A Pastor Is Not The Only Person Who Is Responsible For...

A pastor is not the only person who is responsible for controlling their nonverbals. A good suggestions for all believers is to â€Å"use words if necessary.† This suggestion revolves around the idea actions should communicate the gospel clearly. The result of less words in a message is a stronger message. People are not going to need explanation if everything done aligns with the gospel. For example if a person shares good news with a friend, the response which is expected is one of joy. If all that is seen is a fake smile or sense of disinterest the actions are no longer backing up the gospel message. The gospel message is damaged, and the words are no longer going to carry the same weight they would have if the body language communicated the same message. Every believer must come to understand how important body language and facial expression are to living the gospel. The more confusing our body language becomes the more likely it becomes for the gospel message to be destro yed. There is up to 700,000 different body motions which can be made, but only a few are appropriate at a given time. Discernment is needed to make sure motions convey the inner feelings, therefore creating the desired effect. Scripture is clear on the negative affects of nonverbal communication. Proverbs 6:12-13 states â€Å"A troublemaker and a villain,who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers.† In this passage it is pointed outShow MoreRelatedWhat Are Nonverbal Communication?1799 Words   |  8 Pagescommunication process, is learning and understanding nonverbal communication. This silent form of communication needs to be mastered by all people wanting to become a communicator or a leader in a ministry. Loving well is a principle established by being able to communicate and relate to people. Part of this is learning how to read the nonverbals of another person and how to properly make use of nonverbals in a message. This paper helps to define what nonverbal communication is, why they are so importantRead MoreCommunications 101 Notes3279 Words   |  14 Pagesand listeners must be aware of plagiarism †¢ Speakers and listeners must establish a method for note taking Comm 101 9/6 Ethics and Morality †¢ Ethics comes from the Greek ethos (character). - Pertains to the individual character of a person or persons †¢ Morality comes from the Latin moralis (custom/manners) - Pertains to the relationship between human beings A working definition of Ethics †¢ Ethics basically deals with human reltionships – how human beings treat other beings – (establishingRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSmile† All Around the World? 108 Self-Assessment Library What’s My Emotional Intelligence Score? 115 An Ethical Choice Schadenfreude 120 Point/Counterpoint Sometimes Blowing Your Top Is a Good Thing 122 Questions for Review 121 Experiential Exercise Who Can Catch a Liar? 123 Ethical Dilemma Happiness Coaches for Employees 123 Case Incident 1 Is It Okay to Cry at Work? 124 Case Incident 2 Can You Read Emotions from Faces? 124 S A L S A L 5 Personality and Values 131 PersonalityRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesCharge 67 Business Necessity 68 Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications 68 Seniority Systems 68 Selected Relevant Supreme Court Cases 69 Cases Concerning Discrimination 69 Cases Concerning Reverse Discrimination 71 ETHICAL ISSUES IN HRM: English-Only Rules 72 Enforcing Equal Opportunity Employment 72 The Role of the EEOC 72 Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) 73 Current Issues in Employment Law 74 What Is Sexual Harassment? 74 Are Women Reaching the Top of Organizations? 75 DID

Eth/125 Week6 - 1601 Words

University of Phoenix Material Quiz 3 This is a multiple choice/short answer quiz and each item is worth 1.5 points for a total of 60 points. There is only one correct response for each numbered item, and you should use Schaefer (2012) to determine the best response. For multiple choice questions, type the letter of the correct answer next to the corresponding question number on the answer sheet. For short answer responses, type your answer next to the corresponding question number. Review your work prior to submission and make sure you have responded to all questions. Save your work and submit the Quiz Answer Sheet only to the Assignments Link. 1. ________ refers to the practice of immigrants sponsoring other immigrants who†¦show more content†¦a. conflict b. interactionist c. exchange d. functionalist 15. As a result of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act a. immigrants whether legal or illegal do not have access to benefits programs. b. border control and surveillance were increased. c. illegal immigrants do not qualify for social services. d. b c 16. Sinophobes are people with a. a tendency to stereotype ethnic minorities. b. a desire to expel racial minorities. c. a fear of anything associated with China. d. the desire to Christianize slaves. 17. Families in which one or more members is a citizen and one or more are noncitizens is known as a. combined-status b. compound-status c. varied-status d. mixed-status 18. Since World War II, the United States has granted refugee status as a group to Hungarians, Southeast Asians, and a. Cubans. b. Colombians. c. Canadians. d. Mexicans. 19. What is an asylee? a. Prospective immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. b. Anyone fleeing war or strife. c. People who have already entered the country and cannot return home due to persecution or fear of persecution. d. political prisoners. 20. Haitian refugees are returned to their country without asylum hearings

