African American Empires Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African American Empires - Essay Example This was then used for trade along trans-Sahara trade network. (Ancient Civilizations Website). Anything that the Wagadugu society required could be traded for gold, and this meant that the society soon became well established and very wealthy. The introduction of the camel increased the range of trading groups. (The Ghana Guide Website) Resources alone do not make a great nation. The second key success factor was the ability of the people to govern themselves wisely. They also made profits and distributed them widely. Taxes were levied from passing traders. An effective legal system based on tribal chief authority kept order and peace within the territory. Good leadership was a critical factor in Wagadugu’s success. When invaders arrived, there was a ready army for defence. Other nation wanted to have good relations with this territory. It was a beacon of enlightenment in Africa. This it was a combination of good fortune in terms of resources, and hard work in terms of organization that enabled the Wagadugu empire to be so

Obesity Amongst Mexican Children Essay Example for Free

Obesity Amongst Mexican Children Essay Abstract: The prevalence of overweight children in the United States of Mexican descent is higher for second generation than their first generation counterparts. First generation immigrants tend to keep a healthier lifestyle by consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables, walking longer distances and smoking less than the more acculturated Mexican-Americans. Acculturation is a major contributing factor for the alarming rates of obesity within Mexican children. When children of Mexican immigrants are exposed to American society, they develop unhealthy habits such as eating pizza and hot dogs during school lunch hours, access to vending machines, and media exposure where they are constantly bombarded with food related commercials of unhealthy nature. A lower socio-economic status, such as the recently immigrated parents, is also a contributing factor for obesity within Mexican children. High calorie and high fat content foods tend to be less expensive than fresh fruits and fresh vegetables, leading to poorer, unhealthier choices. Fast food chains are prohibitory expensive in Mexico, whereas in the US they are not. As young Mexican children develop their sense of identity while they separate from their parents or caregivers and seek acceptance from their American peers, they integrate themselves into the fast food culture leading to obesity amongst Mexican-American children of second generation in the US. The incidence of obesity in Mexican adults has increased markedly over the years. Data from the 1993 National Survey of Chronic Diseases (Encuesta Nacional de Enfermedades Cronicas) showed an obesity prevalence of 21. 5%. The 2000 National Health Survey (Encuesta Nacional de Salud) indicated that 24% of adults suffered obesity. Data from the 2006 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2006) revealed that 30% of adults of both sexes were obese. (Rojas,R, Aguilar-Salinas, C. , Jimenez, A. , Gomez, F. , Barquera, S. , 2012, p. 8) In the last two decades, the prevalence of childhood obesity, defined as at or above the 95th percentile of body mass index (BMI) for age and gender (Center for Disease Control, 2009), has more than doubled among children aged 6–11 years and tripled among adolescents aged 12–19 years, and here is no evidence that this trend is coming to an end (Ogden, 2002). This is a serious public health concern because obese children and adolescents are at an increased risk for various physical, mental, and emotional health problems, including impaired glucose tolerance , insulin resistance, atherosclerosis , coronary heart disease in adulthood , development of eating disorders, and low self-esteem (Seo, D. Sa, J. , 2009). The obesity epidemic disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minority children, who are defined as American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American, Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Native Hawaiian, or OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 3 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? other Pacific Islander (CDC, 2009). According to estimates based on the 2001–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), among children aged 6–19 years, 22. 2% of Mexican American children and 20. 5% of non-Hispanic Blacks were obese as compared with only 13. 6% of non-Hispanic whites. Other studies performed by Ogden and colleagues (2002) also affirm a larger prevalence of obesity among Mexican American and Black children compared with white children. These rates of obesity are far from the 2010 national health objective of Healthy People 2010. The higher incidence of obesity among minority children is alarming because these racial/ethnic groups have a lower insulin sensitivity than white children (Seo, D, Sa, J. 2009). Obesity is an epidemic facing millions of people across the globe, resulting in more than 300,000 deaths in the United States alone (Dishman, 2004). Historically, the majority of people affected by obesity were adults. However, in the last decade this epidemic has spread to our youth. Excess weight in U. S. children has increased in prevalence and has become a serious public health concern. Currently, about 33% of children ages 2–5 in the U. S. are overweight (BMI in the 85th percentile or above), and 12% are considered obese (BMI in the 95th percentile or above) (CDC, 2009). Overweight children have a 70–80% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, which may lead to an increase in obesity related disease among adults (United States Department of Human Health and Services, 2007). Obesity is one of the leading risk factors for disease and fatal health conditions, such as hypertension, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers (CDC, 2009). Not only is obesity linked to clinical conditions, but it may also lead to mental health problems such as self-blame and low self-esteem ( Haboush, A., Phebus, T. , Tanata Ashby, D. , Zaikina-Montgomery, H. , Kindig, K. , 2011). This paper will focus on the contributing factors for the alarming obesity rates amongst Mexican children. Are second generation Mexican children more prone to obesity than their first generation counterparts? Mexican immigrant parents usually don’t view obesity as a threatening health issue. In fact, some research reports that Mexican mothers see childhood obesity as a sign of good heath (Rosas et al. ) and thinness as a sigh of illness (Sosa, 2012). Acculturation, or the process of adjusting to a new culture, describes social, psychological, and behavioral changes that an individual undergoes as result of immigration (Buttenheim, A. , Pebley, A. , Hsih, K. , Chung, C. , Goldman, N. , 2012). The drastic changes in lifestyle and social interactions that immigrants encounter upon arriving to the United States often put them at risk for negative health consequences (Ogden et al. , 2009). Of the negative health outcomes associated with OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 4 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS?acculturation in Mexican children, obesity is significant because it has implications for development of chronic diseases such as heart disease and Type II Diabetes (CDC, 2009). Mexican children are at increased risk for obesity upon immigration to the United States and are predisposed to development of chronic diseases,(Buscemi, J. , Beech, B. , Relyea, G. , 2011). Mexican American mothers’ views on obesity, 40% of mothers with overweight children did not identify overweight as a health issue (Ariza et al. , 2004). When weight was used as an indicator of health, parents were more concerned with the health of skinny children than overweight children. Mexican American mothers were concerned with having thin children because a thin child could become sick and die (Small, L. , Melnyk, B. , Anderson-Gifford, D. , Hampl, J. 2009). A second and less studied mechanism linking nativity of US immigrants to obesity risk is the interconnectedness of the food environment and migration dynamics in the sending country (Buttenheim et al. , 2012). This is particularly relevant in the case of obesity risk for Mexican-origin children in the US, given the large, circular migration flows between the two countries and the well-documented nutrition transition underway in Mexico (Popkin Udry, 1998). This transition is characterized by a shift from unprocessed and low energy density diets to highly processed, energy dense foods. The transition is due in part to new food marketing strategies and a simultaneous decrease in physical activity that has accompanied urbanization and economic development in Mexico (Popkin Udry, 1998). Mexico’s nutrition transition has been notably rapid: Mexico now has the second highest rates of adult obesity among OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries (after the US) (Rosas, 2011). A potential explanation for the increased obesity rates within the Mexican immigrants in the US is acculturative stress (Van Hook et al. , 2011). Mexican-origin immigrants, are often faced with discrimination based on race/ethnicity and immigrant status. This discrimination, in turn, leads to chronic stress and psycho-physiological stress responses, which are known to affect health over the long run . Thus, the process of integration into a society that views Mexican-origin immigrants as being of lower status than other social and racial/ethnic groups may itself result in chronic health problems, even if health behaviors remain constant over time and across immigrant generation. Why would duration of time in the US and immigrant generation affect obesity? The acculturation literature has emphasized the importance of dietary changes by duration in the US and across generation: increased acculturation is hypothesized to lead to decreased consumption of healthy foods and increased consumption of processed high OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 5 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? fat/sugar foods. Gordon-Larsen et al. (2003) reported that first generation Mexican immigrant adolescents eat more rice, beans, fruit, and vegetables and less cheese and fast food than second generation Mexican-origin immigrants. Kaiser and colleagues (2007) say that acculturation seems to be a contributing factor for obesity amongst Mexican children. Acculturation can be defined as the process by which immigrants adopt the attitudes, values, customs, beliefs, and behaviors of a new culture. Two studies reported their findings on acculturation and potential implications on the nutritional status of Mexican American children. Kaiser and colleagues (2007) concluded that less acculturated mothers were more likely to provide alternate food choices when a child would not eat and use child-feeding strategies that may contribute to childhood overweight, such as bribes, threats, and punishment. Ariza, Chen, Binns, and Christoffel (2004) conducted a study to test their hypothesis that overweight was more prevalent in highly acculturated Mexican American children aged 5 to 6 years; however, the results did not substantiate an association between overweight and acculturation in this population. Duerksen and colleagues (2007) reported that increased levels of acculturation may lead to higher rates of overweight among Mexican American families if they were eating more meals at fast-food and buffet-style restaurants rather than selecting traditional, authentic Mexican restaurants. Studies indicated that less acculturated Mexican Americans consumed less fat, and more fiber, protein, vitamins A, C, E and B6, folate, calcium, potassium, and magnesium than their more acculturated counterparts (Rosas et al. 2011). Most research conducted across age groups and outcomes indicates that newly-arrived and less acculturated immigrants are healthier and live longer than natives. Unfortunately, this health advantage dissipates with duration of U. S. residence and does not extend to the next generation. In addition to the influence of parents’ acculturation on children’s behaviors, children can accelerate the acculturation process for their families as well because children are more likely to have a consistent exposure to typical American foods at school and likely to affect purchasing decisions of their parents. One of the biggest changes in children’s diets after moving to the United States has been suggested to be with the foods children consume at school. It has been reported that although Mexican American children liked the traditional ethnic foods they received at home, they preferred the American foods they were served at school (e.g. , pizza, hamburgers) (Rosas et al. 2011). Furthermore, there seemed to be a lack of awareness among children about the healthfulness of traditional Mexican foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and beans) or potential health risks of the typical American diet, which was perceived as pizza, hotdogs, hamburgers, and French fries. As children develop their own self and ethnic identities, they may seek separation from their parents and acceptance from their peers, and they may identify fast food and other less healthful food options with the United States culture. This can eventually lead to less healthful dietary patterns both for children and their families because children are likely to affect food-purchasing OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 6 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? decisions in their households (Rosas et al. 2011). When looking into the influence of acculturation on food intake behaviors among children and youths, another important element of the social environment must be addressed: media exposure. Media exposure can have detrimental influences at both ends of the spectrum in terms of eating behaviors: children may adopt an unrealistically thin body image through exposure to popular culture, and unhealthy dieting practices or eating disorders may follow. Alternatively, they may increase their consumption of nutrient-poor, energy-dense foods that they are exposed to through advertisements, and this type of behavior may eventually lead to overweight status. There have been some initiatives to limit food marketing aiming at children, but nutritionally poor and energy dense foods (e.g. , high sugar cereals, candy, soft drinks, chips) still constitute the majority of the foods advertised on television (Kunkel et al. 2009). Several reports indicate that children choose advertised foods at significantly higher rates and attempt to influence their parents to purchase these foods. Unfortunately, advertisement of the nutritionally inferior food choices is not limited to television only; it is widespread through a variety of channels such as schools (vending machines, corporate sponsorship of school events and materials, etc. ), and online applications(e.g. , interactive games, sweepstakes, computer screensavers). Media exposure among children has been increasing over the past 10 years, and according to the 2009 estimates (Kunkel et al. 2009). American children spend about 7. 4 hours per day using or watching media such as television, computers, video games or movies. These estimates seem to be even higher among minorities) and individuals with lower socio economical status( SES) (Sussner et al. 2009). Hispanic youths were reported to spend about 5. 5 hours per day watching television while this estimate was 3. 