageous (e.g. cooperative behaviors intended to obtain a common resource), typically are not considered prosocial. Typical examples include: volunteering; sharing toys, treats, or food with friends; instrumental help (e.g., helping a peer with school assignments); costly help (e.g. risking oneâ €™s own life to save others); and emotionally supporting others in distress (e.g., comforting a peer following a disappointing experience or caring for a person who is ill). DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES Prosocial behavior has roots in human evolutionary history as de Waal’s comparison with other species shows. Nevertheless, Fehr and Fischbacher note that humans are unique in their degree of prosociality. Hoffman’s theory proposes that prosocial behavior becomes increasingly other-oriented as children mature. Infants feel self-distress in reaction to the distress of others because they are incapable of differentiating their own experiences from those of others. Gradually, self-distress is replaced by other-oriented concern, requiring some understanding of others’ mental states (Hoffman, 2000). Zahn-Waxler, Robinson, and Emde show that by age 4, many children can react empathically to others, including offering help to those in distress. The 1998 Eisenberg and Fabes meta-analysis found that prosocial behavior increases with age, although increases varied in size, depending on the methodological aspects of each study. In one study by Benenson, Pascoe, and Radmore, about 60 percent of 4-year old children donated at least one of 10 stickers they received to a peer, and about 85 percent did so at age 9. This increase was markedly elevated for higher-SES children compared to lower-SES children. From childhood to adolescence further increases are found in sharing, but not in helping or providing emotional support (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998). The boost in prosocial behavior with age is attributed to developmental increases in cognitive abilities associated with detecting others’ needs and determining ways to help, in empathy-related responding, and in the moral understanding of the importance of helping others (Eisenberg et al., 2006). CONTEXTUAL AND INDIVIDUAL INFLUENCES Many contextual factors are associated with prosocial behavior. For example, Cole and colleagues report short-term success for television programs designed to increase children’s prosociality. Social psychological experiments consistently show that recognizing a situation as requiring assistance, involving personal responsibility, and enabling oneself to help, all increase helping behavior (Penner, Dovidio, Piliavin, & Schroeder, 2005). Individuals are more likely to provide support in situations that promote personal psychological and material rewards, or where the costs (e.g., guilt) associated with not helping are prominent. Finally, individuals are more likely to behave prosocially towards similar or likable others (Penner et al., 2005), and towards others considered to be close, especially kin (Graziano et al., 2007). This pattern may reflect an ultimate evolutionary goal of kin selection as described by Hamilton, although de Waal notes that helpers’ psychological goals may be quite different. Genetic relatedness aside, prosocial behavior towards family members probably involves a sense of duty, reciprocity, and affective relationships. Rushton describes moderate consistency in individuals’ prosocial behavior across varying situations and contexts, demonstrating both stable individual differences in prosociality and the importance of contextual factors. Research following children from early childhood to adulthood supports the existence of the long-debated altruistic or prosocial personality (Eisenberg et al., 1999). Individual differences in prosociality are linked to sociability, low shyness, extroversion, and agreeableness, although specific prosocial behaviors may require a combination of additional traits, such as perceived self-efficacy in the case of helping (Penner et al., 2005). Researchers Bardi and Schwartz highlight the importance of individuals’ specific prosocial values, including emphasizing the importance of the welfare of others, as an additional variable likely to influence prosocial behavior. Personality and contextual variables are likely to interact in determining prosocial behavio r. For example, agreeable individuals were more likely to help an outgroup member than low-agreeableness individuals, but agreeableness was not associated with helping an ingroup member (Graziano et al., 2007). Environmental factors linked to individual differences in children’s prosociality include parental modeling of helping behavior and use of inductive discipline (e.g., explaining to children the consequences of their behavior) as opposed to power-assertive discipline (e.g., punishment) (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998). Beyond parental influence, siblings, peers, and schools also may affect prosociality. For example, as Wentzel, McNamara, and Caldwell point out, children’s prosociality may be influenced by close friends. Furthermore, the better the affective quality of the friendship, the more influential friends are to each other’s prosociality. Genetics also contribute to individual variation in prosociality. Research on adults finds that prosociality is substan tially heritable. Research on young children shows lower heritability, demonstrated by one longitudinal twin study showing increases in the heritability of parent-rated prosociality, from 30 percent at age 2 to 60 percent at age 7 (Knafo & Plomin, 2006). Genetic and environmental effects are often intertwined. For example, parental reasoning may be more effective with highly attentive children, while external rewards may work better for other children. These