International HRM Function and Organisational Strategy n MNCs

Question: Discuss about theInternational HRM Function and Organisational Strategy n MNCs. Answer: Introduction Many organizations have required going global for the past decades, and this has become vital if they can survive in their developing global economy. There has been little attention that has been paid to the human resource management despite having an acknowledgment in regards to the problems and the high failure rates in the process of internationalization (Harzing, 2001). One of the causes of the failure is the lack of understanding and the implementation of the policies for the employee's transfer from one country to another. The primary reason for the success of the MNC is the capability to be able to move the HRM practices from their parent organization to the overseas subsidiary enterprises. Therefore they must decide on the management of their HRM policies as well as practices in the parent firms and the country to where they are planning to internationalize (Morris, Snell and Wright, 2006). Moreover, their decisions in regards to the strategy they are adopting need to be take n into the consideration even though it is standardized or localized it short be a blend of the two. In this essay, it will describe the challenges of integrating of the global HRM function as well as organizational strategy in the multinational organization. Further, it will identify how the changes could be managed effectively (Novicevic and Harvey, 2001). It will show the benefits and the disadvantages in which a group could face in the adaptation of these strategies, whether it is a global integration or perhaps a local responsiveness. Additionally, the essay will examine on whether the decisions have been made on a decentralized level or centralized level (Paauwe and Boselie, 2003). To conclude, it will focus on the role of the human resource professional in delivering the global strategy to invest, design as well as provide on the HR practices. Today many companies are operation at international levels due to the increase in globalization as well as the aspect of easy mobility and communication between countries. The principal purpose of the organizations that are operating at international boundaries is for the management of the different stresses of the drive for the integration and differentiation (Rosenzweig, 2006). Moreover, the international human resource has the same activities as the national human resource administration in areas such as planning and staffing. Nonetheless, the domestic HRM is usually operated in one nation while the international human resource is exploited in many countries. The IHRM is usually a branch of management studies which aims at examining the design and the effects of enterprises human resource practices in the cross-cultural contexts. The IHRM occupies a position in the interstices of the international business, human resource management as well as organizational behaviors (Scullion an d Starkey, 2000). Theoretical studies have explored that academic studies explain that international HRM is the interplay in regards to three dimensions which are human resource activities, individuals being employed in the organization and the different countries that the group is operating (Scullion and Starkey, 2000). These complexities which differentiate these variables is what makes a difference between international human resource management and the domestic HRM. The Concept of the IHRM The IHRM has been defined broadly as the set of distinct activities, the functions as well as the processes which are aimed at drawing, acquiring along with sustaining the multinational human resources (Sheehan, 2005). This idea is a combination of the numerous system of the human resource management that is used to manage people in the MNC, at home and even overseas. International business is certainly one wherein the operations are taken subsidiaries in overseas and rely on the business expertise of the parent company (Stahl, Miller and Tung, 2002) .These organization when they are set abroad they bring their management attitudes and the business cycles. The human resource manager of these organization has not ignored the international influence on the work they do. The IHRM is vital in the provision of a solution to the global business issues. Theorist have explained that IHRM can be regarded as an extendable of HR which is concerned with owning people functioning overseas (Storey, 2007). These individuals might be expatriate staff that are selected from or maybe work within their home countries or even from the several country nationals. Functions of International Human Resource Management in MNCs The major role of the IHRM entails recruitment and selection, development and training, labor relations, recruitment and selection and performance evaluation (Taylor, 2007). On recruitment and selection, the organization usually employ new and qualified individuals for international operations. The selection process entails choosing from a pool of people whose qualification closely matches the requirements of a given job. Staffing aspect is usually a complex function for the IHRM. The global organization is often faced with the problem of managing and staffing function in that it affects the type of candidate are preferred by the company. In essence, an organization that uses ethnocentric approach, the parent country nationals prefer to staff dominant positions at headquarters and subsidiaries. In the aspect of recruiting and selection methods, these firms prefer the practices of the headquarters to be widespread in the countries of the subsidiaries (Sheehan, 2005). The aspect of the local culture