5 hours per day for non-Hispanic whites in 2009. Moreover, screen time seems to increase with greater acculturation (Gordon-Larsen et al. 2003). The data from the 2003–04 National Survey of Children’s Health indicated that, in comparison to U. S. -born non-Hispanic white children with U. S. -born parents, foreign-born Hispanic children with immigrant parents were 31 percent more likely and U. S. -born Hispanic children with U. S. -born parents were 51 percent more likely to watch television. Although foreign-born Hispanics seem to be less likely to consume less healthful foods (Osypuk et al.2009), a reverse trend can be seen if these foods are more expensive in the country of origin but cheaper in the United States. For example, qualitative studies indicated that lower cost and increased availability were among the reasons for Mexican Americans to consume snacks, sweets, and fast food more in the United States . An earlier report pointed out that some foods, such as mayonnaise, margarine, and salad dressing were considered high-status items by many low-income families in Latin America (Romero-Gwynn et al. 1993). Similarly, Mexican adults living in Florida reported that in addition to fast food not being as readily available in their native country, it was more expensive than in the United States and therefore, they tended to eat fast food only for special occasions in their native OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 7 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? country. Once these types of foods become more readily available and affordable for the immigrants in the United States, an increase in the consumption levels would be expected. Lower costs, widespread availability, and the convenience of fast food in the United States appear to be an enticing solution especially for time-strapped immigrant families with children (Lindsay et al. 2009). Qualitative studies among immigrants suggest a more relaxed lifestyle in Mexico versus a very busy lifestyle in the United States that leaves less time to cook or prepare foods. This type of lifestyle makes convenience foods very appealing, and it is likely to result in an increase in fast food consumption (Gray et al. 2005). In addition to the economic conditions related to the food environment, limited socioeconomic abilities of individuals also put immigrants at greater risk for unhealthy food intake patterns and entailing health issues. Higher rates of food insecurity and low SES among minorities and immigrants are likely to force individuals to purchase relatively cheaper and filling, but often nutrient-poor, energy-dense foods (Drewnowski and Darmon 2005). A binational study that was conducted in the United States and Mexico provided support for these eating patterns, and it also pointed out the country- or culture-specific variations in these associations. In the United States sample of this study, children with food insecurity were more likely to consume fat, saturated fat, sweets, and fried snacks compared to their food secure counterparts. In Mexico, however, food insecure (versus food secure) children displayed a different food intake pattern that was characterized by higher intakes of carbohydrates, dairy, and vitamin B6 (Rosas et al. 2009). One of the least studied aspects of the relationship between socioeconomic factors and food intake is the residential context and demographic makeup of the neighborhoods. One of the few studies that examined this context in a mostly Hispanic (but mixed ethnic) sample suggested that greater density of immigrants in residential areas was positively related to fruit and vegetable intake after controlling for individual factors such as age, race/ethnicity, language, country of birth, and education (Dubowitz et al. 2008). Another study also reported that high-fat/processed food intake (fats, oils, processed meats, fried potatoes, salty snacks, desserts) was lower in immigrant-dense neighborhoods even after controlling for SES, demographic factors, and acculturation (Rosas et al.2011). These results indicate beneficial dietary intake patterns for all residents (immigrant or not) residing in that area. Some of the potential factors underlying these results could be resulting from socioeconomic advantages through greater social capital, availability of stores with healthier ethnic food options, and higher consumption of healthier food intake habits, social norms, and values in the ethnically dense neighborhoods (Dubowitz et al. 2008). OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 8 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? Highly acculturated Hispanic adults were more likely to have higher BMIs than their less acculturated counterparts. Similarly, second or third generation Hispanic youths were reported to be more likely overweight than their first generation counterparts (Popkin and Udry 1998). For adults, the difference in the overweight status by acculturation seems to be seen usually in a range of 10 to 21 years of residence in the United States, but interestingly, BMI differences were detectable by age two among less acculturated mothers’ children in a mostly Hispanic sample (Sussner et al. 2009). Some of the mechanisms underlying these findings could be the existence of cultural beliefs that associate overweight status among children with perception of good health (Sussner et al. 2009), failing to recognize overweight status, or acceptance of a larger body size as a desirable body image among Hispanics. Taken together, these cultural preferences can lead to obesity over time with the additional contribution of the typical environment in the United States that stimulates consumption of energy-dense foods and discourages physical activities. Certain food intake patterns (e. g., energy-dense foods) can lead to overweight or obese status as people acculturate. Although a factor analysis of nationally representative data from the NHANES 2001–02 did not indicate a specific dietary intake pattern in relationship to BMI or waist circumference (as measures of overall or central adiposity) among Mexican Americans (Carrera et al. 2007), it is possible that dietary intake might be related to obesity indirectly, or collectively with other lifestyle factors (e. g. , physical activity). It is also possible that the effects might be most pronounced at specific time periods during acculturation. Supporting this potential mechanism is the results from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health indicating that increased probability of overweight, which was related to changes in lifestyle factors (i. e. , screen time, diet), was detectable among first generation Mexican adolescents but not among second (or more) generation participants (Gordon-Larsen et al. 2003). Although social economic status (SES) is also linked to obesity, this association seems to vary depending on the SES measures used and also by race or ethnicity. For example, in a nationally representative sample of children, both education and income were negatively related to BMI among non-Hispanic whites, but only income was positively related to BMI among Hispanics (Balistreri and Van Hook 2009). As suggested by the authors, increasing education level may be a reflection of changes in knowledge, learning abilities, social class, and personal skills while higher income among immigrants might be an indicator of greater purchasing capacity, which can result in less healthful eating patterns in the absence of adequate nutrition knowledge, skills, and a healthful food environment. SES also seems to have gender-specific and long-term consequences. Data from a nationally representative longitudinal survey among adolescents indicated that there was a strong positive association between long-term (persistent) low SES and obesity among females. Among males, however, obesity rates were highest among those who had a socioeconomically disadvantaged beginning but gained autonomy, for example, home ownership later on. Most importantly, the report pointed out that the effect of SES on OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 9 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS?obesity was probably initiated before adolescence (Scharoun-Lee et al. 2009). Conclusion: The research has shown that second generation Mexican children are in fact more prone to obesity than their first generation counterparts. Causative factors such as media exposure, school lunch programs, socio-economic factors, and the influence of parents’ own acculturation into American society are all factors that can be addressed through various means with legislative, policy changes, and education. Then we can begin to affect positively the rising trend of obesity in second generation Mexican children in the United States. OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 10 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? References: Abraido-Lanza, A. , White, K. , Vasques, E. (2004)Immigrant populations and health. In: Anderson N, editor. Encyclopedia of health and behavior. Newbury Park, CA: Sage; 2004. p. 533–537. Ariza, A. J. , Chen, E. H. , Binns, H. J. , Christoffel, K. K. (2004). Risk factors for overweight in 5 to 6-year old Hispanic American children: A pilot study. Journal of Urban Heath, 81 (1), 150-161. Balistreri, K. , Van Hook, J. (2007). Maternal employment and overweight among Hispanic children of immigrants and children of natives. Journal Of Immigrant Minority Health, 11(3), 158-167. doi:10. 1007/s10903-007-9096-0 Buscemi, J. , Beech, B. , Relyea, G. (2011). Predictors of obesity in Latino children: acculturation as a moderator of the relationship between food insecurity and body mass index percentile. Journal Of Immigrant Minority Health, 13(1), 149-154. Buttenheim, A. , Pebley, A. , Hsih, K. , Chung, C. , Goldman, N. (n. d. ) ( 2012) The shape of things to come? Obesity prevalence among foreign-born vs. US-born Mexican youth in California. Social Science Medicine, doi:10. 1016/j. socscimed. 2012. 10. 023 Carrera, P. , Gao, X. , Tucker, K. (2007). A study of dietary patterns in the mexican-american population and their association with obesity. Journal Of The American Dietetic Association, 107(10), 1735-1742. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy Weight. About BMI for Children and Teens: What is a BMI percentile? Available at: http://www. cdc. gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi. html. Accessed May 19, 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Defining overweight and obesity. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www. cdc. gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/ childhood/defining. htm. Accessed April 1, 2009. Dishman, R. K. , Washburn, R. A. , Heath, G. (2004). Physical activity epidemiology (p. 30). United States: Human Kinetics Publishers. OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 11 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? Duerksen, S. , Elder, J. , Arredondo, E. , Ayala, G. , Slymen, D. , Campbell, N. , B. , Baquero(n. d). Research: Family Restaurant Choices Are Associated with Child and Adult Overweight Status in Mexican-American Families. Journal Of The American Dietetic Association, 107849-853. doi:10. 1016/j. jada. 2007. 02. 012 Drewnowski, A. Darmon, N. (2005). Food Choices and Diet Costs: an Economic Analysis. The Journal of Nutrition. . April 1, 2005 vol. 135 (4) 900-904. Dubowitz, T. , Heron, M. , Bird, C. , Lurie, N. , Finch, B. , Basurto-Davila, R. , Escarce, J. (2008). Neighborhood socioeconomic status and fruit and vegetable intake among whites, blacks, and Mexican Americans in the United States. American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 87(6), 1883-1891. Encuesta Nacional de Enfermedades Cronicas. Mexico, DF:Secretaria de Salud, 1993. Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2000. La Salud de los Adultos. Mexico:Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, 2003. Gordon-Larsen, P. , Harris, K. , Ward, D. , Popkin, B. (2003) Exploring increasing overweight and its determinants among Hispanic and Asian immigrants to the US: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Social Science Medicine 57:2023-34. Gray, V. B. , Cossman, J. S. , Dodson, W. L. , Byrd, S. H. (2005). Dietary acculturation of Hispanic immigrants in Mississippi. Salud Publica De Mexico, 47(5), 351-360. Haboush, A. , Phebus, T. , Tanata Ashby, D. , Zaikina-Montgomery, H., Kindig, K. (2011). Still unhealthy 2009: building community research to identify risk factors and health outcomes in childhood obesity. Journal Of Community Health, 36(1), 111-120. doi:10. 1007/s10900-010-9288-8. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health (2nd edition), US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC (2000) Available at http://www. healthypeople. gov/document/html/objectives/19-03. htm Accessed May 19, 2009 Kaiser, L. , Melgar-Quinonez, R. , Lamp, C. , Johns, M. , Harwood, J. (2001)Acculturation of Mexican-American Mothers Influences Child Feeding Strategies. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2001;101(5):542–47. OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 12 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? Kunkel, D. , McKinley, C. , and Wright, P. (2009) The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children. Ogden C, Flegal K, Carroll M, and Johnson C. 2002. Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of American Medical Association 288 (14):1728. Osypuk, Theresa L. , Ana V. Diez Roux, Craig Hadley, and Namratha R.Kandula. 2009. Are immigrant enclaves healthy places to live? The Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Social Science Medicine 69:110-120. Popkin, B. M. , Udry, J. (1998). Adolescent obesity increases significantly in second and third generation U. S. immigrants: The Journal Of Nutrition, 128(4), 701. Rojas-Martinez, R. , Aguilar-Salinas, C. , Jimenez-Corona, A. , Gomez-Perez, F. , Barquera, S. , Lazcano-Ponce, E. (2012). Prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome components in Mexican adults without type 2 diabetes or hypertension. Salud Publica De Mexico, 54(1), 7-12. Romero-Gwynn, E. , D. Gwynn, L.Grivetti, McDonald, G. Stanford, B. Turner, E. West, and E. Williamson (1993). Dietary acculturation among Latinos of Mexican descent. Nutrition Today July/August: 6-12. Rosas, L. , Guendelman, S. , Harley, K. , Fernald, L. , Neufeld, L. , Mejia, F. , Eskenazi, B. (2011). Factors associated with overweight and obesity among children of Mexican descent: results of a binational study. Journal Of Immigrant Minority Health, 13(1), 169-180. Small, L. , Melnyk, B. , Anderson-Gifford, D. , Hampl, J. 2009). Exploring the meaning of excess child weight and health: shared viewpoints of Mexican parents of preschool children. Pediatric Nursing, 35(6), 357-366. Thorpe, L. , List, G Childhood obesity in New York City elementary school students American Journal of Public Health, 94 (2004), pp. 1496–1500 US Department of Health and Human Services 19–3: Reduce the proportion of children who are overweight or obese United States Department of Health and Human Services (2007). OBESITY AMONGST MEXICAN CHILDREN: ARE FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN CHILDREN 13 MORE PRONE TO OBESITY THAN THEIR SECOND GENERATION COUNTERPARTS? The surgeon general’s call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. Web site. http://www.surgeongeneral. gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents. htm. Accessed January 15. Van Hook, J. , H. , Baker, E. , Altman, C. , Frisco, M. Canaries in a coalmine: Immigration and overweight among Mexican-origin children in the US and Mexico. Social Science Medicine, 74125-134. doi:10. 1016/j. socscimed. 2011. 10. 007. Scharoun-Lee, M. , Kaufman, J. , Popkin, B. , Gordon-Larsen, P. (2009). 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Performers in Eighteenth Century British Theatre :: European Europe History