geneenvironment interactions, in which children’s genetically influenced tendencies interact with environmental influences in determining behavior, are highly likely. Further investigation is necessary of gene-environment interactions with regard to prosociality. Gene-environment correlations can also shape individual differences in prosociality. For example, children’s low prosociality is related to parents’ use of negative discipline and affection. This relationship can be traced back to children’s genetic tendencies, implying that the genetically influenced low prosociality can initiate a negative reaction from parents (Knafo & Plomin, 2006). Gender and culture are additional predictors of prosocial behavior. A meta-analysis found small differences favoring girls in prosocial behavior, smaller than expected based on gender stereotypes and lower for instrumental help than for other prosocial behaviors (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998). Some evidence suggests that children in Western societies are less prosocial than children in other cultures, but some studies find no differences along these lines (see review by Eisenberg et al., 2006). A field study by Levine, Norenzayan, and Philbrick found large cultural differences in spont aneously helping strangers. For example, the proportion of individuals helping a stranger with a hurt leg pick up dropped magazines ranged from 22 percent to 95 percent across 23 cultures. Although national wealth was negatively associated with helping rates, the closely related cultural value of individualism-collectivism (individualism is on average higher in richer countries) was not related. A compelling cultural explanation for cross-national differences in prosocial behavior was still needed as of 2008. Perhaps, cultures differ substantially in what each promotes as prosocial behavior (Eisenberg et al., 2006). RELATION TO OTHER ASPECTS OF SCHOOL FUNCTIONING Clark and Ladd find that prosocial children are relatively well adjusted and have better peer relationships than less prosocial children. Highly prosocial children have more friends and report a better quality of friendship, relative to less prosocial children. Caprara and colleagues find positive relationships between children’s early prosocial behavior and later academic achievement, and positive peer relations (statistically controlling for earlier achievement). The exact nature of these relationships has yet to be determined. Possibly, prosocial children’s superior social skills enable them to work better with peers and to get along better with teachers. Alternatively, earlier prosociality represents self-regulation abilities needed for later achievement. Similarly, a finding by Johnson and colleagues that volunteering adolescents have higher grade point averages and intrinsic motivation toward schoolwork may indicate that volunteering increases academic self-esteem. Furthermore, adolescents who volunteer may receive preferential treatment from teachers, increasing their achievement. HOW TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS CAN PROMOTE PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR Although observational studies suggest that preschool teachers usually do little to encourage prosocial behavior, teachers’ behavior and school policies can promote pro-sociality. Positive, warm, and secure teacher-student relationships are associated with children’s prosociality (Eisenberg et al., 2006). To overrule the possibility that highly adjusted children are both prosocial and elicit positive reactions from teachers, intervention studies are essential. A five-year longitudinal study by Solomon and colleagues finds that training teachers to promote children’s prosociality and developmental discipline increases children’s prosocial values and behaviors. The program provided children with an opportunity to work collaboratively in small groups and participate in activities designed to promote social understanding. It emphasized prosocial values through the use of relevant media and highlighting children’s positive behaviors and provided opportun ities for active helping such as a buddy program that assigned older children to help younger peers. In another school intervention reported by Fraser and colleagues, children received training designed to teach social problem-solving skills and to reduce peer rejection. Simultaneously, parents participated in home lessons designed to improve parenting skills (e.g., child development, parent-child communication, problem-solving, and discipline). Intervention children increased in prosocial behavior in comparison to the control group. Another experimental school program reported by Flan-nery and colleagues shows longitudinal gains in children’s prosocial behavior by altering school climate by teaching students and staff five simple rules and activities: (a) praise people, (b) avoid put-downs, (c) seek wise people as advisers and friends, (d) notice and correct hurts one causes, and (e) right wrongs. McMahon and Washburn point out that effective interventions often work to addr ess students’ empathy and problem-solving skills and are often tailored to the cultural, developmental, and behavioral characteristics of students. Research by Kazdin, Bass, Siegel, and Thomas reveals the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in increasing prosociality in children with severe antisocial behavior. Another violence prevention program reported by DeCarlo and Hockman improves male urban African American students’ prosocial skills through analysis of relevant RAP music lyrics. Furthermore, Lakes and Hoyt show the effectiveness of tae-kwon-do training at primary school to improve self-regulation and prosocial behavior among boys and, to a lesser extent, girls. Attention/play interventions by