has gained a great impact on the practices of recruiting and selection. Nonetheless, in some countries, their local laws usually requires them to use the specific approach in choosing the right candidate. Thus they are expected to make a balance in regards to internal corporate consistency and the sensitivity to the local labor practices. Another important role of IHRM in MNC is to the development and training that is usually aimed in the offering of the sufficient training to the personnel in the company and enable them to be able to fulfill their goals, better performance, and growth in the workplace (Sheehan, 2005). On the global perspective, the human resource development experts are responsible for training and developing of workers who are located at the subsidiaries across the globe; there is a specialized training that is undertaken in preparing them for assignment abroad. Performance evaluation is another important aspect in MNC. This function is usually cond ucted by the administration or perhaps development intentions. The administration often performs assessment especially when they are in doubt on the performance of a given candidate and when they need to determine the working conditions of the employees, promotion aspect, rewards, and layoffs (Scullion and Starkey, 2000). Another point of IHRM is on the issue of benefits and the remuneration. This plays a significant role in the hiring of new employees since pay is the major source of why individuals live in the world. In the development of an international system of compensation as well as benefits the MNCs usually, have concerns. One of them is an issue of comparability. A system for payment that is good usually disperses the salaries to the workers that are internally equivalent as well as competitive within the marketplace. The second concern is an issue of cost. Many MNCs usually struggle in the reduction of the expenses, primarily payroll. Finally on the major concern of the M NC is the problem of labor relations. It describes the role of the management and the workers in the workplace. In most of the cases, it is the government that regulates on the labor relations practices (Rosenzweig, 2006). The international approach to the human resource management requires many steps. There is a need for explicit recognition by the parent organization, particularly when there is a need to reflect on some of the assumptions as well as values of the home culture. Organizations need to amend in their traditional ways for the management of people. The human aspect is acknowledged as the major factor to the success of the team. In the multinational companies, their major objective in regards to the human resource management functions is to make certain on the most efficient use is rendered on the human resource. In achievement of this, the human resource professional usually embark on a vast variety of activities such as sourcing , the growth , reward and performance ma nagement , and employee security as well as communications (Novicevic and Harvey, 2001) . In case the company possesses an important human resource function these routines will support as well as notify on the organizational technique. The human resource professional is normally utilized extensively in the adjustments in organizations and initiatives for the growth (Harzing, 2001). In the MNCs, the HR actions need to be coordinated each at home country as well as at different national subsidiaries looking at the necessity of parent country national, the host countries and third Nationals. Figure 1: The figure below shows the international human resource management Organizational Strategy of International Human Resource in MNCs To respond to the challenges in the business, IHRM is forced to formulate strategies as well as the practices which will make the firms successful. On a macro level, the global strategy of HRM general to ensuring that the enterprise's overarching value, goals, as well as objectives, are catered for by the human resource policies, practices, and the procedures (Festing and Eidems, 2011). On the meso level, the executive of the human resource are concerned in dealing with the issues that relate to the unions more so the host country. The micro level, the executives of the human resource, are attempting to foster a mindset that is global among the workforce through the development of the human resource competencies and the business related issues. In the implementation of the IHR strategy, the management team usually ascertain on the current and the intended nature of operations of the organization in the international levels. It is the work of the managers to determine the extent to wh ich the human resource policies as well as practices to be standardized based on the overall strategy of the organizations. They are responsible for accessing extent to which the culture, economic, political, and the statutory factors will impinge on the attempts to applying of the standard human resource if integration is the key element in the organizational strategy. Moreover, there is need to ensure there is a computerized database of the global human resource when integration is required. In the process of integration, it is recommended, to work with the senior management to manage to determine the competencies that are needed to attain the global goals of the organizations (Harzing, 2001). Additionally it is vital that you work with national human resource managers , in the composition of the International Human resource policies as well as practices particularly in regions of sourcing , reward and the develop. Challenges of Integrating International Human Resource Management Function in MNCs The major problem for