Performers in Eighteenth Century British Theatre Eighteenth century British theatre was perhaps the starting point that would evolve into modern theatre. Women started to be allowed on stage and acting techniques were beginning to change. Leading performers were like celebrities with a number of fans. Theatre was an intricate part of the social ladder. In the overall scheme of things the actors and actresses played an important part in making the theatre what it was. Without the performers there wouldn’t really be theatre, so in order to understand the eighteenth century British theatre the performers of that era need to be understood. The social standing of actors and actresses in the late eighteenth century was mostly understood to be of the lower class but they were not always treated so. "Many performers, furthermore, were received everywhere with cordiality and respect. Several of them made marriages with persons of distinction;" (Hogan, cxx). A problem that would often occur to dampen a performer's social standing would be the result of a character they played. People of the audience would often hold the performer accountable for the faults of their character. "For an actress to portray an adulteress was not only immodest, but it would almost certainly induce her to become one in reality; of an actor profligacy and immorality were his chief characteristics;" (Hogan, cxx). In a season that could involve 200 nights of performances over 100 plays may be produced (Hogan, ciii). With this in mind many actors and actresses would need to be available to play a great number of parts. For example, "in 1794-95 Quick's first appearance was on 24 September, his last on 25 May. This is a period of 177 nights, out of which he acted on 149, in 47 different parts" (Hogan, cii). With such an abundance of parts to be learned and understood performers had to develop a system to remember everything. There is no exact detailed system to how performers did this than just completely taking time to focus on the part. Hogan provides an example from Michael Kelly‘s Reminiscences that is perfect in showing the focus and discipline performers had to have. â€Å"Previous to the opening of the newly constructed Drury lane in the spring of 1794 its acting manager. John Philip Kemble, must clearly have had his mind occupied with countless details: the superintendence of a large crew of house servants and workmen, of finances, of advertising, of preparing a spectacular revival of Macbeth.

Internet Connecting Point A to Point B Essay

How should an Internet connection be made for the current campus? Why did you select this option over the others? AT&T is the carrier providing service to the existing campus as well as the new campus. Examine the offerings for Internet access to select the one that should be used. (10 points) ST which is made by at&t is the most popular connector for multimode networks, like most buildings and campuses. It has a bayonet mount and a long cylindrical ferrule to hold the fiber. Most ferrules are ceramic, but some are metal or plastic. And because they are spring-loaded, you have to make sure they are seated properly. If you have high loss, reconnect them to see if it makes a difference. 2. How should the existing and new campus locations be connected to each other? (10 points) The Existing campus locations should be connected to each other via fiber optic cable. Fiber optic cables are less expensive, there is less signal degrading, Non-flammable, and last but not least extremely lightweight compares to the competitors. 3. Should the two locations share an Internet connection? (10 points) Yes. Paying for two separate internet connection methods would be pointless for this scenario. Sharing one connection is more cost effective. 4. Compare the advantages, disadvantages, and cost of fiber optic cable, 5 GHz wireless bridges, and free space optics as a means to interconnect the campus buildings to the IT wing of the Administration Building. (10 points) Fiber optic cable is more expensive of hardware and installation overall, but it is the fastest connection currently. Wireless bridges provide wireless connection, however if the proper precautions are not put into place there may be additional interference and signal loss. Free space  optics is perfect for smaller networks and cheap 5. What would be required to interconnect the existing campus and the new campus to each other using fiber optic cable laid within the hiking trail right of way? (10 points) Outdoor cables and enclosures such as Central tubes are definitely necessary.The central tube design consists of one Thermoplastic PBT buffer tube encasing individually colores fibers. These fibers are surrounded by gel for moisture resistance. The central buffer tube is also surrounded by water swellable fiberglass yarn for overall water resistance and added strength. 6. Examine the data shown on the DSL Line Utilization Report found in Doc Sharing. This is a typical bandwidth utilization report for ADSL line used to connect each building on the campus to the Internet. Keeping in mind that there are eight of these DSL lines connecting the campus buildings to the Internet will a higher speed connection be needed when these are consolidated into one connection? (10 points) Yes. A higher speed connection will be needed when everything is consolidated. The Utilization report shows bandwidth but doesn’t take into account the 8 lines. 7. If the two locations share an Internet connection will a single connection suffice for both sites? (10 points) It would be feasible but not comfortable or ideal. Ideally you would want one connection per site.