school psychologists with highly aggressive boys (modeling, role-playing, coaching, feedback, and discussion of play strategies), by Dubow and colleagues longitudinally decrease aggression and increase prosocial behavior. These studies demonstrate the usefulness of non-preaching approaches to prosocial development. See also:Moral Development, Social Skills BIBLIOGRAPHY Bardi, A., & Schwartz, S.H. (2000). Values and behavior: Strength and structure of relations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(10),1207–1220. Benenson, J. F., Pascoe, J., & Radmore, N. (2007). Children’s altruistic behavior in the dictator game. Evolution and Human Behavior, 28, 168–175. Caprara, G. V., Barbaranelli, C., Pastorelli, C., Bandura, A., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2000). Prosocial foundations of children’s academic achievement. Psychological Science, 11(4), 302–306. Clark, K. E., & Ladd, G. W. (2000). Connectedness and autonomy support in parent-child relationships: Links to children’s socioemotional orientation and peer relationships. Developmental Psychology, 36, 485–498. Cole, C. F., Arafat, C., Tidhar, C., Tafesh, W. Z., Fox, N. A., et al. (2003). The educational impact of Rechov Sumsum/Shara’a Simsim: A Sesame Street television series to promote respect and understanding among children living in Israel, th e West Bank and Gaza. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 409–422. DeCarlo, A., & Hockman, E. (2003). RAP therapy: A group work intervention method for urban adolescents. Social Work with Groups, 26(3), 45–59. De Waal, F. B. M. (2007). Putting the altruism back into altruism: The evolution of empathy. Annual Review of Psychology, 59(4), 4.1–4.22. Dubow, E. F., Huesmann, L. R., & Eron, L. D. (1987). Mitigating aggression and promoting prosocial behavior in aggressive elementary schoolboys. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 25(6), 527–531. Eisenberg, N., & Fabes, R.A.(1998). Prosocial Development. In W. Damon, (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Social, emotional, and personality development (Vol. 3, pp. 701–778). New York: Wiley. Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., & Spinrad, T. L. (2006). Prosocial development. In N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Series Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Social, emotional, and personality development (Vol. 3, pp. 646–718). New York: Wiley. Eisenberg, N., Guthrie, B., Murphy, C., Shepard, S. A., Cumberland, A., & Carlo, G. (1999). Consistency and development of prosocial dispositions: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 70(6), 1360–1372. Fehr, E., & Fischbacher, U. (2003). The nature of human altruism.Nature, 425(6960), 785–791. Flannery, D. J., Liau, A. K., Powell, K. E., Vesterdal, W., Vazsonyi, A.T., Guo, S., et al. (2003). Initial behavior outcomes for the peacebuilders universal school-based violence prevention program.Developmental Psychology, 39, 292–308. Fraser, M. W., Day, S. H., Galinsky, M. J., Hodges, V. G., & Smokowski, P. R. (2004). Conduct problems and peer rejection in childhood: A randomized trial of the making choices and strong families programs. Research on Social Work Practice, 14, 313–324. Graziano, W. G., Habashi, M. M., Sheese, B. E., & Tobin, R. M. (2007). Agreeableness, empathy, and helping: A person X situation perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(4), 583–59. Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour I and II. Journal of Theoretical Biology 7, 1–52. Hoffman, M. L. (2000). Empathy and moral development: Implications for caring and justice. New York: Cambridge University Press. Johnson, M. K., Beebe, T., Mortimer, J. T., & Snyder, M. (1998). Volunteerism in adolescence: A process perspective. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 8(3), 309–332. Kazdin, A. E., Bass, D., Siegel, T., & Thomas, C. (1989). Cognitive-behavioral therapy and relationship therapy in the treatment of children referred for antisocial behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(4), 522–535. Knafo, A., & Plomin, R. (2006). Parental discipline and affection and children’s prosocial behavior: Genetic and environmental links.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 147–164. Lakes, K. D., & Hoyt, W. T. (2004). Promoting self-regulation through school-based martial arts training. Applied Developmental Psychology, 25, 283–302. Levine, R. V., Norenzayan, A., & Philbrick, K. (2001). Cross-cultural differences in helping strangers. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32, 543–560. McMahon, S. D., & Washburn, J. J. (2003). Violence prevention: An evaluation of program effects with urban African American students. Journal of Primary Prevention, 24(1), 43–62. Penner, L. A., Dovidio, J. F., Piliavin, J. A., & Schroeder, D. A. (2005). Prosocial behavior: multilevel perspectives. Annual Reviews of Psychology, 56, 365–392. Rushton, J. P. (1984). The altruistic personality: Evidence from laboratory, naturalistic, and self-report perspectives. In E. Staub, D. Bar-Tal, J. Karylowski, & J. Reykowski (Eds.), The Development and Maintenance of Prosocial Behavior: International Perspectives on Positive Development (pp. 271–290). New York: Plenum. Solomon, D., Watson, M. S., Delucchi, K. L., Scraps, E., & Battistich, V. (1988). Enhancing children’s prosocial behavior in the classroom. Ame rican Educational Research Journal, 25, 527–554. Wentzel, K. R., McNamara, B. C., & Caldwell, K. A. (2004). Friendships in middle school: influences on motivation and school adjustment. Journal of Education Psychology, 96(2), 195–203. Zahn-Waxler, C., Robinson, J. L., & Emde, R. N. (1992). The development of empathy in twins. Developmental Psychology, 28(6), 1038–1047. http://www.education.com/reference/article/prosocial-behavior/