the MNCs is the need to achieve the target about the aspect of competing demands of the global integration and coordination versus the local responsiveness (Festing and Eidems, 2011). The main challenges of the IHRM include the failure rates of the expatriation as well as repatriation, deployment, getting the right skill mixes in the firm in regards to the geographical location, knowledge as well as innovation dissemination. Additionally, there could be challenges to the labor laws, different political climate and the various values and attitudes (Farndale, Scullion and Sparrow, 2010). The IHRM issues include the extent to which the human resource policy and practices could vary in different countries, the problems of managing individuals in various cultures and environments, aspect for selecting, deployment, development and the reward expatriates who might be nationals from the parent company. Culture and environmental diversity have been the main problem assoc iated with the international human resource management (De Cieri, Cox and Fenwick, 2007). According to Haley stated that culture in which individuals are emphasized, its the quality of the relationships internationally that are vital. Further, where cultures are regarded as the ideologies emphasize, sharing the common belief is more significant than the membership of the group (De Cieri, Cox and Fenwick, 2007). Other challenges are faced by MNCs in implementing of IHRM functions such as management of the international assignments, workers and the family adjustment, selection of the right individual for the international task, culture as well as communication barriers. The staffing policy is a significant challenge for the IHRM. The success of an organization relies on identifying as well as attracting competitive applicants through the process of recruitment. Nonetheless, this process was difficult to draw a significant number of the candidate. The relation in regards to attracting, recruitment, development and reward are competitive factors to the elaboration of a global talent management (Budhwar and Sparrow, 1997). Other aspects such as lack of the motivation, and the skills have decreased the strategic value of the multinational corporation. Lastly, the aspect of the international compensation systems is a challenge for the integration of IHRM functions which requires having international dialogue and collaboration. Conclusion The international human resource management has a significant role in the survival of the MNCs to survive in the global business. The human resource management usually scrutinizes on the process by which the international firms manages on their human resource across different national contexts regarding procuring , utilization and effectiveness in using of human resources in the multinational corporation whilst balancing the integration along with demarcation of the actions of the human resource in foreign locations . International human resource management helps the organization to remodel and plays the role of an innovator. The HRM professionals have begun to frame their research in regards to the theories of the structure and increased on international context to extend the use of these methods. References Budhwar, P.S. and Sparrow, P.R., 1997. Evaluating levels of strategic integration and devolvement of human resource management in India. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(4), pp.476-494. De Cieri, H., Cox, J.W. and Fenwick, M., 2007. A review of international human resource management: Integration, interrogation, imitation. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9(4), pp.281-302. Farndale, E., Scullion, H. and Sparrow, P., 2010. The role of the corporate HR function in global talent management. Journal of World Business, 45(2), pp.161-168. Festing, M. and Eidems, J., 2011. A process perspective on transnational HRM systemsA dynamic capability-based analysis. Human Resource Management Review, 21(3), pp.162-173. Harzing, A.W., 2001. An analysis of the functions of international transfer of managers in MNCs. Employee Relations, 23(6), pp.581-598. Morris, S.S., Snell, S.A. and Wright, P.M., 2006. A resource-based view of international human resources: Toward a framework of integrative and creative capabilities. Handbook of research in international human resource management, pp.433-448. Novicevic, M.M. and Harvey, M., 2001. The changing role of the corporate HR function in global organizations of the twenty-first century. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(8), pp.1251-1268. Paauwe, J. and Boselie, P., 2003. Challenging strategic HRMand the relevance of the institutional setting. Human Resource Management Journal, 13(3), pp.56-70. Rosenzweig, P.M., 2006. The dual logics behind international human resource management: Pressures for global integration and local responsiveness. Handbook of research in international human resource management, pp.36-48. Scullion, H. and Starkey, K., 2000. In search of the changing role of the corporate human resource function in the international firm. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(6), pp.1061-1081. Sheehan, C., 2005. A model for HRM strategic integration. Personnel Review, 34(2), pp.192-209. Stahl, G.K., Miller, E.L. and Tung, R.L., 2002. Toward the boundaryless career: A closer look at the expatriate career concept and the perceived implications of an international assignment. Journal of World Business, 37(3), pp.216-227. Storey, J., 2007. Human resource management: A critical text. Cengage Learning EMEA. Taylor, S., 2007. Creating social capital in MNCs: the international human resource management challenge. Human Resource Management Journal, 17(4), pp.336-354.

