Natural disasters are often not natural Essay

Natural disasters are often not natural disasters, but are in fact human disasters. Discuss this statement in relation to seismic events. The word ‘natural’ indicates that humans have not caused the disaster. However, human activity can certainly interfere with nature, which in turn may either cause a natural disaster or make its effects much worse. Earthquakes can affect people in many different ways in countries all over the world. They are a product of intense seismic activity where plates are interacting, at a destructive of transform faults, particularly leading to a build up of tension below the Earths surface. When this tension is released the buildings, bridges, pipes etc which lie in the line of the seismic waves can often not withstand the force and strain of the earthquakes and can potentially harm people. However is it the people’s fault that the earthquake occurred in the first place? Earthquakes induced by human activity have been documented in a few locations in the YSA, Japan and Canada. The cause was injection of fluids into deep wells for waste disposal and secondary recovery of oil, and the use of reservoirs for water supplies. Most of these earthquakes however were minor. The largest and most widely known resulted from fluid injection at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado. For decades scientists have been researching induced seismicity, or how human activity can cause earthquakes. Such a link gained attention in the early 1960s when hundreds of quakes were recorded in Colorado after the Army began injecting fluid into a disposal well. There are many ways human activity can trigger earthquakes. In the 1930s for example, the construction of Hoover Dam in Arizona unleashed a burst of seismic activity in the vicinity that reached a magnitude of 5 on the Richter scale. Geothermal- energy projects have been known to make the ground shake. This process involves pumping pressurised water a mile into the Earth, then sucking up the heated liquid to make steam and drive turbines to generate electricity. A dam cannot cause an earthquake by itself. The risk factors, specifically unstable fault lines, have to be there already. With the right conditions in place, though, a dam can trigger the event earlier than would have happened naturally, and perhaps even increase its magnitude. ‘Human engineering has been triggering earthquakes for more than half a century’ says Leonardo Seeber, professor at Lamont-  Doherty Earth Observatory, and manmade quakes may be more common than acknowledged. However Dr. Seeber says that ‘distinguishing natural from triggered earthquakes is generally difficult’ he said ‘Agents triggering the earthquake often refuse to admit responsibility and make it difficult to obtain the data that could prove it’. Even a smell stress increase can cause a fault to fail, Dr Seeber said: humans tend to do it in two ways. One is by changing the load on the crust, typically with artificial lakes, which increase the load, and with quarries and oil fields, which decrease the load. The other ways is increasing the pressure of the interstitial fluid. This isn’t to say that all earthquakes are caused by humans. They are typically natural occurrences. They’re most often caused by the shifting of plates of rock under the surface od the earth. These plates move along fault lines, which are places where the otherwise solid rock of Earth’s crust has cracked. When the plates slide against each other, or away from each other, the Earth vibrates violently. Less often, earthquakes are caused by natural occurrences like volcanic eruptions. But vibrations felt at the surface of the Earth can also result from Earth-shaking, manmade events like underground bomb testing and mine collapses. In conclusion, my view is for the most part, the accumulating stress that creates the stress build up until it’s great enough to overcome that friction, at which point seismic energy is released violently as the blocks catch up on decade’s worth of motion in just a few seconds is much too large for human activities to make a difference. We can, however, affect the friction that locks up the fault. Hydraulic fracturing, where fluids are pumped into the ground at extremely high pressures to crack rocks that release natural gas and oil, has been shown to do just that in certain situations. Increasing the fluid pressure inside the fault partially de-stabilises the friction-lock, lowering the stress threshold necessary to trigger an earthquake just enough for one to occur. Despite the obvious negative effects that humans have on prematurely causing an earthquake, the natural factors of the earthquake are fundamentally the reason they occur because without these then the earthquake wouldn’t happen. Human impacts speed up and may make the earthquake worse however they are in fact natural disasters with human elements thrown into the equation.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Sports Development in Malaysia and How It Boosts the Country’s Tourism Industry

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Sports Development in Malaysia and How It Boosts the Country’s Tourism Industry. Events Tourism is essentially an event that is staged by the destination to appeal and benefit from visitors, domestic and international. The event is the visitor’s primary purpose or motive for visiting, with the destination receiving either positive or negative impacts as a consequence of hosting it (McCartney, 2011). There are no doubt many events in Malaysia that enhance the interest of visitors are mostly done using sports. Hence, there are certain positive impacts of sports development in Malaysia. Despite the many positive impacts there is as a form of tourist attraction, it is disappointing that sports development in Malaysia has not been given much attention to as there are those who say many negatives impacts that may arise. Sport events generates diverse and heterogeneous flows of travelers that may include fans, athletes, coaches, media, team personnel, parents and family members (Gratton, Shibli & Coleman, 2004). The fact that sports events in Malaysia attract tourists is well established. Prominent examples are the Formula One Grand Prix, South East Asian Games, Thomas Cup Badminton Finals and the Commonwealth Games. Malaysia has never hosted the Olympic Games but will someday embrace the day when they do. The founder of the Olympic Games was none other than Pierre de Coubertin. He cited that, â€Å"competition produces harmony between competitors and the organizations or nations they represent’’. It was his believe that sport brings people and nation together. First of all, tourists travel away from home just to search for satisfying leisure activities. Not many might be interested in sports but rather somehow tourists are diverse and may participate in recreational sports event such as mountain climbing or white water rafting. These activities are also sports and they should be developed further despite being a recreational sport. For example, mountain climbing and white water rafting are 2 very famous sports in Australia and if tourists from Australia would come down to our country and wanting to do these activities, they would be disappointed. Although Malaysia has those 2 activities here and there but they are not taken very seriously. Thus, changing the diversity of the tourists where they would be forced to participate in sports that are more familiar in our country. Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and that has actually made a huge impact on the country’s tourism industry. How so? This is because there were participations from all the countries around the world to all compete in the Commonwealth Games. In that process, these foreign athletes are indirectly tourists as well. They are brought into our country to try our food, enjoy the weather, and experience the diversity of culture, also at the same time participating in the games. During their stay in our country, they will get to realize how beautiful our country is. In the long run, when the athletes are done with the games, they tend to tell the others from their countries what Malaysia is all about. The power of word of mouth will eventually start attracting more and more tourists to come in and visit. Hence the country’s tourism industry will be boosted and all it takes is by hosting a prominent event such as the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Malaysian’s sports developers can continue having international tournament for every possible sporting event there is to continue influencing foreign athletes and thus increasing the amount of tourists to come. However, Malaysian tourism industry must also meet the requirements of the tourists that will plan to visit. Much similar to the previous point, Malaysian sports developers can send local athletes out to foreign countries to also influence and spreading the wonders of our country. Thus, also another way of increasing the amount of tourists that hopefully will visit Malaysia. There is also a downside of sports development in Malaysia. Everybody knows that if the sports developers would to invest their funds wrongly, many things can go wrong. First of all, this would give a bad impression of our sport development among the foreign countries and would result in the decrease in the amount of tourists wanting to visit Malaysia. Next, foreign athletes or coaches will not be interested to come in as well. Even if a large sum of money would be involved, these foreign athletes are better of knowing that staying in a country where the sport development is depriving will just be a waste of their time. However, if the sports developers would want to invest their funds on a certain sport, they would have to try to enhance the athletes to get good performances and directly sending a message to other countries telling them how dominant we are in sports. If those foreign athletes knew how dominant we are in sports, most of them would want to come over to our country to train. Again that would be a golden opportunity for more tourists to come in. Foreign athletes that come over to train usually stay for months. So, they will be familiar with the culture of our country and also spread it among themselves when they get back to their country. Hence, they would want to know more about our country as they have only heard but not experience the lifestyle in Malaysia. However, it is a risk that the Malaysian sports developers have to take as they cannot predict how the Malaysian athletes will perform, but there are measures that can be taken to improve them. Once they are confident that the particular sport can bring glory to the country then they are able to invest their funds into them. By doing so, hopefully more and more foreign countries will recognize the potential in the Malaysian athletes and decides to come in and ‘blend’ with us Malaysians. However, some have that mentality stating it is because of the foreign coaches that are so called ‘betraying’ their country into coaching Malaysian athletes to glory. They need to be reminded that Malaysia will always welcome foreign coaches or athletes to come over and not to bring them in using external factors like money. It is clearly their preference and decision for them to come and visit Malaysia. Finally, it can be drawn from the points above that the Malaysian sport development is able to boosts the country’s tourism industry despite having negative impacts. It is essential to realize that there is a solution for those negative impacts which are yet to come. A study of what motivates tourist behavior must also take into account in relation to a variety of sport tourist profiles. Some chooses challenging sports, other prefers small amateur sporting event. They need to realize that the reason for an amateur event is for tourists to enjoy the leisure not to pressure or interrupt their free time. On the other hand, the focus is on performance in terms of skills when it comes to those who choose the more challenging sport. Nevertheless, the Malaysian sports developers will need to brainstorm on ways to offer different types of sport to associate with the preference of tourists who will be sitting our country. It is concluded that impacts on sports developments can boost the country’s tourism industry in many ways and in our country, they will keep finding alternatives to also improve the sports development to make Malaysia a powerhouse in years to come. From this conclusion, it’s interesting to know what really drives people to be sports tourists and more specifically what drives them to be a spectator of a sport event (Hendrik-Jan Ottevanger, 2007).