“Good People” Essay

Love is one of the only words in this world that can’t be adequately described in words. Yet it is the strongest human emotion and most powerful force in the universe that conquers all, makes our lives worth living, and chooses our direction. In the two short stories the authors use their style, symbolism and point of views to best portray two different scenarios that both revolve around love. In â€Å"Good People† by David Foster Wallace 19 year old college student impregnates a girl he’d been seeing and is plagued with many uncertainties of life and love and is forced to make a difficult decision in the case of an abortion. In â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love† by Raymond Carver two couples sit around a table and attempt to discuss which knows more about true love while they drink gin. In the end, they both share a common theme; that love is ambiguous. In the stories, the author’s style of writing delivers the tones for which the ch aracters are feeling. Read more: Good people david foster wallace essay Effectively you also share some of the same emotions the characters are facing. In â€Å"Good People† there is a dense and intentionally clumsy style which adds to the story’s depth to portray the uncertainty and anxiousness that Lane is feeling. This style greatly immerses you into the circulating mind of teenaged Lane’s ambivalence of his love, religion, and self. Wallace uses the means of a third person narrator telling the story to capture Lane’s struggle and introverted thoughts. It is when he first told his girlfriend Sheri that he would go to the appointment with her to console her that his guilt starts to eat away at him†¦ â€Å"The worse he felt, the stiller he sat. The whole thing felt balanced on a knife or wire; if he moved to put his arm up or touch her the whole thing could tip over. He hated himself for sitting so frozen.† (Wallace 891). In the other story the authors tone is one of a darker, more mature subject matter with a fee l of â€Å"dirty realism†. Carver uses mainly dialogue to tell the story in a way that feels like an ordinary conversation but at the same time pries deeper into the unpleasant truths of the mundane world. Half way through the story, Mel makes a comment which changes the direction from the casual to the more dense subject matter. â€Å"And the terrible thing, the terrible thing is, but the good thing too, the saving grace, you might say, is that if something happened to one of us tomorrow, I think . . . the other person, would grieve for a while,  you know, but then the surviving party would go out and love again, have someone else soon enough.†(Carver 852) In the first story, Lane is constantly beating himself up and questioning himself of whether or not he’s making the right decision throughout the story at every turn. He even asks â€Å"What would even Jesus do?† (Wallace 893), revealing that this dilemma is one too complex for a mere human to make a proper judgment. The story is almost one long repeated question, where at the end even still the answer isn’t definitively answered. In the second story, Mel stumbles over his words often when discussing â€Å"love† not from the gin but from the complexity of pinpointing the meaning of love. When he tries to come to a coherent conclusion to the meaning of love he instead digresses into a convoluted meditation and becomes angered in trying to wrap his head around it. He too looks towards a higher power for guidance due to a lack of comprehension. Symbolism comes into play within these two stories where the adequacy of words isn’t enough. It gives more depth to the stories without being too blatantly obvious, keeping the reader thinking. In â€Å"Good People† there is symbolism carefully hidden throughout which Lane notices but doesn’t quite seem to entirely pick up on, it is more there for the reader to make an inferred decision at the end. The geography around him and the lake are the symbols which apply to his life and relationship with God, himself, and Sheri. It is when they are both sitting on the picnic table at the park near the lake when after realizing he was unintentionally praying with his hands that he notices the lighting has changed and it resonates with him. â€Å"†¦everything seemed distinctly lit, for the circle of the pin oak’s shade had rotated off all the way, and they sat now in sun with their shadow a two-headed thing in the grass before them† (Wallace 893). Likewise in the second story, symbolism is used for the same reason to enhance the plot, except in a more negative way. When the story begins the bottle of gin is full and the sun is bright and everyone is in a great and giddy mood. As the story progresses, the bottle of gin diminishes along with the brightness of the sun, leaving them at the end with a complex and increasingly dark conversation figuratively and a dark room literally. â€Å"He’s depressed,† Terri said. â€Å"Mel, why don’t you take a pill?† â€Å"Listen,† Mel said. â€Å"Let’s finish this fucking gin. There’s enough left here for one shooter all  around. Then let’s go eat. Let’s go to the new place.† (Carver 853) Mel sees finishing the bottle of gin as a way to finally end the conversation brought up on love and get him out of the frustration that the conversation had provoked within him. In this story the sun set and the gin was all drank yet th ey still hadn’t been able to conclude the true meaning of love from a relationship standpoint. In â€Å"Good People† the symbolism leads me to decide that Lane didn’t go through with the abortion, however in the end the two are still unsure whether or not things will work out for them and if it was the smart choice. The personal point of views of the authors feelings on love are reflected through the mediums of the characters in their stories. For example, in â€Å"Good People† Lane is a kid who is struggling with the challenge of understanding his place in the world and is constantly questioning the unknown. He wants to think of himself as a good person, but his skepticism of his belief in God, the questioning of his morals, and his â€Å"love† for Sheri weighs him down. Similar to the story, David F. Wallace was a writer known for taking the challenge of communicating what it meant to be human through writing whilst battling clinical anxiety and depression. When in deep thought, Wallace’s personal views and struggles with the belief in God are voiced through Lane’s inner thoughts†¦ â€Å"He promised God he had learned his lesson. But what if that, too, was a hollow promise, from a hypocrite who repented only after, who promised submission but really only wante d a reprieve?† (Wallace 894). Likewise in the second story, some of the rougher experiences of Raymond Carver’s life shine through directly in parallel to the story. Carver presents Mel’s heavy drinking in an understanding way, the way that only one who has witnessed the inner workings of alcohol and how it unknowingly deteriorates oneself can. Mel represents Carver in the story, his second wife Terri represents Raymond Carver’s real second wife (Tess Gallagher) who had a first husband herself both in the story and in real life, only in the story his name was Ed and in life was (Larry Edward Gallagher). In the story Terri claims Ed and she loved each other, Mel claims she is wrong, but Terri persists despite the fact he hit her sometimes and was disturbed and shot himself. In real life, Larry was MIA in the Vietnam War as a pilot and must have meant a lot to his wife seeing how  she kept his last name. The bigoted representation of Ed in Carver’s story represents the jealousy he had of his wife’s never ending love of her first husband. Carver’s first wife is also presented abstractly into the story. Carver had two kids with his first wife, (MaryAnn), who he later fought with and disliked. In the story MaryAnn’s name is Marjorie and he voices his dislike for her while still wanting to see his kids. As you can see the author’s lifetime experiences greatly influence their perspectives which is presented and passed down through their works of literature. Both writers struggle to capture the meaning of love in their own sentimental ways, however neither come up with a definitive answer. How true it is today that love really is ambiguous no matter how well we try to capture it in its natural human habitat. No matter how many years go by or how technologically advanced a society we become, the question will always at its roots remain.

Jemima J essays

Jemima J essays Jemima J by Jane Green is a classic story of ugly ducklings and swans for the Internet age. Jemima Jones is an employee at the Kilburn Herald, a small London newspaper. As she eats her way through her disappointments, her model thin, fly-by-night flat mates treat her like a maid. Two people touch Jemima very much in this story, Geraldine, a money-hungry, gorgeous co-worker who uses Jemima's writing abilities to her advantage. Then there is the striking and talented Ben Williams is also a co-worker. However, he also happens to be the love of Jemima's life, unfortunately, he is ignorant to the fact that Jemima has any feelings for him. As the Kilburn Herald goes online, she meets Brad, a wonderful California hunk, in an Internet chat room. After that day, everything changes for Jemima. To Brad, she is known as the slim, hip, spellbinding, glamorous, "JJ". Brad and her talk for some time and come to the conclusion that they should meet, there is only one major problem, Jemima isn't not the JJ that Brad thinks that she is and she much change in order to meet his expectations. Once Jemima is in California there are many people and events that help her to realize that California is not that place for her and that Brad is not the man he led her to believe he was. The theme of Jemima J is: outer beauty isn't worth all of the pain and struggle. Throughout the novel, Jemima struggles with her appearance. Whether it is getting passed over for assignments at work for a less-talented, more attractive Geraldine, getting treating like a maid by her roommates or getting the surprise of her life in California when she finds out just how vain Brad is. As the novel begins Jemima tells the reader a little about herself and her daily routine. This routine includes getting up in the morning only to feel horrible about her looks, going to a caf for breakfast and looking at magazines at the faces and bodies of the stunning mo...

Evidence-Based Practice Project Example

Evidence Evidence Evidence-Based Practice Project al Affiliation Evidence-Based Practice Project It is important to incorporate a theory of model related to change when implementing practice changes because theories offer assumptions or blueprint of the manner in which a change can be implemented. A theory provides a coherent framework to make sense of why the change is required. One should have a clear reason for implementing a change initiative. A theory provides an explanation for this reason and helps provide a framework on how such a change can be implemented. It also allows those managing the change process to articulate the underlying assumptions about change and be able to test and measure such assumptions on change. Theory also helps by providing a strategic map that shows the current situation, determining the starting point of a change, where the change process should be initiated and where to end the change process (Burke, 2013).The benefit of incorporating a change model does not outweigh the time and effort it took to include it. The time, effort and benefit of including a change model are all important because without one of these aspects, a change model becomes useless in a change process. A change theory or model must be well thought out. This means that time and effort must be used to ensure that the change model fits within the change required. This will ensure that the change model can guide the change through to completion and that the change can yield the results for which it was intended. Therefore, this means that the effort, time and the benefit of the change model equally important (Basford & Slevin, 2003).ReferencesBasford, L. & Slevin, O. (2003). Theory and Practice of Nursing: An Integrated Approach to Caring Practice. New York: Nelson ThornesBurke, W. W. (2013). Organization change: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.