Pleasantville Essay

The film Pleasantville shows us the importance of change. Do you agree? In the film all the characters, inside and outside Pleasantville seem satisfied with who they are and have no desire to change, but during David and Jennifer’s stay they realize they are unsatisfied. Not knowing change was possible, the community of Pleasantville feel as if they need to adjust to this ‘change’ happening around them. Relationships end, the weather turns bad, choice and risk are introduced and confusion and pain start to occur. David, Betty and Jennifer are three characters who change throughout the film and show us the importance it has. Some characters embrace the change whilst others try to resist it. The film Pleasantville portrays change as being positive in the long run, and shows the characters growth throughout the movie. David who is one of the main characters in the film gradually changes. His transformation built his self-esteem and grew his confidence to the point where he became someone the people of Pleasantville looked up to and saw as a hero. David is portrayed as geek in his real life. He has seen every episode of Pleasantville that he’s able to script it, like when he was watching the Pleasantville marathon he quoted ‘what’s a mother meant to do. This unhealthy and bad obsession shows David doesn’t have anything better to do with his time and is detached from society and the real world. At the beginning of the film it showed David alone in the school ground talking to himself trying to build courage to talk to a girl he likes, but whilst in Pleasantville he builds his courage and confidence to ask a girl out and attempts to try and help people. Like when he gave bill Johnson the art book it encouraged bill to use his imagination and express himself. This encourages but to strengthen his process of change. Also when he asks Margret out it shows David is confident in himself and is something he wouldn’t have done back home. When David is put iup for trial he proves that change is a good and positive thing if you let it be. His inspiring speech provokes the emotions of everyone in the courtroom and he claims ‘there are better things than pleasant. ’’ When David confronts his real mother it shows he no longer ingages in the artificial world. When he wipes away his mothers tears he tells her ‘theres no right house†¦no right car. ’ Ths shows david cares for his mum and his experience in Pleasantville taught him nothings perfect, as much as you try to be. David’s connection with people has transformed him from being socially awkward and insecure with no self-esteem what so ever, to a confident caring role model whos change has formed david and Another key character in the film that conveys self-change is Betty. From the start Bettys life is monotonous and confined to her family. The breakfast scene establishes the idea where her routine is the same every day. Like the other characters she begins to see what there is more to life. The moment when Betty and billy first meet triggered the change in her character. She develops feelings for this new man. Change is seen as being necessary and positive for Betty’s emotional growth. The bathroom scene shows Betty exploring her sexual awakening. This shows betty breaking away from her normal character. Change is irreversible for Betty. Her attempt to hide her true colour with makeup fails. When bill shows her Picasso painting of the weeping woman, Betty expresses the feelings of the weakling woman when she says ‘shes crying’ and tears trickle down her face that smear her makeup, showing her true colour. Bill paints a nude portrait of her in vibrant colours across the soda shop window. This is the climax of Bettys change and cannot reverse what she’s done. She turned out into an independent woman. Before going to the court hearing, George asks her to put on her make-up but Betty refuses and says, ‘I don’t want it to go away. ’ This statement suggests that betty finds change refreshing and she likes it. The overall change in betty shows how far shes come from being the one whose life revolved around others and making them happy, to eing the one who make significant change in her life aand others. Bettys transition was made easier due to the fact that she was willing to make changes and was curios by the thought of the unknown. In the last scene were Betty is sitting with George in the park bench, then he turns into bill and she says ‘what happends next. ’ This indicates theyre not afraid of change. Change is important because it is a way of learning. You can find a better way of doing things by trying different ways of doing things instead of doing them the same way. Change can make things easier, more beneficial and also help people learn how things work and be able to adapt to different situations. In the film, Pleasantville, all characters experience change — not progress, which suggests all change is for the better, all changes immediately positive. Along with sex, art, and literature, all characters experience difficulties like prejudgment and rioting. While David experiences insecurity he develops into a self-confident leader, and while Jennifer suffers rebellion, she matures into an intelligent and meaningful lady. The film most definitely takes the side of those people who in spite of difficulties work to embrace change or at the least to accept it and face it unafraid. Pleasantville opens by pointing out many negatives in our current world — but soon enough hints that there are problems if the fantasies we use to escape are too unreal. In the end, the best world seems to be one that balances both our supposed ideals and the real world. Dispite David’s initial resistance to change, David is better off for experiencing change in his life. David changes from a socially inept individual through his own insecurity and inner belief to the self-confident and reassuring leader at Change is often seen as a positive thing, with the emphasis being on that if we change we become better, more advanced or stronger. But every change results in consequences, good and bad, and it is very difficult to predict the outcomes of every change made because it is complicated for us to see exactly how the future will unfold. There are many examples where change can be a very positive and productive force.

Revenue Management, Implementation and Preconditions Article

Revenue Management, Implementation and Preconditions - Article Example Studies have cited that the RM has evolved over 30 years ago, in the early 70s Littlewood and Rothstein have explored the revenue management practice in the airlines and hotels. In 1978, during the deregulation in the airline industry, the importance of RM was ascertained as an implementation of it can increase the revenue above 5%. Therefore the scope of RM was restricted to capacity scheduling and distribution. After illustrating the definition and the evolution of Revenue management the chapter will move on to the literature review. The report will address the various tools of revenue management in the traditional and non-traditional industries and the importance of such tools in an efficient management system. In the end, the study will comprise of the critical comparison and reflection with respect to both the industries and a summary of the entire project addressing the recommendation. The report works on the yield management system and its implementation in both the aviation a nd the restaurant industries. Initially, it looks at the preconditions and the implementation process. Then it will take a deeper review of the implementation of YM through models and the impacts of the external factors and SWOT analysis of such system within the two different industries.  After the American Deregulation Act that loosened the price restriction in  the USA, the airline companies had started to plan their own prices. The main objective of Airline industry is to maximize profit by regularizing pricing and availability of its single perishable commodity like seats. RM is immensely profitable for airlines because it can generate high profits. The process of revenue management covers fare setting and seat inventory management. The management involves taking the decision on the number of seats to be reserved for late booking.

Crimes and Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crimes and Punishment - Essay Example Rather than being focused upon something as simple as racial prejudice, class envy, or a type of god complex, the three exemplifications that will herein be discussed engendered elements of these; however, the root cause can ultimately be traced back to a fundamental deficit of respect and appreciation for the rights, wellbeing and life of another. With regards to the situation involving the police brutality that was exhibited in Edward Mason and Tom Mashberg’s piece entitled â€Å"Police Misconduct†, the situation ultimately hinges upon the manner in which the Boston Police Department formerly utilized a system known as the Early Intervention System (EIS). This system, 15 years old and all but out of use at the time of the incident that the authors related occurred, was a tool whereby the shareholders within upper management and oversight at the Boston Police Department could keep track of those officers that had a high level of complaints and grievances filed against them. As a function of this, the department would be able to seek to provide al level of administrative oversight, discipline, or reassignment based upon the nature and content that the reports which were gathered and tallied on each and every officer of the force. However, rather than keeping such a system up to date, the department allowed it to lapse; ultimately, the fact of the matter was the blame with regards to how the system broke down and allowed for the violent outburst of Officer Gerald L. Cofield (Mason & Mashberg 2). However, what is interesting about this particular case is the fact that what ultimately caused the situation was a lack of respect on both the part of the officer as well as a lack of respect on the part of the Boston Police Department. Though it is clear that the lack of respect on the part of the officer was what caused the given situation, the fact of the matter is that the lack of respect by the Boston Police Department was what convinced the officer t hat behaving in such a way in the first place would have few if any real repercussions. In this way, the lack of respect for the citizens by both parities allowed a situation in which a lack of oversight encouraged an already unhinged officer to behave in an incomprehensible fashion. Similarly, but not within the same vein, the second story deals with a situation in which both the police and the responsible medical personnel showed a complete lack of respect and/or concern for the African American Garth. Rather than providing him the immediate medical attention he would have required to ensure that his life was preserved, the medical professionals reasoned, in the words of the author, that he was merely â€Å"just another nigger† and of little importance (Bartholmae 711). Such an incidence has a profound and lasting effect on Robby as he begins to describe that the world is nothing but â€Å"stone cold hard bitch† (Bartholomae 713). The disenfranchisement with the worl d ultimately led him to lose respect for society as well as the individual within society. Although he ultimately ends up in prison, the reader cannot definitively put the blame of this all upon Robby. Rather, there remains a level of culpability with

History of Urban Setting Schools in the United States Essay

History of Urban Setting Schools in the United States - Essay Example This essay discusses that quality education is important to students and a nation as well. When students excel in their academics, they have a chance of excelling in the job market as well. In the United States, the education sector has been a major priority, with numerous of reforms being implemented to improve students’ performance. Urban schools in the United States are located in the urban areas, with relatively high rates of poverty and mostly comprising students with limited English proficiency, therefore regarded as high need. The urban schools were formed with an aim of accommodating children from low income families. The ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ was implemented with an aim of improving performance of students especially in urban schools. In addition, the Act was implemented by former president Bush in 2002 with an aim of improving students’ performance, hence assisting them to succeed in the future. This paper discusses the history of urban schoo l setting in the United States, its crisis and the â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† and its repercussions in depth. According to Gaskell, in the early years, wealth was accumulated by a limited number of individuals, and as a result, poverty levels in the urban areas increased significantly. The urban population in the United States increased as well, resulting into many differences, such as racism and inequality. The funding of schools between the wealthy and the poor districts faced inequality. The urban schools in the United States have over the years faced a declining level of test scores and high rates of violence. According to Stark (2011), urban schools in the 1800s were started with an aim of providing immigrant parents with affordable places for their children to stay during the day as they worked in mills, factories, or shops. By 1920, the urban schools served the middle-class clients who aimed for white-collar jobs; however, by the late 1920s, the working class†™s children had flooded the urban schools, hence changing their status due to financial constraints. Today, there is a sense of hopelessness in the urban schools, contributing to high levels of dropouts. According to Kincheloe (2006, p.95), teaching and learning practices in such schools do not value or encourage students’ performance. DSA (2012) adds that, quality education is a human right for all American students, and therefore, fairness and equality should be observed in the urban schools. Urban schools compromise of children from poor backgrounds; they amount to 11.5 million who live below the average poverty line, attending poverty-stricken schools, and lack computers and decent learning facilities. The urban schools force children to learn in unfriendly environment, which lack air conditioning. Moreover, urban schools record a high level of dropouts, especially among African American students. The performance of these schools in alarming, and this is an issue that n eeds to be addressed. No Child Left Behind Act A report of 1983 indicated that, there was a risk in the education sector, as 13% of 17-year olds on the country were considered illiterate, with scores in mathematics, physics, and English deteriorating (Jorgensen & Hoffmann, 2003, p.2). The rate of remedial classes in mathematics had increased by 72%; in addition, the school curriculum was of low quality, therefore of less benefit. The declining level of homework was also noted in the report, with less mathematics and science courses enrollment. The time students spent on schoolwork was much less; the schools’ administration did not encourage students to develop the required study skills such as time management, and emphasis on schoolwork (Jorgensen & Hoffmann, 2003, p.3). The 1983 report also indicated that, the teaching programs needed improvement; there was also shortage in the number of

PRACTICAL AND WRITTEN ASSESSMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PRACTICAL AND WRITTEN ASSESSMENT - Assignment Example 66). This paper looks at performance management system in the Fasset sector. Performance management process in this organization is a major process in any organization because it assists the management and their staff to sustain the organization when implementing their business strategies (Marr, 2012, p. 79). It is; thus, an essential section of an organization joining the managers and their staff. The system is planned to support communication and criticism between administration and staff. It creates prospects for distinctive work implementation, and work as a basis for compensating top workers. Armstrong and Baron (2003, p. 67) noted that organizations need a controlled technique of interaction between different ranks of the association. Businesses that need and encourage this reaction circle can gather information on performance and develop from the facts obtained. The entire process involves employees and their supervisors, observation procedures and individual testing techniques (Bernthal, Rogers & Smith, 2003, p. 68). It usually involves frequent interactions between the management and workers concerning the organization. These compulsory communications ensure workers have an opportunity to interact and share ideas (Boland and Fowler, 2000, p. 417). Business interior environment comprises of the components within the corporation, including present workers, administration, and particularly business background, which describes staff member’s behaviour (Bernthal et al. 2001, p. 17). Some of these factors affect the organization as a whole while others only affects the managers. Leadership styles used by managers can affect the entire organization. An organizational statement describes what the association represents and reasons why the organization exists (Brigall and Modell, 2000, p. 281). The statement explains the general purpose of the association and comprises of the qualities that

International Business and World Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Business and World Markets - Essay Example In their pursuit of international expansion, companies must overcome barriers such as language differences, currency differences, cultural differences, legal and administrative differences, and skill levels differences. International business is the process of integration and interaction among people and advancing of connectivity and interdependence of businesses and markets. Many small and growing companies have unearthed lucrative new markets abroad and are receptive to franchising, joint ventures or technology transfer, and licensing (Czinkota 2008, p.229). Globalization Drivers Several factors (internal and external) can be outlined as driving the development of a global marketplace. The factors can be outlined as market, environmental, cost, and competitive factors. Parallels within demand conditions across a number of countries facilitate the establishment of single global strategies. For instance, markets such as Europe, America, and the Far East manifest consumer groups that share matching educational backgrounds, lifestyles, income levels, aspiration, and utilization of leisure time. Cost Factors The avoidance of cost inefficiencies and duplication of efforts shape two of the most prominent globalization drivers. In most cases, a single-country population are merely not sufficient for a business to attain meaningful economies of scale Environmental Factors There are diverse factors that affect firms operating on the international scene. These factors can be delineated as incorporating political, economic, technological, and sociocultural factors. The selection of international market involves the interplay of both organizational and environmental factors. Environmental factors may entail opportunistic approaches, local market complexities, and domestic competitive pressures (Czinkota 2008, p.230). Environmental factors such as technological advances allow businesses to leapfrog over phases of economic development. Competitive Factors Global strategies are frequently necessary to safeguard competitors from attaining an undue advantage in both domestic and overseas market. In the event that a competitor manufactures on a global scale and thus attains global economies of scale, this may undercut prices in the home market. Discussion The principal factors that prompt both small and medium-sized forms to make their moves into overseas markets can be categorized as proactive motivations, or factors that explain why companies go global and reactive motivations that elaborate on why the firms have to do so. Expansion within a â€Å"demand-driven† paradigm demands a more intricate, active, and ongoing overseas commitment compared to â€Å"supply-driven† initiatives that highlight the optimization of supply chains (Anne 2007, p.184). The eclectic theory was an intellectual response to the rising role of international production and the multinational corporation within the world economy. There are three factors that outline th e international activities of multinational enterprises: ownership advantages, location advantages, and internalization advantages (Rugman 2010, p.1). Multinationals usually develop competitive advantages at home and then transfer the advantages to certain countries via foreign direct investments, which allow the multinational enterprises to internalize the advantages (Rugman 2010, p.2).  

Teen Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teen Pregnancy - Essay Example The ages of these girls ranged from 15 years to 19 years. These statistics declined and in the year 2005, the conceptions dropped to 40.5 in every 1000 teenage girls. It was further highlighted that in this era between 1991 and 2005, 750,000 teenagers conceived in the United States. It has been proved that the problem has a higher rate in the United States in comparison to other nations like England, Wales and Canada. There has been a decrease in the rates of teen pregnancy but still the issue is known to be present in the society. This has led to the analysis of the causes of teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is a serious issue of concern and the major contributing reasons for teen pregnancy include low socioeconomic status, lack of education and societal forces (Donaldson et al 2003; Miller 2006; Thomas 2009). The socioeconomic factor is a major causative factor of teen pregnancy. A low socio-economic status means that the parents have lower educational qualifications which do not war rant for a good job. This means that the heads of the families have to work for longer periods of time and stay away from home. Furthermore, despite of this increased working, the overall income of the house is not very high. These families survive in poor conditions. The long working hours of the parents result in a lack of regulation and command over the activities of the children as the parents tend to stay out of the house most of the time. This allows for opportunities for the teens to engage in sexual behavior without the approval of their parents. The parents who possess low educational qualifications may be less learned and they would not be able to explain their children about safe sex strategies owing to their own lack of knowledge. This would result in decreased sexual knowledge amongst the teenagers which would lead to higher cases of teen pregnancy. A low socioeconomic status also serves to result in living conditions beyond satisfactory and these tend to disturb the te enagers. These disturbances provoke them to opt for sexual pleasures and therefore teen pregnancy results. Thus it can be seen that a low socioeconomic status is a cause of teen pregnancy as it results in a lack of supervision over the teenagers accompanied with decreased parental guidance and poor living conditions which tend to result in teen pregnancy (Donaldson et al 2003; Thomas 2009). Teen pregnancy has also been associated with many societal forces that tend to promote sexual behaviors amongst the teenage groups. Cultural variations serve to provide as a major community factor that leads to teen pregnancies. Teenage pregnancies are considered to be normal in a few cultures and this trend continues from the parents to their children. Statistics have revealed that the teen conception rate is very high amongst the Mexican Americans and the blacks. This rate is considerably lower for the whites and the Asians. It has been seen that Mexicans and blacks have disturbed family lives which may be a leading cause for higher teen pregnancies in their communities. It has also been analyzed that the Mexican culture instills values of obedience and compliance amongst girls. The Mexican tradition also upholds the characteristics of â€Å"machismo† and â€Å"virility† amongst boys. This results in the indulgence of these teenagers

Self introduction Essay Example for Free

Self introduction Essay Everyone has his characters to lead him to success. In other words, characters such as cheerful are unique and these are the factors to make them achieving their goal. In my case, I am stubborn to do anything, including my study even playing basketball. In my secondary school life, my teacher told me that I was headstrong and enlarged the unhappiness to make my emotion in trouble. I just realize what he told me before when I faced my HKAL exam but I find that this character can guide me to reach my goal. To get in University, I spent so much time on it and I encounter many problems and failures, especially in English. However, obstinacy helps me to tackle with the problems and finally I achieve my aim. I kept spending over 10 hours every day around a year to prepare my HKAL exam when I was form 7 student. I expected I can get a good result in the exam but unfortunately I was fail in my UE subject. This made me to be disappointed and helpless because the HKAL exam was replaced by the DSE exam. It means that there are no second chances for HKAL candidates to retake the exam and they have to seek other ways to continue their studies. Without any option, associate degree is my only way to reach my goal and I planned to spend a year to obtain a degree offer. Finally, the dream comes true and I can major in my favourite subject. Obstinacy causes me to keep chasing my goal even I faced many problems and failures. Sometime it motivates a person to keep moving on and achieve success. However, stubborn character makes my emotion in trouble duo to the enlargement of the sadness. I always recall the unhappiness and enlarge it by my imagination. In fact the issues may not be that negative as I think and I am not willing to seek any help. My mental health is suffered by this character and I have to learn to deal with it. Over insisting on my point also is one of my drawbacks. Sometimes when I discuss or work with others to make a consensus, I take a firm stand on my view and do not want to consider the others’ ideas. Thus the teamwork and morale are damaged by the conflicts Even I am suffered by the obstinate character, it practices me to be tough to cope with problems. It also benefits my future career in education. I can share my experience about how to face the failures to encourage students to  pursue their goal. Also obstinacy can help me to tackle with the problems as I faced before. Obstinacy is not just a negative impact for a person. For me, it also motivates me to move on and helps me to reach my goal.