Hierakonpolis (Egypt) - Largest Predynastic Community in Egypt

Hierakonpolis (Egypt) - Largest Predynastic Community in Egypt Hierakonpolis (City of the Hawk and known anciently as Nekhen) is a large predynastic and later town site located 113 kilometers (70 miles) north of Aswan on a 1.5 km (.9 mi) stretch of the west bank of the Nile river in Upper Egypt. It is the largest pre- and proto-dynastic Egyptian site discovered to date. Hierakonpolis was first occupied at least as long ago as the Badarian period beginning about 4000 BC. The predynastic part of the site includes cemeteries, domestic areas, industrial zones and a ceremonial center, called prosaically HK29A. The city contained multiple complex settlements, with dwellings, temples, and cemeteries. Most of the Predynastic occupation of the site dates between about 3800 and 2890 BC, during the periods known as the Naqada I-III and the first dynasty of Old Kingdom Egypt. It reached its maximum size and importance during Naqada II (Naqada is sometimes spelled Nagada). Predynastic Chronology Terminal Predynastic (Naqada III or Proto-Dynastic) (ca 3300-3050 BC)Late Predynastic (Naqada II or Gerzean) (ca 3650-3300 BC)Middle Predynastic (Naqada I or Amratian) (ca 3900-3650 BC)Early Predynastic (Badarian) (ca 5000-3900 BC) Buildings at Hierakonpolis Perhaps the most famous building in Hierakonpolis is an elaborate Gerzean period tomb (3500-3200 BC), called the Painted Tomb. This tomb was cut into the ground, lined with adobe mud brick and its walls were then elaborately paintedit represents the earliest example of painted walls known to date in Egypt. On the tomb walls were painted images of Mesopotamian reed boats, attesting to Predynastic contacts with the eastern Mediterranean. The Painted Tomb likely represents the burial place of a proto-pharaoh. The more typical residential structures at Hierakonpolis are partly intact mudbrick-constructed pottery kilns and post/wattle-construction houses. One particular rectangular Amratian house excavated in the 1970s was built of posts with wattle and daub walls. This dwelling was small and semi-subterranean, measuring roughly 4x3.5 m (13x11.5 ft). Ritual Structure HK29A Discovered in the 1985-1989 excavations by Michael Hoffman, HK29A is a complex of rooms surrounding an oval open space, believed to represent a predynastic ceremonial center. This set of structures was renovated at least three times over its uselife during the Naqada II period. The central courtyard measures 45x13 m (148x43 ft) and was surrounded by a fence of substantial wooden posts, which was later augmented or replaced by mud-brick walls. A pillared hall and a tremendous number of animal bone suggests to researchers that feasting took place here; the associated refuse pits include evidence of a flint workshop and nearly 70,000 potsherds. Animals The wild animals found in and around HK29A include moslluscs, fish, reptiles (crocodile and turtle), birds, Dorcas gazelle, hare, small bovids (sheep, ibex and dama gazelle), hartebeest and aurochs, hippotamus, dogs and jackals. Domestic animals include cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, and donkeys. While ceremonial feasting almost certainly did occur within the halls of KH29A, Linseele et al. (2009) argue that the presence of large, dangerous and rare animals suggests a ritual or ceremonial presence as well. Additionally, healed fractures on some of the wild animal bone indicate they were held in captivity for a prolonged period after their capture. Cemetery at Locality 6 The Pre-dynastic cemetery at Locality 6 in Hierakonpolis contains not just Egyptians but a wide variety of animal burials, including wild anubis baboon, elephant, hartebeest, jungle cat (Felis chaus), wild donkey, leopard, crocodile, hippopotamus, auroch and ostrich, as well as domesticated donkey, sheep, goat, cattle, and cat. Many of the animal graves are near to or within larger tombs of the human elite of the early Naqada II period. Some were buried deliberately and carefully in their own graves either singly or groups of the same species. Single or multiple animal graves are found within the cemetery itself, but others are near architectural features of the cemetery, such as enclosure walls and funerary temples. More rarely, they are buried within a human tomb. Some of the other cemeteries at Hierakonpolis were used for burying elite personages between the Amratian through Protodynastic periods, a consistent use of almost 700 years. By about 2050 BC, during Egypts Middle Kingdom, a small community of Nubians (called C-Group culture in the archaeological literature) were residing at Hierakonpolis, and their descendants live there today. A C-Group cemetery at Locality HK27C is the northernmost physical presence of Nubian culture identified in Egypt to date. Excavated in the early 21st century, the cemetery has at least 60 known tombs, including a few mummified individuals, within an area measuring 40x25 m (130x82 ft). The cemetery shows distinctive architectural features of Nubian society: a stone or brick-ring around the burial shaft; the placement of of Egyptian and hand-made Nubian pottery above ground; and remnants of traditional Nubian dress, including jewelry, hairstyles, and fine colored and perforated leather garments. Nubian Cemetery The Nubians were enemies of the Middle Kingdom elite Egyptian power source: one of the puzzles is why they were living in the city of their enemy. Few signs of interpersonal violence are evident on the skeletons. Further, the Nubians were as well fed and healthy as the Egyptians living at Hierakonpolis, in fact both males and females were more physically fit than the Egyptians. Dental data supports this group as being from Nubia, although their material culture, like that of their home country, became Egyptianized over time. The HK27C cemetery was used between the early 11th Dynasty through the early 13th, with the most burials dated to the early 12th Dynasty, C-Group phases Ib-IIa. The cemetery is to the northwest of the rock-cut elite Egyptian burials. Hierakonpolis and Archaeology Hierakonpolis was first excavated in the 1970s and 1980s by the American Museum of Natural History and Vassar College under the direction of Walter Fairservis. An international team led by Renee Friedman has been working at the site, detailed in  Archaeology  magazines  Interactive Dig. The famous  Narmer palette  was found in the foundation of an ancient temple at Hierakonpolis, and is thought to have been a dedicatory offering. A life-sized hollow copper statue of Pepi I, the last ruler of the 6th Dynasty  Old Kingdom, was discovered buried beneath the floor of a chapel (Illustrated in the photo). Sources By all means, see the  Hierakonpolis project site  for detailed information about ongoing studies at the site. This article is part of the guide to the  Egyptian Predynastic period. Friedman R. 2009.  Hierakonpolis Locality HK29A: The Predynastic Ceremonial Center Revisited.  Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt  45:79-103. Friedman R, Judd M, and Irish JD. 2007. The Nubian cemetery at Hierarkonpolis, Egypt. Results of the 2007 Season.  Sudan Nubia: The Sudan Archaeological Research Society  11:57-72. Hoffman MA. 1980.  A Rectangular Amratian House from Hierakonpolis and Its Significance for Predynastic Research.  Journal of Near Eastern Studies  39(2):119-137. Irish JD, and Friedman R. 2010.  Dental affinities of the C-group inhabitants of Hierakonpolis, Egypt: Nubian, Egyptian, or both?  HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology  61(2):81-101. Linseele V, Van Neer W, and Friedman R. 2009.  Special Animals from a Special Place? The Fauna from HK29A at Predynastic Hierakonpolis.  Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt  45:105-136. Marinova E, Ryan P, Van Neer W, and Friedman R. 2013.  Animal dung from arid environments and archaeobotanical methodologies for its analysis: An example from animal burials of the Predynastic elite cemetery HK6 at Hierakonpolis, Egypt.  Environmental Archaeology  18(1):58-71. Van Neer W, Linseele V, Friedman R, and De Cupere B. 2014.  More evidence for cat taming at the Predynastic elite cemetery of Hierakonpolis (Upper Egypt).  Journal of Archaeological Science 45:103-111. Van Neer W, Udrescu M, Linseele V, De Cupere B, and Friedman R. in press.  Traumatism in the Wild Animals Kept and Offered at Predynastic Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt.  International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

Thomas & Ely's Three Paradigm in The State of Diversity Within The Essay

Thomas & Ely's Three Paradigm in The State of Diversity Within The Organization - Essay Example The CEO, Prince (Paine et al., 2008) has been able to turnaround the prospects of the company by ensuring a culture of shared responsibility. He has been not only been able to exploit the tenets of the diverse workforce but it has been aligned to work in tandem with work perspective vis-a-vis its long term and short term goals. The paradigm, connecting diversity to work perspectives broadly refers to the way cultural differences are incorporated within the business strategies to enhance productivity and business outcome. In the current environment of rapid globalization, managing diversity is one of the most critical elements of success. Citigroup has expanded its business across the globe and to maintain a competitive advantage within the industry, managing diversity has become the need of the hour. It, therefore, exploits socio-cultural paradigms of the region to improve its business outcome, both within the US and also in its offshore business. It promotes a better understanding o f cross-cultural understanding to resolve workplace conflicts. At the same time, it takes cognizance of cultural differences and exploits human competency for optimal performance. The other two paradigms: The discrimination and fairness paradigm; and the access and legitimacy paradigm, are not relevant in the case of Citigroup. The first paradigm ensures that diversity is included in the workforce.