Understanding The Growth Theory By Solow Economics Essay

Understanding The Growth Theory By Solow Economics Essay Robert Solow was born of a Jewish family on August 23, 1924 in Brooklyn. Fortunate with the opportunity to attend public schools, he had a strong academic foundation along with with motivation and mentoring he was awarded a scholarship to attend Harvard University in 1940. During his freshman year at Harvard he chose sociology and anthropology as his majors with a minor in elementary economics. At the end of 1945 Robert Solow decided to serve in the US army and later returned to Harvard in 1945. The depression at the time strongly influenced him to study the way the economy actually worked and after returning from the army he decided to switch gears and studied economics. At Harvard he was an assistant to Wassily Leontief producing the first set of capital coefficient for the output and input model sparking his interest in statistics and probability models which lead him to Columbia University for a concentration in statistics. About the same time he was also offered a position to lecture economics and statistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which he accepted and overtime his fascination leaned more with macro economics. For 40 years Solow worked closely with Paul Samuelson and together they developed numerous work together such as: Balanced Growth under Constant Returns to Scale, (1953), Theory of Capital (1956) and A Complete Capital Model Involving Heterogeneous Capital Goods. In 1961, Robert Solow won the John Bates Clark Award which is given to someone under 40 years who have made a major contribution to economic thought and knowledge. His continued efforts and passion for macro economics resulted to him winning the Nobel Prize in 1987 for his analysis in economic growth. Over the years Solow has continued to be a prominent figure as an economist, his theory is thought all over the world from government to his theory thought in schools. The study of the factors which permit production growth and increased welfare has been a central feature in economic research for many years. Robert M. Solows prize recognizes his exceptional contributions in this area. This paper will discuss the major contributions Robert Solow made to economics in an A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth (1956), the influences for his analysis and its relevance in understanding how the economy works. Understanding the Solow growth theory is a challenge due to the number of models that he incorporates to explain growth theory. The basic model focuses on the accumulation of capital after which Solow incorporates new factors such as population growth and technology in order to show the changed result in comparison to the basic model. To aid in development of his Growth Theory, Robert Solow addressed the specifics concerning the growth of an advance industrial economy, this was first developed by Nicholas Kaldor. Kaldor has six characteristics for the economy, four of which Solow focused mainly to development the Solow model. Real output grows at a constant rate. Capital Stock grows at a constant rate Real growth and capital stock are likely to be the same Profit rates show a horizontal trend with the exception of changes in effective demand. The first three characteristics describe when an economy is in the steady state. To expand on this definition the steady state as described by Robert Solow is constant growth and capital stock. In an article, A Contribution to the theory of economic growth (1956) Solow growth model represented an addition to the Harod- Domar Model which explained growth patterns in terms of savings and capital. The main differentiation between his model and the Harrod-Domar model lay in Solows assumption that wages could adjust to keep labor fully employed. The Solow Model is neo-classical and as a results focuses primarily on the supply side. This implies that as long the supply of a good increases then economic growth can be accomplished. In this aspect it differs from the Keynesian models which focus on the demand side of the economy in areas such as: unemployment and inflation. The supply side In Solows model follows the following assumptions: One good in production with no change in technology and two factors of production, capital (K) and labor (L) deriving the following equation Y =F (K, L). The demand side for the Solow model assumes that output demand is equal to consumption and therefore there is no disposable income in the economy. Y= C + S Thus far the model describes a stagnant economy and Solow introduces dynamic factors in the model to show capital accumulation which are investment which increases the capital stock and depreciation which decreases capital stock. The saving rate in this model represents the tradeoff between consumption and investment. This means, what is not consumed is saved in the economy; this therefore increases capital stock growth or capital accumulation in the economy. In the active economy in the Solow model the production changes and is represented by the equation Y=F (K, S, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡, k0) meaning output is a function of capital, savings, depreciation and capital stock. By utilizing the capital stock increases output in different periods but at some point the economy comes to a steady state as described by the Solow Model. The steady state is accomplished when output and capital are in equilibrium. It also implies that the economy will cease to grow so there is no change in capital at that point. Furthermore an economy in a positive steady state does not move from that point therefore this can also be considered as the equilibrium point The variables listed above can be divided into two variables exogenous which comprises of savings depreciation and capital stock and endogenous which are capital, income and investments. The model shows that increased savings shifts increases investments which impacts the steady rate causing it to shift also. This activity illustrates that higher savings in an economy means that there is higher capital stock thus leading to higher steady state per worker. Therefore in the economy one need to know that is the optimum level of savings is necessary to get to maximize steady state which is known was the golden rule. To recap, the steady state can be referred to as long run equilibrium in the economy and savings is critical in the model because it shows that by increasing savings the steady state can shift upward which asserts higher level of capital stock per worker. The concept of golden rule was also incorporated in the Solows Growth Theory but prior to that the golden rule was a concept by Jon von Neumann and later in the work of Edmund Phelps. In Solows Growth Theory, he makes the assumption that policy makers will consequently determine a savings rate that will maximize consumption per worker referring to it as the golden level of capital accumulation. Robert Solow did not stop here with his theory he went on further to introduce population growth in his dynamic model which also means that the labor force is growing as well. What Solow is illustrating is the effect of this exogenous factor on the population. Therefore the capital stock will be divided thinly across the increasing population. Since this increase in population is decreasing the capital stock this indicates there is a negative effect on income per worker. Solow then adds technology to the model, technology as described by Solow can improve efficiency of production and this means that there is an increase in output ultimately leading to the sustained growth in the economy. At this stage in the model, Solow uses a new production function to describe the economy Y=F (K, L, E, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬) this means that output is a function of capital, labor, efficiency and effective worker for this economy. Solow goes on to describe what is meant by an efficient worker and this is characterized by knowledge, familiarity and ability. Output can consequently increase by the efficiency levels of workers. Efficiency in this model per effective worker can move the steady state equilibrium where capital stock per worker constant. As a result, with technological progress in this model the capital stock per worker is growing at the technology rate even in the steady state due to efficiency in the economy. We can see that even if capital is not growing in the steady state capital per effective worker is at the rate of technology. In addition, this also asserts that output per worker is also growing at a rate of technology. Combined, total output and capital stock are both growing when the two variables population and technology are present. The Solow Model therefore shows that technological progress in the economy explains sustained economic growth in the context of living standards per worker.

Free College Admissions Essays: The College Experience :: College Admissions Essays

College Admissions: The College Experience In High School, college seemed to be the scariest thing that I could think of. Whenever I thought about it my stomach would immediately begin to spin in circles. Although I was ready to go off and be by myself and meet new people I was scared to death at the same time. I didn't know much about the "college experience" and what I did know (or thought I knew) scared me. I pictured hard classes that I wouldn't be able to keep up with, people that wouldn't like me, long hikes to get to my classes, and horrible food. I couldn't imagine leaving the security of my own room, my own stuff where I want it, my friends that I've spent practically my whole life with, my family who put up with all my little quirks, and my car!! What was I going to do without my precious car? Some of my friends that had already been to college and had come back to visit seemed so much older and more mature. I felt twelve years old in comparison. I thought that I would never be able to fit in. Everyone else that I t alked to didn't however seem to have this problem. They all were thrilled at the thought of being on their own and not having to worry about their parents telling them what to do all the time. And sure, the thought was extremely exciting to me as well, but how would I survive without my family and friends and the things that had taken me eighteen years to get used to. I felt like going to college was pretty much taking everything that I knew and had grown accustomed to and throwing it up in the air. The worst part about it all was that I felt like I was the only one that actually thought about this. I felt so immature and childish for actually being scared to come to college. After I thought I wouldn't be able to take the pressures anymore, I decided to approach my mom about the subject. I told her that I was a little scared and the thought of being on my own made me a little uneasy. "Sweetie" she said, "I know it's a little hard right now and things are a little confusing and overwhelming but it will get easier.

The Significance of Sound in Film Essay -- Cinematography Sound Analys

Movies ultimately engage two of the main senses, vision and hearing. Director Steven Spielberg once said, â€Å"The eye sees better when the sound is great.† Sound is just as imperative as an element as every additional component of film form. As stated in the textbook on page 41 â€Å"Any attentive filmgoer is aware of the enormous power music holds in shaping the film experience, manipulating emotions and point of view, and guiding perceptions of characters, moods, and narrative events† (Gorbman). The sound, in the majority of narrative films is the element that provides distinctive cues that assist the spectators from expectations with reference to significance; and in numerous occasions, sound essentially helps to shape the audiences analyses and interpretations regarding the film. For this final paper, I want to discuss the importance of sound in three of the films viewed this semester. These three films are: Bonnie and Clyde the 1967 film by Arthur Penn, The re Will Be Blood the 2007 film by Paul Thomas Anderson and Bamboozled the 2000 film by Spike Lee. With omission of the chase scenes, there was virtually no music heard in the film Bonnie and Clyde. There wasn’t an accompanying piano, orchestra or string quartet reminiscent of most other films. However, there is the hillbilly banjo music that is played merely throughout these chase scenes in the film. If there were not any music playing throughout these scenes, I think that spectators would construe the chase scenes as being nerve-racking and perilous getaways. But, the Barrow Gang as they called themselves, were an entertaining company that thought everything they were doing was comical. Another scene in Bonnie and Clyde that I found that vastly utilized sound was th... ...pleasant to watch, that is if it is done correctly. I always have found that sound and music help to move films along faster and smoother. Works Cited Barsam, Richard and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies: An Introduction To Film. Third Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd., 2010. Bradshaw, Peter. There Will Be Blood. 8 February 2008. 7 December 2010 . Gorbman, Claudia. "Film Music." Gibson, John Hill and Pamela Church. Film Studies critical approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc., 2000. 41-48. Stevens, Dana. There Will Be Blood Paul: Thomas Anderson's deranged masterpiece. 24 December 2007. 7 December 2010 . Venicelion. Bamboozled (US 2000). 31 October 2008. 6 December 2010 .

All Quiet On The Western Front :: essays research papers

The Sorrows of War and the Glorious Lies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it really worth it? Is the simple order by a superior officer enough for someone to spill the blood of innocent soldiers? In All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a group of soldiers learn the hard way about the realities of war. They encounter trench warfare and hand-to-hand combat and slowly see how horrible the war is. Using the book, the author expresses his hatred towards war and how only evil comes from it. The emotions and actions of the soldiers represent the realities of war where brotherhoods are formed, the public is tricked in seeing war as good, and how deep inside everyone is the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The soldiers in the Second Company form this bond between each other that represents that of all wartime buddies. They develop these friendships where they depend on each other so that they can make it through the war. The young soldiers play cards, smoke together and joke around together to pass time when they are not fighting. Their reactions towards dying friends show their love for one another. â€Å"Suddenly little Kropp throws his cigarette away, stamps on it savagely, and looking around him with a broken and distracted face, stammers â€Å"Damned sh*t, the damned sh*t!†Ã¢â‚¬  (page 18). Even after their good friend Kemmerich passes away, the circle of friends is able to pull together and get through it all. They have a deep love for each other. Some soldiers like Paul and Katczinsky even feel a father/son relationship with each other. â€Å"We don’t talk much, but I believe we have a more complete communion with one another than even lovers have† (page 94). The war has brought them together. It has made them rely on each other for survival and has brought them to forget the horrors of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The soldiers fight because of simple orders. They really have nothing to gain from it. Their superior officers don’t know what its like. They get out on the battlefield and cowardly turn away. All those people who romanticize war including Kantorek and Himmelstoss go to trench warfare and they see the real truth. They see that they have misled the public with propaganda and their continuous actions to have people volunteer. â€Å"Quickly I jump back into the dug-out and find him with a small scratch lying in a corner pretending to be wounded.

Fundamental Difference between Judaism and Christianity Essay

Judaism and Christianity are closely related religions that can trace their origins back to Abraham and are considered in the studies of comparative religion as Abrahamic religion or Judeo-Abrahamic Faith. While there are those who argue that Christianity is a religion that began independently from Judaism, interpretations of biblical texts from the Old Testament reveal that it started out as Jewish sect during the late Second Temple period of the 1st century. The origins of Judaism on the other hand are still unclear as there are debates regarding the source of this religion. Most scholars however agree that the Genesis book of the Hebrew Bible is the canonical that bears on that question. Whatever the origins of these religions maybe, it is clear that they are currently considered as two (2) separate religions that differ on many fundamental issues. The first fundamental issue upon which Christianity and Judaism differ is with regard to the existence of God. Christianity believes that the existence of God is manifested in the Holy Trinity. God, according to the Christians, exists as three (3) distinct persons who share a single essence, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is indivisible but the persons who form the trinity are distinct from each other. This notion of God existing as the Holy Trinity runs contrary to the tenets of Judaism as they believe that God exists solely as a single indivisible divine being. The idea of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible to the followers of Judaism because of the rejection of the notion that Jesus or any other object or living being could be â€Å"God†, that God could have a literal â€Å"son† in physical form or is divisible in any way, or that God could be joined to the material world in such fashion. While Judaism has two (2) different words used to label God (transcendence = Ein Sof and immanence = Shekhinah), these refer only to ways of experiencing God and still maintain the indivisibility of God. The other fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism is with regard to the idea of Original Sin. The concept of Original Sin is found only in Christianity and it makes the assumption that all human beings are born with the original sin which is derived from the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This basically theorizes that everyone is born a sinner and nobody is born a saint. The only exception to this rule however is Jesus Christ who is regarded as the only person born without original sin. The concept if Original Sin does not exist in Judaism. Instead, Judaism holds that people have free will and have the ability to affect the course of their lives even if they be born naturally with a good inclination or bad inclination. Judaism holds that humans are born with either yetzer hatov or good inclination, or yetzer hara or bad inclination but can change because of free will. According to the teachings in some sects of Judaism, there can be no original sin because Adam and Eve cannot be blamed for eating the forbidden fruit because the notion of evil or of sin did not arise until after the fruit was eaten. Judaism and Christianity also differ with regard to the concept of love. According to certain scholars, love, as understood in the Christian sense, is equivalent to charity and that love in the Judaic context means justice. This is seen in this bible passage: â€Å"Whereas Jews believe that law is the ultimate fulfillment of love, Christians believe that love is â€Å"the fulfillment of the Law. † An examination of the core commandments of Judaism reveals that love as justice means that God commands the love of his people or Israel but never professes his love for his people (Israel). The Christian concept of love is manifested by the numerous acts of charity that Jesus Christ was said to perform during his lifetime including the ultimate act of love which was sacrificing himself to atone for the sins of man. These fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity have given rise to the existence of two (2) separate religions who may arguably be worshipping the same God. Whatever the justifications are for having such fundamental differences, there is one common ground that not only Judaism and Christianity but also other religions can agree upon, that is that one should always seek to do good for others and learn to respect the beliefs of others.

Happy Endings Essay

In the short story Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood the author displays how plot can affect characterization, or the reader’s perceptions of characters, by showing several different scenarios using the same characters but different plot lines. For example, plot B, although it uses the same characters, creates very different perceptions of those characters than the ones created in plot A. In plot A, John and Mary appear to be in love, and they appear to be happy. The plot seems to indicate this; â€Å"John and Mary fall in love and get married. They both have worthwhile jobs which they find exciting and challenging. â€Å"They buy a charming house. From the sequence of events revealed, we are led to believe that John and Mary are two ordinary people with good lives and a healthy relationship. However, in plot B, this perception changes, even though it is told with the same characters. In this story, the reader perceives John as a selfish jerk who shamelessly uses Mary, and Mary as a poor girl with a weak will. â€Å"Mary falls in love with John but John doesn’t fall in love with Mary. He merely uses her body for selfish pleasure and ego gratification of a tepid kind. † This sequence of events leads the reader to conclude very different things about the characters than in the first plot. The plot structure is set so the audience is always changing his or her perceptions. There are some interesting themes that develop from this short story. One theme could be the idea of what the middle class values as important. Version A seems to sum up what the middle class expects life to be and thinks life should be. Another theme is the Inevitability of Death mentioned in version F. This is the idea that death can’t be avoided no matter what as stated in the story over and over again â€Å"John and Mary die. † This is definitely the main thought behind the entire short story.

Autobiography Example

You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217. To be honest, I am a really a busy person. I usually stay late at work, and sometimes lose my time with my family because of work. However, there is one event that I always do two or three times in a year. I go to music concerts. Since I was young I always listened to music. I listened while studying, driving, getting ready to sleep. Music, especially the drums, has been my strength and friend all the time. The drumsticks, which have been my hands’ friends since I was in seventh grade, are still the friends of my 47 year old hands.Of course my old sticks from my young age have been broken and changed many times over, but I still consider my new sticks as the same sticks I used to have when I was young. It is rather unusual for people to think that I love playing drums because my job is not a part time job or a freelance, and that they think of me as a reticent, a perceptive, and a sensitive person who only cares about his work. Nine years ago, I organized a band, and since then our band have concerts annually. Of course the proceeds of our concert are not for our own profit making.We have our concerts to help other people through the sales of tickets and donations. I know that I can donate money personally, but I wanted to help others by doing things I enjoy and entertain other people. The audiences know that they not only enjoyed the concert, but also have contributed in aiding the needy. Our band consists of seven people each with diverse jobs; CEO, doctor, engineer, composer. Each member has successful work and is recognized in society, and even has busier lives than mine.We gather together, brought about by sympathy for the underprivileged, and the love for music, reason and freedom, even though we work in different areas. Music does not restrict and discriminate age, position, or appearance. We just enjoy the music with our hearts to forget any problems on our shoulders. We first started the band just to dissolve our stress from work and life, and as time went by, it has expanded. We are now having concerts every year. Even though we are not professional musicians, many people, friends, family, have enjoyed our music for years and come and enjoy the concert.It seems that the audiences share our goals. They also get out the burdens of life and work, to just enjoy. The applause I hear from the stage while I shout, jump, and swing the sticks feels different from the greetings I receive at the hallway at work. I sometimes get very excited as if I was an idol star. Even though I think of myself as a professional drummer once in a while, I am really a businessman deep down. I love my job that and have never regretted my decision for it. I hear about people who chose their careers on the basis of success are the ones that regret their lives.It is different for me. Even though I chose my job to be successful; wealthy and reputable, I truly love my job and do my best. However, I have stacks of documents to go through, phone calls ringing every ten minutes, reprimands from the boss, and the room without windows can sometimes make me stressful and not efficient in work. During those times I grab my drum sticks bag from the third drawer of my desk, and walk out of my office, to head for the studio to swing my stresses away on the drum.