DQ 2 & DQ 3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DQ 2 & DQ 3 - Research Paper Example 80). As such, this paper will discuss why it is believed that the process of motivation in this unit can help it to function more effectively. The morale of staff members especially nurses in the unit I worked for at Hospice was generally low. This was mainly as a result of the fact that they were not motivated and this is the reason why staff turnover was quite high in this unit. Essentially, the human factor is the most critical element that can contribute to the effectiveness and success of any operation. Through effective leadership, the employees need to be motivated so that they can put optimum effort in their performance. Basically, motivation is described as â€Å"anything done or efforts made to encourage the behaviour of employees towards better performance in the course of accomplishing the goals of the organization,† (Omowumi &Osamede, 2011, p. B584). Motivation includes incentives, inducements and rewards that are often given to employees in the organization in a bid to boost their morale which in turn enhances productivity. This is an effective strategy of enhancing performance in the department rather than maintaining the status quo. The workers in this particular unit need to be motivated so that they can improve their performance. There are various strategies that can be implemented in order to motivate the workers. For instance, it is imperative to improve the working environment so that the employees can enjoy working in this particular unit. This can be done through creating and implementing a work culture that is inclusive and accommodative to different views of the employees working in the unit. This will help to create a sense of belonging to the unit among the workers since they would be treated as valuable assets. The other strategy that can motivate the workers is related to their involvement in the decision making process since this helps them to feel that they are

Network Scanning Packages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Network Scanning Packages - Essay Example This is because they normally make use of command lines such as the ones found in Command Prompt of the Windows Operating System. Such cannot be said to be easy to operate following the complexity of commands required to run it. However, a graphical user interface in OpenVas does just the opposite by having the commands automated, and all that the user has to keep in mind is how to run the scanner and not the commands that launch different scans. In addition, OpenVas includes a central server, which allows users to run a wide range of network vulnerability tests that are not found on other programs. The included server runs network vulnerability tests (NVT) that are written in Nessus Attack Scripting Language (NASL) (Naraine, 2008). The above is an active attack mode that attempt to penetrate actively networks to find potential loopholes and vulnerabilities. In addition, OpenVas frequently updates the NASL for improved efficiency in finding vulnerabilities that come up from time to t ime. Still on the graphical user interface, the simplicity in navigating through the different features allows the user to manage vulnerability scan sessions. In its cost, there have been recent changes in the previously free to use application. This is due to the commercial approach adopted more recently with the release of OpenVas 3.0 in the year 2005 by charging NVT upgrades and application of restrictions in the free package (Kereki, 2008). For this reason, OpenVas is no longer free needing financial input for acquisition, which is not the case for Nexpose. On the other hand, Nexpose charges a significant amount for those that require a fully functional network scanner. This is, unlike the OpenVas that only has its earlier less functional versions provided on a free license. In the case of Nexpose, it can be acquired for no cost, but with reduced functionality concerning its power in scanning for enhanced and advanced vulnerabilities (Skyler, 2010). Despite OpenVas being a

Managment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managment - Case Study Example These new values were identified by him as they were in keeping with the current competitive and changing environment to which airlines around the world were being forced to adapt if they wished to survive. This case clearly shows that even if you have the potential and capital, if work is not organized properly, the company cannot survive. This is what this company did. Motivation and redesigning work organization structure are keys to success here. Using James Hoogan as an example of effective leadership, this essay will argue that effective leadership is a combination of strategic and operational leadership values rather than a one dimensional energizing or motivational leadership. Leadership that combines the strategic and the operational is the key requirement to turning around an organisation that is in danger of going under, because there is a lot more at stake in such a company than just a workforce that is not motivated or skilled enough. There are faulty strategies that need to be identified and isolated and changed operational values that need to be put in place to fit the strategy outlined. There is no room for experimentation as in many cases the situation is a do or die one. These situations require leaders who can do a lot more than just motivating and training the workforce with new skills. Very often motivation falls in place once the workforce sees new procedures in place and becomes convinced of the changed st rategies. Research indicates that the leadership model suggested by Kenneth Blanchard is the best for effective leadership. With competition getting stronger, leadership is the key to the success or failure of any company as the many mergers, takeovers, chapter 11s, lay offs and the few hard won success stories of the corporate world will bear out. Those companies that have the right leader in the right place at the right time manage to scrape through after resorting to stringent measures and in almost all cases after bringing in a complete change in strategy and work culture, almost a revolution. Many companies even move on to be highly successful and competitive, because their changed business strategy makes them adaptable to a changed business environment. The right leadership is crucial to ensure that this transition from a floundering business to a successful one happens smoothly and successfully. The Gulf Air story is one of a successful transition which happened only because the management of the airline was pragmatic enough to appoint James Hoogan as CEO the right time; the right man at the right time. Three years after he took over the story was a completely different one, he gave Gulf Air a completely new face, quite literally because they even sported a new uniform. In considering the role of leadership in the management of a company, this paper will compare the much acclaimed Jack Welch model with the model given by the Kenneth Blanchard Company, a model that is more acceptable today. The most successful and known model of leadership n corporate literature was given by Jack Welch which he developed with the intention of revolutionizing GE and turning it into the most competitive company in America. He himself led GE for over 20 years and during that tenure he succeeded in transforming it completely. The model of leadership given by him defines a leader as one who possesses the 4 qualities

Thanksgiving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thanksgiving - Essay Example Sarah’s husband had died from pneumonia leaving her to take care of the children, the youngest of whom was yet to be born. In spite of the challenging task of bringing up her five children as a widow, she was passionate about campaigning for women. Among others, she fought for secure work environments for women, women and girls’ educational opportunities, and women’s opportunities of becoming teachers and doctors. Generally, Sarah used pen and paper in achieving her goals. Among her most famous literary work included Mary Had a Little Lamb sung by many America children to date. She also wrote poetry as well as a novel during her free time. Additionally, she published many famous authors such as Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe and Harriet Beecher Stowe2. Sarah embarked on a one-woman campaign of having Thanksgiving commemorated as a national holiday as early as 1827. She did this using her books as well as the magazines that she editedi. In t he year1847, she earnestly began promoting Thanksgiving Day, imploring presidentsii as well as all territories and states’ governors to set up the last Thursday of November as a common Thanksgiving Day. Many presidents to whom she wrote did not agree with her plea and beginning June or July of every year, Sarah would publicize the progress regarding her national acceptance goal in her editorials.

Managment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managment - Case Study Example These new values were identified by him as they were in keeping with the current competitive and changing environment to which airlines around the world were being forced to adapt if they wished to survive. This case clearly shows that even if you have the potential and capital, if work is not organized properly, the company cannot survive. This is what this company did. Motivation and redesigning work organization structure are keys to success here. Using James Hoogan as an example of effective leadership, this essay will argue that effective leadership is a combination of strategic and operational leadership values rather than a one dimensional energizing or motivational leadership. Leadership that combines the strategic and the operational is the key requirement to turning around an organisation that is in danger of going under, because there is a lot more at stake in such a company than just a workforce that is not motivated or skilled enough. There are faulty strategies that need to be identified and isolated and changed operational values that need to be put in place to fit the strategy outlined. There is no room for experimentation as in many cases the situation is a do or die one. These situations require leaders who can do a lot more than just motivating and training the workforce with new skills. Very often motivation falls in place once the workforce sees new procedures in place and becomes convinced of the changed st rategies. Research indicates that the leadership model suggested by Kenneth Blanchard is the best for effective leadership. With competition getting stronger, leadership is the key to the success or failure of any company as the many mergers, takeovers, chapter 11s, lay offs and the few hard won success stories of the corporate world will bear out. Those companies that have the right leader in the right place at the right time manage to scrape through after resorting to stringent measures and in almost all cases after bringing in a complete change in strategy and work culture, almost a revolution. Many companies even move on to be highly successful and competitive, because their changed business strategy makes them adaptable to a changed business environment. The right leadership is crucial to ensure that this transition from a floundering business to a successful one happens smoothly and successfully. The Gulf Air story is one of a successful transition which happened only because the management of the airline was pragmatic enough to appoint James Hoogan as CEO the right time; the right man at the right time. Three years after he took over the story was a completely different one, he gave Gulf Air a completely new face, quite literally because they even sported a new uniform. In considering the role of leadership in the management of a company, this paper will compare the much acclaimed Jack Welch model with the model given by the Kenneth Blanchard Company, a model that is more acceptable today. The most successful and known model of leadership n corporate literature was given by Jack Welch which he developed with the intention of revolutionizing GE and turning it into the most competitive company in America. He himself led GE for over 20 years and during that tenure he succeeded in transforming it completely. The model of leadership given by him defines a leader as one who possesses the 4 qualities

Lesson on Crime Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lesson on Crime - Assignment Example Expected Proceedings of the Class: When the class begins, the students will probably be stiff and very wary of the teacher. They will be reluctant to open up and communicate. There will be some students who will try and open up and enhance communication. The teacher will initially react to the exuberant students and then gradually ask leading questions to gradually do away with the inhibitions of the class. It is the teacher's responsibility to ask leading questions to the non responsive students so that all round class participation is assured. The warmer should comprise general interaction with the students. Once the attention of the class is ensured the teacher can then proceed with the next part of the lesson where it is introduced and the students are asked to mention the one major hazards in the Universities of the USA. This will hopefully elicit the word crime or shooting or terrorist activity. This dialogue should increase confidence of students. Of course there will further comments like tutorials or rampant sex or night life or many other words which have no link with the topic. The Teacher has to steer the response of the students to relevant discussion. The Teacher hones down on the word crime and pronounces it deliberately and writes it on the board. T then asks SS to give words which sound like Crime If above activity doesn't elicit any target class T asks class 'Why don't you take each alphabet and try and form a word that sounds like Crime T-SS, SS-T S-T T-S S-T T-SS SS-T To expose SS to Lexical items. This will hopefully elicit the word crime or shooting or terrorist activity. This dialogue should increase confidence of SS. To allow the word CRIME to play on the minds of the class To elicit words like dime, mime, rhyme, lime, grime etc. from other members of the class. Hopefully this will give the above words PRE-TEACH VOCABULARY 5 T shows appendix A - Flash Cards Tells them that all words may not spell similar but they sound similar T-SS To ensure that SS is introduced to every word used PRESENTATION 10 mins T writes sentences on board, using each of the words (See Appendix B) Brief chorus of material from board, T corrects if necessary. Individual drilling of similar examples, varying subject of sentences T-SS SS-T To provide the meaning of each of the words To check pronunciation and to provide the opportunity for group members to practice the phrases together to gain confidence. Gauges SS level of appreciation of the usage of the different words CONTROLLED PRACTICE 10mins T divides SS into pairs and instructs them to complete matching activity in appendix C T monitors SS feedback to T with answers, T corrects any serious problems and answers any queries T-SS, SS SS-T Consolidates knowledge of form and function within a less demanding exercise. To check understanding of instructions. To ensure that exercise is being carried out correctly and that no-one is confused at this early stage. To ensure that any problems are corrected. GUIDED PRACTICE 10 MINS T plays the tape Appendix D and asks SS to repeat after every word together in a chorus and then individually at random T corrects each student as and when necessary T-SS SS-T - SS To reinforce knowledge, to give SS the opportunity to practice phonetics in an exercise that becomes gradually more difficult to provide a verbal record of structure and to allow SS to work without fear of

Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits Essay Example for Free

Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits Essay As you may know there are two types of pension plans that are most commonly used: a defined contribution plan and a defined benefit plan. â€Å"A defined contribution plan sets forth a certain amount that the employer is to contribute to the plan each period (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). â€Å"A defined benefit plan specifies the amount of pension benefits to be paid out to plan recipients in the future. Companies that use this plan must make sufficient contributions to the funding agency in order to meet benefit requirements when they come due† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The defined contribution plan makes no promises on what the ultimate benefits are to be paid. â€Å"The benefits received by the recipients are determined by the return earned on the invested pension funds during the investment period† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). When you account for this plan the risk for future benefit is the employee and the employer’s only cash outflow is the annual contribution to the pension plan fund. â€Å"The pension expense is equal to the amount of promised annual contribution†(Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The financial statements should disclose the plan, what groups are covered, the basis for determining contributions, and any significant matters affecting comparability from period to period (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). Accounting for the defined benefit plan is more complex. â€Å"The pension benefits to be received in the future are affected by uncertain variables such as turnover, mortality, length of employee service, compensation levels, and earnings on the pension fund assets† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The risks lie with the employers because they must make large enough contributions to meet what was promised and the amount of pension expense may not be equal to the cash contributed to the plan (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). Employers are also required to disclose the following information if they chose to use the defined benefit plan: â€Å"1. A description of the plan, including employee groups covered, type of benefit formula, funding policy, types of assets held, significant matters affecting comparability or information for all periods presented, 2. The amount of net periodic pension cost for the period showing separately the service cost component, the interest cost component, the actual return on assets for the period, and the net total of other components, 3.  A schedule reconciling the funded status of the plan with amounts reported in the employer’s statement of financial position† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). APB Opinion No. 8 states that there are some basic problems with the accounting for the defined benefit pension plan. The problems identified are: â€Å"1. Measuring the total amount of cost associated with a pension plan, 2. Allocating the total pension costs to the proper accounting periods, 3. Providing the cash to fund the pension plan, and 4.  Disclosing the significant aspects of the pension plan on the financial statements† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). SFAS No. 87 â€Å"Employers’ Accounting for Pensions† maintains that pension information should be prepared on the accrual basis and retained three fundamental aspects of past pension accounting: 1. delaying recognition of certain events, 2. Reporting net cost, and 3. offsetting assets and liabilities† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). The components of pension costs reflect different aspects of the benefits earned by employees and the method of financing those benefits by the employer. The following are required to be included in the net pension cost recognized by the employer sponsoring a defined benefits pension plan: 1. Service cost, 2. Interest cost, 3. Return on plan assets, 4. Amortization of unrecognized prior service cost, 5. Amortization of gains and losses, 6. Amortization of the unrecognized net obligation or unrecognized net asset at the date of the initial application of SFAS No. 7† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). There are other postretirement benefits that are addressed in SFAS No. 106 â€Å"Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions. † SFAS No. 106 deals with other postretirement benefits other than pensions which includes a variety: tuition assistance, day care, legal services, and housing subsidies, the most significant are retiree health care services, and life insurance. Although on the surface OPRBs are similar to defined benefit pension plans that have characteristics that necessitate different accounting considerations and that have been the source of considerable controversy: future cash outlays for OPRBs depend on the amount of serves that the employees will eventually receive, additional OPRBs cannot be accumulated by employees OPRB with each year of service, OPRBs do not vest† (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits, 2011). As noted the two most frequent pension plans are the defined contribution plan and the defined benefit plan. However, APB Opinion No. 8 has identified that there are some basic problems with the accounting for the defined benefit pension plan. There are also other postretirement benefits that include retiree healthcare benefits and life insurance.

Analysis of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

Analysis of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) The Geography of European Integration: Economy, Society and Institutions Kourdoumpalou Panagiota Which of the following two sentences is more likely to be correct in your opinion? Present at least two arguments to support your opinion. The establishment of a common monetary union in the EU was a successful step towards deeper European integration. The idea of a common monetary union in EU didn’t take under consideration all the economic aspects resulting in its failure a few years later. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) represents a major step in the integration of EU economies. It involves the coordination of economic and fiscal policies, a common monetary policy, and a common currency, the euro. The 28 EU Member States take part in the economic union, but some countries have taken integration further and adopted the euro. The decision to form an Economic and Monetary Union was taken by the European Council in Maastricht in December 1991, and was later enshrined in the Treaty on European Union. The Economic and Monetary Union helps the EU in its process of economic integration. Economic integration brings the benefits of greater size, internal efficiency and robustness to the EU economy as a whole and to the economies of the individual Member States. This offers opportunities for economic stability, higher growth and more employment. On January, 1999, 11 of the 115 European Union (EU) countries formed the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), adopting the euro as their common currency. Since then, in the Eurozone, the European Central Bank carries out a common monetary policy and, to a high degree, bond markets are fully integrated ( European Commission). The creation of the Eurozone was preceded by a gradual regulatory harmonization among European stock markets and the ending of various restrictions on nonresidents, and also by an effort among EU countries to satisfy the Maastricht criteria for joining the Eurozone. The effort to satisfy the Maastricht criteria also led to betterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ balanced fiscal budgets, which may have led to a â€Å"real convergence† of European economies, that is, an increased synchronization in business cycles across the European economies (Julian Alworth, Giampaolo Arachi, 2008). The introduction of the euro had many advantages. It improved transparency, it standardized the pricing in financial markets, and reduced investors transaction and information costs. Finally, the introduction of a single currency eliminated the currency risk within the EU and reduced the overall exchange rate exposure of European stocks. This factor, together with the nominal and real convergence, should have led to more homogeneous valuations of equities in EMU countries (Gikas A. Hardouvelis, Dimitrios Malliaropulosa, Richard Priestleyd, 2007). One way to evaluate if European stock markets became more integrated during the 1990s is to examine the evolution of the relative influence of EU. When stock markets are partially integrated, both global and local risk factors are priced. There is a possibility of estimating a conditional asset pricing model with a timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ varying degree of integration, which measures the importance of EU, wide market and currency risks which are relative to countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ specific risk (Gikas A. Hardouvelis, Dimitrios Malliaropulosa, Richard Priestleyd, 2007). Each Eurozone country has its own timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ varying degree of stock market integration. The degree of integration is bounded between zero and unity and conditioned on a broad set of monetary, currency, and business cycle variables. These variables estimate the gradual nominal and real convergence of the European economies during the preà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ monetary union period. Among the included variables, the most prominent one is each countrys forward interest rate differential with Germany which was widely used by market analysts as an indicator of the probability that an EU country would eventually manage to join the Eurozone. In the second half of the 1990s, the degree of integration gradually increased to the point where individual Eurozone country stock markets appear to be fully integrated into the EU market. There have been two main factors that driven the increase in the level of integration: the evolution of the probability of joining the single currency and the evolu tion of inflation differentials (Gikas A. Hardouvelis, Dimitrios Malliaropulosa, Richard Priestleyd, 2007). Moreover, economic integration resulted in businessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cycle convergence. Crossà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ country return correlations and business cycles are related. Monetary and fiscal policy coordination may have led to increased synchronization of business cycles among EMU member countries, which could have led to increased correlation of expected corporate earnings and more homogeneous estimates of European equities (Gikas A. Hardouvelis, Dimitrios Malliaropulosa, Richard Priestleyd, 2007). In the 1990s there is a process of increased integration of European stock markets to the prospects of the formation of EMU and the adoption of the euro as the single currency. During the 1990s, the degree of integration of each countrys stock market with the EU market was negatively related to both its forward interest rate differential with Germany and its inflation differential with the best three performing countries. Also, the inflation differential was a major indicator of whether a country with a high inflation had the ability to achieve nominal convergence and satisfy a major criterion for admittance into the Eurozone. The process of integration was not easy, but in the second half of the 1990s, stock markets converged toward full integration. In other words, their expected returns became increasingly determined by EUà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ wide market risk and less by local risk (Gikas A. Hardouvelis, Dimitrios Malliaropulosa, Richard Priestleyd, 2007) Concluding, supporting evidence on the hypothesis that the prospect of EMU was the cause behind the observed increase in stock market integration among Eurozone countries comes from two main sources. First, when we observe the experience in the United Kingdom, an EU country that chose not to join the Eurozone, is clearly different than the rest of the European stock markets. The UK market showed no signs of increased integration with the EU stock market. Second, the integration in Europe appears to be a Eurozoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ specific phenomenon, which does not rely on possible simultaneous worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ market integration. So, now it can be said that the establishment of a common monetary union in the EU was a successful step towards the European integration. It is obvious that the process of integration was not easy, but there was a convergence of the stock markets towards full integration. In other words, their expected returns became increasingly determined by EUà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  wide market risk and less by local risk. References European Commission, Economic and Monetary Union. [online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/emu/index_en.htm Gikas A. Hardouvelis, Dimitrios Malliaropulosa, Richard Priestleyd, (2007). The impact of EMU on the equity cost of capital. Journal of International Money and Finance Julian Alworth, Giampaolo Arachi, (2008). Taxation policy in EMU, Economic Papers 310 1