Genetic explanations Essay

Genetic explanations for the Initiation of addictions Heritability of addictions such as alcoholism and gambling can be studied through family and twin studies. The presumptions of twin and family studies are that if family members share similar behaviours, then the degree to which the behaviours are caused by genetic factors can be examined. There are two types of twins, identical and non-identical. Identical twins are monozygotic (MZ) as they came from the same egg, and therefore share an identical set of genes. Non-identical twins are dizygotic (DZ) as they come from two different eggs that were fertilised at the same time, and as a result their genes are no more alike than any brother or sister’s. Twins can also differ in the environment that they are brought up in. Some twins may, rarely, be separated at birth and therefore have very different upbringings. If researchers are able to find MZ twins who have been raised apart (i.e. same genes but different environments) then they will be able to distinguish between the influenc e of genes and environment on a certain behaviour. If MZ twins who have been raised apart booth show the same behaviour, then the behaviour is probably genetic; but if only one of them has that behaviour then it may well be caused by the environment. The degree to which twins and family members share a behaviour is termed a concordance rate, with 1 (or 100%) being entirely genetic, and 0 (or 0%) being entirely environmental. McGue (1999) found a concordance rate of 50-60% for alcohol addiction, and Agrawal & Lynskey (2006) found a concordance rate of 45-79% for addiction to illicit drugs. This means that just over half of the factors that cause addiction to alcohol are genetic in origin, as are half to three-quarters of the factors causing addiction to illegal drugs. A problem with this conclusion, however, is that the genetic link may be for behaviour disorders rather than addiction, and these behaviour disorders may manifest as many antisocial behaviours including alcohol and drug use. The sensitivity of the dopamine system is one biological explanation for the imitation, maintenance and relapse of addictive behaviours (see below), and so it would make sense for researchers to look for genes that are responsible for causing particularly sensitive or insensitive dopamine systems. One such gene is called the DRD2 gene (or dopamine receptor density 2 gene). The DRD2 gene codes for the number of dopamine receptors available in the mesolimbic dopamine system. A person with fewer dopamine receptors is  unable to ‘feel’ the effect of dopamine as well as someone with a higher number of dopamine receptors, and so needs higher levels of dopamine to produce the same effect as a person with more dopamine receptors. People with the DRD2 A1 variant of the gene have fewer dopamine receptors, and also seem more vulnerable to addictions. Evaluation for genetic explanations of addictive behaviour Genetic inheritance may explains individual differences in addiction Genetic inheritance can, through the diathesis-stress model, explain why some people become addicted whereas others in the same environmental situation do not. The diathesis-stress model is the idea that a genetic vulnerability may manifest in the right circumstance – e.g. if a person who is susceptible to becoming addicted, due to their genetic inheritance, is suffering from some form of stress or boredom due to environmental factors, then they may partake in an addictive activity. However this is a very deterministic view of human behaviour that ignores environmental factors, as not all people with the A1 variant of the DDR2 gene become addicted even if they partake in a potentially addictive activity. Inconsistent research findings linking specific genes to addictions Noble (1998) found support for the DRD2 A1 gene being linked to alcoholism (the gene was found to be carried by 48% of severe alcoholics, 32% of less severe alcoholics, and 16% of non-alcoholic controls), but many other studies have failed to find such a link. Specific genes are linked to other disorders as well as addiction The DDR2 A1 gene is also common in people with autism and Tourettes, as well as in people with addictions. Autism and Tourettes sufferers are not pleasure seekers and do not tend to suffer from addictions, and so the link between the A1 variant of the DDR2 gene and addictions is unclear and far more complex than simply claiming that the gene causes addiction. The dopamine model of addiction Initiation of addictive behaviour: Dopamine is released in the mesolimbic dopamine system of the brain, to signal reward and pleasure. If a behaviour causes dopamine release then the brain knows to â€Å"do it again† – e.g. eating, drinking, keeping warm, having sex – these are adaptive behaviours in evolutionary terms as they help an  organism/species to survive in its environment. Unfortunately other non-adaptive behaviours (i.e. behaviours that do not necessarily aid survival) can release huge amounts of dopamine (e.g. gambling and drug taking). Certain chemicals (e.g. amphetamines, alcohol, cocaine) can directly cause huge amounts of dopamine to be released. The effect of this dopamine release is to tell the brain that the behaviour is desirable and that it should seek to DO IT AGAIN! And according to incentive sensitisation theory, desire for the rewarding substance or behaviour persists even in the absence of the substance or behaviour. Maintenance of addictive behaviour: Repeated exposure to an addictive behaviour or substance causes reduced sensitivity to the dopamine release through a process known as down regulation. This means that more of the behaviour is needed to cause the same pleasurable psychological effect in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Stopping the behaviour altogether creates a state of disequilibrium in the dopamine system, and leads to withdrawal symptoms that can only be reduced by repeating the (now learned) behaviour. This disequilibrium, an increased need for dopamine stimulation, and the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms it causes now drive behaviour so that it is no longer pleasure (positive reinforcement), but the need to reduce withdrawal symptoms (negative reinforcement) that drives the addict’s behaviour. Relapse of addictive behaviour: When an addict finally manages to stop engaging in a behaviour or taking a substance, they are at risk of relapse. According to the dopamine model, relapse can be explained by addiction causing permanent brain changes that lead to lasting memories of the substance or behaviour. Environmental reminders of the addiction (e.g. being in a pub, watching horse racing, returning to a location where drugs were taken, being under stress) can release small amounts of dopamine, which in turn lead to the addicted person desiring a greater dopamine reward that can only be obtained by re-engaging in the addictive behaviour Evaluation for the dopamine model of addiction Support for the dopamine model of addiction: Support for the dopamine model comes from many experimental studies, such as  a study into the effects of ritaline (Volkow, 2001). Volkow gave a drug called ritalin to healthy volunteers and correlate their subjective experience of the drug with the density of dopamine receptors in their mesolimbic dopamine systems. Those that reported pleasurable feelings with ritalin had fewer dopamine receptors than those that hated its effects. This supports the theory that some people are more vulnerable to the effect of dopamine-releasing drugs than others. Neurochemical explanations ignore social factors: An important point to note is that neurochemical explanations for addiction (e.g. the dopamine model) ignore social and environmental factors that may also contribute to addictive behaviour. However, they can lead to effective treatments for addictions, e.g. replacing cigarettes with nicotine patches. Implications from animal research: Grant et al (1998) found that animals that lost social status also lost dopamine receptors, and offers therefore a possible explanation for social-class based addictions (e.g smoking in lower socio-economic groups). However, animal studies may not be generalisable to human addictive behaviour. Inevitability of dopamine sensitivity leading to addiction: The dopamine model suggests that reduced dopamine sensitivity, as caused by fewer dopamine receptors, inevitably leads to addictive behaviour. However, there is likely to be a complex interaction between an individual’s specific environment and whether or not dopamine sensitivity leads to addiction. A stimulating environment may provide enough dopamine reward to protect people from addiction, whereas a dull or boring environment may not (Volkow, 2003). Neurochemical explanations are reductionist: Neurochemical explanations for addiction reduce addictive behaviour to a simple variance in the structure of the dopamine system, and so ignore social and cognitive factors that can influence addictions. However they can lead to effective treatments, so in this case it is useful to be reductionist.

Business Intercultural Communication Research Paper

Business Intercultural Communication - Research Paper Example Business intercultural communication is an effective tool for the organizations in order to achieve their objectives along with attaining various accomplishments with regard to performing the international business operations. The effective use of communication within the organization and identification of various cultural norms of the country of operation is the basic elements for the organizations in terms of trading on a global basis (US Department of State, â€Å"Intercultural Business Communication Tips†). Communication Style The verbal and non-verbal communications are the important aspects of conveying information. The communication style incorporated in the business activities in the UK can be considered as an explicit form of conveying information through utilizing both the verbal as well as non-verbal communication. The communication style employed in the UK has been observed as to be simple and uncomplicated while conveying any information to others. The sense of hu mor of the British people is also a major element in terms of making just about any proposal or in terms of the decision-making process. From the perspective of non-verbal communication, the British people are especially undemonstrative with regard to keeping their emotions concealed from other people by not making anyone uncomfortable for their own problem (s). The reserved nature among the people within the British culture highlights their respect to the person to whom they are communicating with (Kowol & Szumiel, â€Å"United Kingdom: communication, negotiations and cultural background†). With this concern of communication style that is followed by the British people are the major concerns for the IBM US employees. Therefore, it is important for the employees of IBM to make use of straightforward communication style along with using a minimum number of physical gestures. The undemonstrative nature of hiding the personal feelings is also an important element to be recognize d by the IBM employees of the US in terms of communicating with the British people (Kowol & Szumiel, â€Å"United Kingdom: communication, negotiations and cultural background†). Business Culture in the UK Hofstede’s Model of Cultural Dimension Power Distance Index (PDI) The power distance index can be determined as a preliminary model in the approach of Hofstede’s cultural dimension. In this context, the index represents the value of hierarchical relationship along with admiration for the authorized person or group. The model refers to the measure of inequality that exists within the culture or country. With this concern, the UK scores low in this index and organizations in the UK believe in innovative and creative strategies rather than following the traditional business approach (Hofstede, â€Å"National Culture†). Individualism (IDV) The individualism dimension within the workforce can result in higher productivity along with providing strengths to eac h individual in a community. However, the high level of individualism dimension can bring about a poor connectivity or deficiency in interpersonal communication with people outside close friends or family members or groups.