The Price of Revenge in Sleepers and Valentine :: Sleepers Valentine

The Price of Revenge in Sleepers and Valentine Many people advocate the philosophy of "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," but few of them realize that to take revenge is often to sacrifice oneself and that the very purpose of law is to put an end to revenge. People are willing to sacrifice their freedom, their careers, and even their lives for revenge. Lorenzo Carcaterra's novel Sleepers, and Tom Savage's novel, Valentine, evidently express this. Although its true that it might take couple of years for criminals to get what they deserve, most of the time the law gets the job done. In addition, some may argue that the law doesn't always ensure justice. This is also true, but it’s still not worth to sacrifice oneself. We should let the law do its job. People may sacrifice their freedom for revenge. In Sleepers, John Reilly and Tommy Marcano could not forget the humiliation they suffered at the Wilkinson Home for Boys. One day, they saw Sean Nokes, one of the guards who never planned on a reunion with the two boys, sitting in a bar. They recognized him at first glance and didn't want to give up this valuable chance for Nokes to pay for what he did to them. Both of them pulled out their guns and shot Nokes to death in cold blood. The shots that took away their enemy's life soon took away their own freedom. They were both arrested and put into jail. People may sacrifice their careers for revenge as well. Michael Sullivan, after being released from the Wilkinson Home, had never again had a problem with the law. Moreover, he graduated with honors from high school and eventually became a New York City assistant district attorney. But his career was destined to be destroyed when he decided to go after the other guards. "It's payback time", Michael said," John and Tommy started it, I can finish it" (Carcaterra p.271). As the prosecuting attorney, he set the witness (one of the guards) up and purposely lost the case. Although his revenge plan succeeded, his reputation as a lawyer was ruined. He never practiced law again and became a carpenter. It's a tragedy that this law school student doesn't believe in law. People may even sacrifice their lives for revenge. In Valentine, Victor Dimorta is an abused boy.

Education in Kazakhstan Essay

1.Before going to school, children attend kindergartens until they are six or seven. 2.Compulsory education begins in our country at the age of seven, when children go to primary school. 3.The secondary stage begins from the 5th form when children start studying a lot of new subjects, such as Literature, History, Natural Sci ¬ences and others. 4.Examinations are taken at the end of the 9-th and the 11-th forms. 5.Some children may leave school after the 9-th form and continue their education at vocational or technical schools or colleges. 6.Besides secondary schools there are other types of schools in Ka ¬zakhstan. There are specialized secondary schools with intensive study of a certain subject, for example Foreign Languages, Literature, Physics and others. 7.There are also specialized art, music, ballet and sport schools for gifted children and special schools for handicapped children. 8.Secondary education in our country is free of charge. Among secondary schools there are gymnasiums, colleges and lyceums most of them are private. 9.There are institutes, schools of higher education, universities and academies among higher educational institutions. 10.In 1992 Kazakhstan system of higher education adopted the western model – a 4 years course of studies with getting the Bachelor degree after graduation and a 2 years course of study with getting the Master’s degree after graduation. 11.In order to enter a higher educational institution young people have to take an entrance examination. Only those who successfully pass entrance testing are admitted free of charge. In other cases education is given on the commercial basis.

Model analysis of Perfume Extract Terrier and Baby Grenouille Essay

Paragraphs Synopsis: this extract reveals both the character of Terrier and reveals his response to Grenouille as a baby. Through omniscient narration, we share his feelings and physical responses to the child in his arms. His early rapture quickly turns to revulsion and this analysis will examine the ways that Suskind constructed his characters and our response. 1. The first description of the babe, small†¦red†¦twitched sweetly Our first response to the baby is almost protective, he is described as sweet and small and we can visualize a tiny innocent baby held in the arms of a protector, a man of God, a kind man with strong values. He is â€Å"a normal citizen†¦.who had taken a †¦warm and fragrant wife† This insistence upon smell links us to our emotional response throughout the extract. The act of smelling and the use of our senses conveys his response to the baby and the romantic idyllic life he was fantasizing about. 2. Terrier indulges in a fantasy, changing his role from that of a monk to a normal man, a father and protector Terrier’s character is constructed by what he is thinking and how he responds to the baby. Through the use of third person omniscient point of view, we see his rapturous response to this lost child, this sweet babe, who is so dependent on his protection. For a moment he is swept up into a fantasy of a real life, which in turn reveals to us his inner torment, torn between a demanding God and church rules and the normality and warmth of family life â€Å"Terrier felt his heart glow with sentimental cosiness†. 3. The use of language positions us in the present, as the action takes place. Through the use of baby talk we respond to his actions † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†¦.The thought of it made him feel good.† Terrier’s clumsy yet sincere attempts to cuddle the child are revealed through language † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†¦.The thought of it made him feel good.† We feel for him and his lost chances. At the same time, this glowing description of his feelings is in stark contrast to the end of the extract. It sets us up to expect a loving, positive outcome. The shock of his final response makes us resist the appeal of the so called sweet babe at the end. 4. â€Å"Then the child awoke.† The babe is now called a child. It has lost its innocent appeal, its dependence and cuteness is replaced by a growing sense of unease. It is described in animalistic terms, â€Å"Its nose awoke first†¦It sucked air in and snorted it back out† | Our warm response to Terrier and the child changes slowly yet drastically from this point on. The babe is renamed the child and through language it is transformed into an inquisitive demanding animal like creature†Its nose awoke first†¦It sucked air in and snorted it back out†. The child is no longer a beautiful desirable babe, it is now ugly † the child’s dull eyes squinted into the void, the nose seemed to fix on a particular target,† This makes Terrier feel like he is the intended target and begins to foreshadow his growing discomfort and disillusionment. 5. The description of the child is gross: â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film† Instead of being sweet and red the child is now described as having â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film†. The reader is revolted by the physical description. We can perceive a picture of an ugly, blinded mole like child, who squints, sniffs and targets Terrier. The reader can share in his appalled response as the child awakens and behaves in a rodent like manner. Thereby destroying his fantasy and making his protection unnecessary and indeed threatening his spiritual and psychological well being. 6. The use of language is fairly modern yet set in an 18th C setting. Suskind uses modern expressions and language to create the character of Grenouille. An example of this is † poohpoohpoohpeedooh†, and the almost scientific description of : â€Å"The eyes†¦oyster grey and creamy opal white covered with a †¦.slimy film† which create an immediacy and a sensory perception of the child. 7. â€Å"The nose seemed to fix on a particular target†¦he himself†¦was that target.† Terrier’s growing sense of unease foreshadows his rejection of the child as he thinks, â€Å"The nose seemed to fix on a particular target†¦he himself†¦was that target.† This ominous description of Terrier’s growing panic makes us feel extremely uncomfortable. He appears to be an ignorant man, we are modern readers, yet Suskind has managed through the use of sensory images to make us feel uncomfortable and to empathise with Terrier. 8. Irony as tiny is juxtaposed with fear The description of the child’s nose, waking, seeking, targeting is both similar to the unfolding of a carnivorous flower and a predator. Ironically, the juxtaposition of the use of ‘Tiny† with fear adds to our growing sense of horror and revulsion. † Tiny wings of flesh†¦tiny holes in the child’s face†¦create an eerie suction†¦the child saw him with its nostrils† this use of description as the child wakes up, coupled with Terrier’s imaginative response positions the reader to understand his response and to share his opinion of the seemingly innocent child/monster in his arms. 9. Metaphor carnivore and death As the child’s face is compared metaphorically with a carnivorous plant similar to a Venus fly trap, we see how Suskind has objectified Grenouille. He is an it, not a person, an anonymous being, semi human, semi animal. A predator who is seeking to cling to Terrier like an incubus, to devour him. His panic stricken response is a natural response to danger. Through punctuation we can see his fear â€Å"smelling at him shamelessly, that was it!† the use of exclamation marks emphasizes his fear and anger. His changing tone foreshadows his rejection. Through the use of language Terrier creates an image of the child as the ‘Other’ an alien, threatening to his dogmatic view of normality and romance view of the role that children should play in the world. 10. metaphor death Terrier becomes convinced that the child is going to kill him, â€Å"Using its nose to devour something whole†¦It was establishing his scent!† At this stage, I felt that Terrier was exaggerating, yet the repetition of his imaginative response grew on me and I felt a sense of revulsion towards this child also. Grenouille appears to be hunting the man who out of the goodness of his heart saved him. From this moment, our response to him becomes negative, wary, revolted by his physical description regardless of the illogic of it all. 12 Like a rape Terrier’s response becomes similar to that of a rape, an intensive personal invasion which cannot be avoided, â€Å"His most tender emotions, his filthiest thoughts lay exposed†. He can no longer accept that this is an innocent child. He feels invaded, tainted by corruption and victimized, all by this child. 13. Structure Terrier no longer felt safe, ‘ Gone was the homey thought that this be his own flesh and blood†¦idyll of father and son and fragrant mother†. He regarded the babe/child/it as a creature a non human being A threat to his spiritual and physical wellbeing â€Å"A strange, cold creature lay there on his knees, a hostile animal†¦ he would have hurled it like a spider from him.† Terriers final rejection of Grenouille was significant on many levels. This may have been the only chance of a normal upbringing or real affection lost. It creates a Gothic like fear of the unknown, the rejection of people who do not fit in or conform. There is a gap between the values of the church dogma and the rights of the individual as this child is not a person, it becomes a monster in the eyes of the monk. The reader is encouraged to support Terrier’s decision to reject the child, yet with the advantage of a modern upbringing, it seems inhuman to totally abandon an innocent child regardless of how strange they look or behave. At this stage the beginning is juxtaposed with the ending. The idyllic father/son image is destroyed and a spider/rodent like child has emerged from the cocoon of our literary expectations. Conclusion Suskind’s text introduces both characters, themes and conflicts. We see the emergence and transformation of Grenouille’s character, like a butterfly he is transformed from a baby to a spider. Our response changes from empathy to horror. His eventual fate is set by this earlier abandonment on so many levels.