Managing Organisational Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Organisational Communication - Essay Example Movement through sequence is characterized by one or more of the parties making concessions in return for concessions being made by the other party (or parties). What the parties do is trade-off' some part of their original negotiating position. This process continues until the parties either reach a point of agreement--i.e. they are prepared to accept the position of the opposing side--or a stalemate is reached. (Susskind and Cruikshank, 1987). Principled negotiation is arguably harder for those in a position of relative power to achieve than for those who have less power in the relationship. For example, a director heading a team of 40 sales and marketing staff has the final say when it comes to decisions - but if that decision leaves the staff feeling unfairly treated, the director has not achieved a good result for the staff, themselves or the firm. Ethics is a set of moral principle and values. Ethics is no longer a purely personal concern. Nor is it something that organizational leaders can take for granted. Today, a well-tuned sense of the ethical has become a 'must have' for those in business wishing to create and belong to sustainable enterprises, as well as for the average person in the street who is concerned about who they work for, who they buy from and who they invest in. Therefore we have written this primer. WHAT IS CSR The ethic of corporate social responsibility has been described as "the alignment of business operations with social values. CSR consists of integrating the interest of stakeholders--all of those affected by a company's conduct--into the company's business policies and actions." Fundamentally, socially responsible behavior internalizes all external consequences of an action, both its costs and benefits. Ultimately, the corporation is only a reflection of consumers' demands and priorities; true social change necessarily involves changes in consumers' demands. Voluntary CSR is really nothing more than corporate advertising that makes consumers aware of new products with features for which they are willing to pay. Although CSR advocates portray a profit-centric corporation as socially irresponsible, the opposite is true. A profit-centric firm provides the optimal amount of socially responsible behavior. Although concern with ethics and CSR has always been a part of doing business, business leaders today are beginning to think about ethics as a set of principles and guides of behavior rather than a set of rigid rules. In this sense, business ethics is not only an attempt to set a standard by which all of the employees of a company can know what is expected, but it is also an attempt to encourage employees, managers, and board members to think about and make decisions through the prism of a shared set of values (Coors & Wayne, 2005). Q7 Part (b) A discourse that seeks to persuade or convince is not made up of an accumulation of disorderly arguments, indefinite in number; on the contrary, it requires an organization of selected arguments

Ancient Greek Theater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ancient Greek Theater - Essay Example While ancient Greek theatre went through a number of incarnations there are a number of factors that remained consistent or thematic throughout its reign. In terms of staging, generally large theatrical spaces were constructed as the audience numbered as much as fourteen thousand individuals (Freund 2000). Quite notably the acoustical dimensions of these ancient Greek stages had to be constructed in a way that carried sound extremely favorably, as this was a pivotal aspect of catering to the sizeable crowds. Indeed, it has been noted that the Greek acoustic systems in these stages is in line with state of the art acoustic systems in the contemporary environment. In terms of seating the first opening seats were wooden, and this was followed by stone seating for the majority of the theatre audience. Later in the development of the theatre a back wall was placed onto the stage to add dimension and various theatrical elements to the productions. This wall also allowed for costume changes behind the scenes. In terms of content, Greek theatre spanned a wide range of theatrical concepts. Aristotle famously outlined a number of these genres, detailing what constituted comedy from tragedy (Lesky 1965). Still, Ancient Greek theatre is perhaps most remembered for it seminal tragedies. Among the most notable, Sophocles and Aeschylus constructed tragic dramas that explored elements of the human condition in great depth and consideration. Today these theatrical productions continued to be studied and remembered for the continued insight they provide into life, as well their dramatic form of artistry. Considering the actors in the plays, it was a custom that only men in masks be admitted into the productions. It follows that there was not a star-system as one finds in the contemporary Hollywood or Broadway climate, but rather a string of actors that were at best remotely popular for their skill and dexterity. Still, all audiences watched the plays. While the nobility generall y received privileged seating arrangements there was not a division between high and low culture or class in terms of who viewed the plays. One of the central aspects of these productions was the use of masks. The use of masks in these Greek productions was most likely a holdover from an earlier theatrical era. The tradition came such that all actors were adorned in masks throughout the production. The mask was so all-encompassing that there only existed holes for the face and head, in-effect covering the entire face of the actor as a means of obscuring their identity. This allowed for the greater emergence of the character the actor was playing to be seen. The lack of emotion in the masks and the obscuring of identity also functioned as means of allowing the audience to project onto the characters their own unconscious emotions and identity, in-effect making the theatrical productions that much more engrossing and interactive (Harsh 1944). There were unique masks created for partic ular characters and emotions which also contributed to the play through the multi-varied nature of the production. In terms of costumes there were a number of unique elements that are worth considering. The actors in tragic character positions were adorned with boots referred to as cothumuses. These elements give the actors extra height and elevation in comparison to the other players. The actors who played comedic

Creativity and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Creativity and Innovation - Essay Example It results from lack of an income and the various gender biases that represent themselves in the society. The high incidence of poverty among women is attributed to the lone motherhoods evident in most countries of the globe. These women in poverty have little or no access to quality health care services and resources. Several factors affect this condition of feminization of poverty. These factors place women at the highest risks of poverty in the world. Despite the fact that low income is the main trigger of this condition, there are many interrelated factors of this condition (Costa 2008). Lone or single mothers are at the highest risk since their single income is insufficient to rear children. As a result, the3 possibility of the children to have a good education and better nourishment is reduced significantly. Low income results from the bias in most places to women as they try to search for formal employment. This cycle goes on and on deepening poverty among the women. Due to the increased number of unmarried women, it is important to examine their diverse causes of poverty. Moreover, poverty is often multi-dimensional thus economic, socio-cultural factors and demographic factors correlate to establish poverty. It is one phenomenon with various roots and manifestations. Lack of income is the primary reason why there are prevalent cases of poverty among women. Lack of a source of income leads such women to lack the basic needs (Chant 2006). It prevents them from attaining resources and converting their monetary resources into various levels of functioning. Women who have access to a higher income are able to access capabilities, which may significantly increase their income. Due to women earning less than men in some cases do, they lack access to basic education levels and quality education thus reducing their chances of earning a higher income. Deprivation of higher income passes on from one women generation

Website evaluation example Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Website evaluation example - Essay Example What is the site's purpose? Is it to provide educational resources, foster communication among scientists, raise money, increase political clout, or generate support for a special interest group If the site is sponsored by a special interest groupThe site is designed to raise awareness amongst individuals of the society about volunteerism. It gives them a guide how they can help the individuals who are in need and have suffered because of the calamities. The help generated through this can be in terms of money or manpower. It may ask the individuals living in this society to come forward and lend a hand in reviving from a disaster. Individuals of all sorts are asked for help through this site and it tells even how the disabled can come and volunteer.This site can play a huge role in reviving volunteerism amongst the individuals of the society and can make them aware of the situation of the people suffering. It aims at telling the people of how they can support by donating money or ma npower to the ones who have suffered. Volunteerism is a very important step in reviving a particular area from a disastrous state and this site is aimed at reviving the area from the disastrous state. Volunteerism is increased through many ways by this site.The site is likely to be used by common civilians living in the society. Through this site are aimed people who can matter in the society. Each and every individual of the society is targeted through the site as it tells all the individuals as to how they can volunteer for a particular cause. Even the disabled civilians of the society are targeted through this site and as to how they can matter in volunteering. WHEN was the site copyrighted and when was it last updated At the bottom of most web sites, you can find the copyright date and often a note of when it was last updated. This will give a sense of how well the site is maintained, how current the information is and how reliable the links will be. The site is copyrighted in the year 2008 and was last updated on 22nd October 2008. Evaluation of the Resource: Here you should be prepared to state your opinion of the site. This is a site maintained by the government legislature and it has the capability of attracting individuals towards volunteerism. It not only can attract them but also can help get the needy grants through its maintenance. Information is given on the site regarding different grants being given to the people. Thus it can be concluded that the site is very useful in serving the society. Step 2 Where: It is an official website of the specialized organization maintained by the UN. What: The site is aimed to aware people of different health issues affecting the whole world. The organizations site tells about different programs having been launched in different countries all over the world. It gives out different graphs and statistics which tells as to which disease has been eradicated or which disease has been on the rising. Where: This is an official website of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. What: This comprehensive website provides links to useful information and training programs aimed at the general public, firefighters and Emergency Management Personnel. How: The website is supported by the United Nations and can be a great useful tool in avoiding diseases prevailing in this world. It is funded by the UN and supports different programs

Statistics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statistics - Coursework Example A marketing manager of a well-known bookstore in the UK conducted a survey measuring customers’ loyalty. Customers’ Loyalty was measured with one question on an ordinal scale from 1 to 10, with lower values indicating less strength and higher values greater strength. The manager also took details on their gender. The manager performed a t-test to examine whether there was an association between the variables loyalty and gender. The results are shown below. The difference between the means is evidently significantly low at 0.86. However, from the test results, the p value 0.0002 is less compared to the significance level of 0.05. For this reason, we reject the null hypothesis. We may thus conclude that loyalty may be associated with gender. It means that the difference between the mean loyalty level of males and the mean loyalty level of the females is 0.86. That is mean of male group minus mean of female group is -0.86. The negative sign shows that the mean of the female group is higher than the mean of the male

Production Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Production Management - Essay Example According to Hill (1991), ‘The production/operations management (POM) task is concerned with the transformation process which takes inputs and converts them into outputs, together with the various support functions closely associated with this basic task’ (cited Brown, 2000; p.7). Such transformation processes can be applied to three main categories, materials, customers and information. Brown (2000) describes that Production Management encompasses the most vital activities of production, beginning from and including, planning and design, production processes of goods and services, and also effective integration of marketing, finance, human resources management and strategy in order to enable a business to enter and compete with both new and existing markets. In other words, a business’s success and sustainability largely depend on the operational capabilities, including efficiency and quality. Production management is a comprehensive phenomenon including distinct and complex activities that need to be performed in order to achieve a firm’s goals. Besides the processes itself, there is a strategic aspect linked to the production management process, without which aligning production processes with the firm’s actual goals, tracking performance of the firm and its processes, and gaining profits become difficult or even impossible. The entire production management can be illustrated in the following manner: Each of these activities requires planning in great detail. The present discussion will be focused on production process in a normal readymade clothes manufacturing unit. Although the focus is on production process, it should be noted that production process is further dependent on the other functions, i.e. strategic planning and tactical planning. For instance, the raw materials required for the production process are procured from

Economic Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Depression - Essay Example Economists and policymakers are concerned with these fluctuations and their effects to the economy. A typical business cycle goes through the stages of peak, recession, trough and recovery. Each stage of the business cycle shows the effects of fluctuations in the level of output and employment in the economy. During peak stage, the economy is near or at full capacity, as reflected by high level of output, rising prices and full employment. This is usually followed by a recession which if severe and prolonged causes economic depression. Recessions are as irregular as they are common (Mankiw 1997). At this stage, there is a decline in the total output, income, employment and trade. This results from the contraction of the business activities of the sectors in the economy. Because of these downfall, the general price level is also likely to fall and if the economy cannot recover from this period, economic depression will occur. Economists continue to debate about the causes of economic depression. They argued that it is due to decline in spending on goods and services because of the decline income. Their view uses the spending hypothesis as their explanation. This hypothesis blames the uncertainty about future growth that makes consumers consume less and save more of their incomes. This is what exactly the problem of China now.

Psychology and Teaching Assistant Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Teaching Assistant Essay 1.1 Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role. The teaching assistant role includes working under the guidance of the teacher, supporting teaching and learning in the school nursery through group activities. I am able to devise learning activity plans also and also spontaneous learning activities which occur through play and other immediate learning activities. The learning assistant role also includes administration, wall displays, food preparation, leading activities with smaller and larger groups, and also individual work. Listening and talking with the children and offering support in social and emotional development as well as curriculum activity development. It is necessary to promote positive behaviours and deal with any negative behaviour in a professional manner. It is also necessary to promote equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion. It is necessary to build professional relationships with the children and also with other work colleagues. Assessment on a formative or summative basis is also part of the role. The teaching assistant role also includes effective safeguarding, and health and safety of the children and also the learning environment all contributes to a happy place, that is a safe and healthy place to learn within. 1.2 Explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards. There is a list of standards for school support staff depending on the role. The National Occupational Standards for Teaching Assistants offers guidance of competent performance. Some schools ask teaching assistants to complete the National Association of Professional Teaching Assistants. There are also local and national guidelines for codes of practice. 2.1 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided. Reflective practice is actually reflective learning and then putting this learning into future practice. It is essential to reflect over activities and other things that have happened and work out if they worked out well, or did not work out well. Why? And what can be improved. It is a continual thinking process to strive for improvements. It is important to self-assess and assess situations by reflecting on them and then putting ideas/plans forward to progress from that event. It is good to  be able to discuss thoughts and ideas with colleagues to then identify areas of strengths and those that need further development. Reflective practice includes reflecting on own role when supporting children learning. It also includes managing children’s behaviour and planning and assessing and also feedback. Reflective practice also includes working with colleagues and other adults and professional development. 2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice. If the teaching assistant is a religious person, then there may be personal conflict with been expected to take part or support learners in other religions activities. If the teaching assistant has no religion, then it is likely to be easi er to support learning activities and personally be rather passive about the belief part of the religion, and just concentrate on the knowledge part of the religion. Own beliefs, and values and experiences shape the way a person is and so facing and taking part in activities about other beliefs, values and experiences can enhance learning and understanding depending on how flexible in thought and attitude the individual actually is. A person who is less flexible in thought and attitude may find that the taking part in activities of other beliefs, values and experiences can be a very challenging experience. 3.1 Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards. It is essential to reflect on learning activities that you have taken part in with the children and then compare with the national occupation of standards to see if you meet what is required. By working through and addressing areas of performance a person can begin to improve their practice. There are 69 units of the National Occupational Standards. These describe the skills and knowledge that teaching assistants need to do their job effectively. Teaching assistants and other support staff roles do not need to cover all 69, they just need to cover the ones which relate to their work environment. (see table attached regarding the relevant standards and my evaluation of own performance and understanding) 3.2 Explain how you would demonstrate use of feedback to evaluate own performance and inform development. Consider the feedback fully and then reflect on own performance to see if you can accommodate the feedback to make effective improvements to own performance to then be able to put this into further practice. Constructive feedback is best to work from and can aid professional development as well as additional training  opportunities. The assessment forms from tutor observed sessions in the workplace can highlight strengths and also areas that need some improvement. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development. Sources of support can come from other work colleagues, teaching assistants and teaching staff and also tutors if on further college courses. The planning and reviewing cycle is not unlike that of the planning and assessment cycle which a teaching assistant is part of in the working environment. There are also online materials and also books which can be used to aid learning in order to develop planning and reviewing abilities. The school system for employees would be to use formal and informal support and appraisal meetings with senior management. College staff for those on college courses can also be part of this support system. Inset/training days for staff are a way of gaining support for planning as information is pooled and new ideas and methods are put into operation. Da ta may be logged in a milestones format for reflection and further development. 4.2 Explain how you would demonstrate how to work with others to review and prioritise own learning needs, professional interests and development opportunities. The school appraisal system for employees is a way of assisting staff to consider their own professional performance on a frequent basis. This process needs to be a positive and non-threatening one to be at its most effective. A line manager may do this process for a general teaching assistant, whereas the schools SENCO is likely to do this for a teaching assistant with one to one supportive roles for a child or children with SEN. 4.3 Explain how you would demonstrate how to work with others to agree own personal development plan. A personal development plan is a plan to improve professional practice. The appraisal system and other formal and also informal feedback on a person’s professional development all contribute along with own reflective assessments of actual working experience. There will be opportunity for training in the working environment and also external training events which can be added into the personal development plan. The initial in employment training is the induction course for teaching assistants and also opportunities for other training to take place. These will cover areas such as behaviour management, SEN, and also supporting numeracy and literacy, and learning intervention schemes such as extra literacy and extra numeracy support training to be able to implement  these programmes effectively with children who need extra support. 5.1 Evaluate how learning activities have affected practice. Practice has been affected by learning activities with extended experience. Using the learning from these experiences it has helped to shape and develop abilities and new experiences have provided opportunity to try out and reflect upon. Observing and working with other colleagues have affected practice in offering ideas previously not thought of, to use and develop into own professional practice. All learning activities have provided opportunity for reflection and then personal development with copying and continuing good practice throughout. Just as the children learn from direct experience and from each other and build/scaffold on these experiences, teaching assistants also follow the same process. 5.2 Explain how reflective practice has led to improved ways of working. Reflective practice is the key to effective learning. Reflective learning is a powerful tool and can be gained from self-reflection and including feedback from others to reflect upon. It is personal assessment and this can be used to find out what went well and what needs working on. Work colleagues and training can also aid learning as we learn from each other. Observation of other more experienced staff such as other teaching assistants and the teachers can offer food for thought, and then the person can try out these newly observed methods observed to improve ways of working with learners across the school years. Reflection on good practice has led to personal development in this role by developing new ideas based on the good practice already experienced. 5.3 Show how to record progress in relation to personal development (see enclosed CV) It is a good idea to have an achievements file where all the qualifications and other awards and certificates are all placed into the file, in groups and date order. A detailed CV can also include the most essential qualifications as well as other personal information and employment and voluntary experienced logged in chronological order. I update my CV frequently and also adapt it per type of job role that I am applying for and update my achievements file and keep in in good order.