Western History

The epic of Gilgamesh is a fascinating must-read chef-d’oeuvre featuring the king Gilgamesh of Uruk and his companion and friend, Enkidu. The work is a reflection of the social values. Religion is a key social value depicted in the Sumerian society. There is the presence of gods and goddesses who have power over the mortal world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Western History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gilgamesh’s words confirm this when he says, â€Å"Where is the man who can clamber to heaven? Only the gods live for ever with glorious Shamash† (George 7). There are also temples in the society like the one in Enlil, as well as religious rituals. After the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh sets on a quest to find immortality. He travels in search of his ancestor, Uta-naphishtim, who possesses the secrets of immortality. There is a belief in the after life. In fact, he wants to know â€Å"truly, how†¦to enter the company of the gods†¦to possess everlasting life?† (George 18). Friendship is also a social value in the society. Gilgamesh and Enkidu form a strong bond of friendship between them. Together, they embark on a heroic journey to the Cedar forest and beyond. Antigone is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Spiritual matters take a center stage in Theban society. There are numerous references to various Greek gods. There is a reference to Hades, Zeus and Apollo. In the beginning, Sophocles says â€Å"justice who dwells with the gods beneath the earth† (Sophocles 11). The gods take a pivotal position in the Theban society. The story revolves around the issue of whether Polynices should get a proper burial according to the laws of the gods. Antigone elevates the religious laws above the state laws. Leadership in the society is another social value depicted in the play. Creon as the king offers defective and inconsistent leadership. He grudg ingly orders Polynices not to get an apposite burial, an important ritual in the society, thus, punishing Antigone for doing it. Family honor is another social value displayed in the play Antigone. Antigone’s desire to bury her brother sets her on a collision path with Creon. She has the determination to protect her brother’s honor and that of her family. In fact, she must act to please â€Å"those that are dead† (Sophocles 77), as they hold more weight than the ruler does. She even tells her that they must do it out of their sisterhood and love even if it means going against their ruler. Creon, on his refusal, appears to be to protecting his family’s honor by punishing those against him in the war.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The last days of Socrates feature a group of dialogues by Plato on the trial of the eminent Greek philosopher Socrates on charges of corrupting the minds of the youth. Immortality and afterlife is a dominant social value in the dialogues. Socrates argues that the soul exists before birth and after death. He does not fear death by virtue that it is not the end of the soul but only to the body. He even refutes the idea of breaking away from jail. Religion and religious beliefs are a social value that dominates the dialogues. In fact, he faces accusations of not recognizing the gods, which he does. He says, â€Å"He believes that the gods are our guardians, and we men are chattel of theirs† (Plato 62b). He says that the oracle at Delphi told him that he was the wisest of all of the men. Socrates depicts ethics and personal principles when he refuses to compromise his beliefs. He eventually meets his demise by taking poison. The Athenian Jury had given him an option of jail and exile, which he declines. He is so steadfast that he could not break from jail, as it is against his principles. He also could not commit suicide, as it is against his beliefs. In fact, he says, â€Å"man ought not to kill himself because he possesses no actual ownership of himself, as he is the property of the gods† (Plato 62c). Beowulf is an English heroic epic that presents courage as a critical social value. Beowulf is a courageous hero. He manages to kill Grendel, a monster who had terrorized Geats, the mother of Grendel and the dragon. His courage enables him to kill Grendel, a monster that had been terrorizing the people. Religion is also a social value that is evident though not so strong. Beowulf is a pagan, a non-believer. Moreover, there is a mention of Almighty God (Haber 701) and the story of Cain and Abel. The author says about Grendel, â€Å"He dwelt for a time in misery among banished monsters, Cain’s clan, outlawed for killing Abel† (Haber 105-110). Grendel the monster, who terrorized the hall of Heorot after killing the sleeping soldiers, did not touch the throne of Hrooga r, as a powerful god protects it. The issue of right and wrong, strong and weak is strongly evident in the above works. Those who seek to do the right are virtuous, strong willed and courageous to meet the obstacles and death, as they stand by their principles (Buckler et al. 32). Socrates is wrongfully accused. He refuses to give in to his accusers and eventually meets his death. He dies for what he believes is the right. In fact, he could not even entertain the idea of breaking from jail, as it would cause more harm to the Athenians than it would do right to him. Antigone is determined to offer Polynices a commendable burial. For this, she faces the wrath of the king Creon. She succeeds in her quest but eventually meets her death. Eventually, the right triumphs over the wrong, although this comes at a cost, mainly death being the result.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Western History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strength and weakness are also dominant in epic stories. The heroes courageously do heroic deeds that are near impossible to help others. Gilgamesh manages to complete a heroic adventure where he defeats an ogre in the cedar forest to restore the supply of timber to the kingdom. He also defeats the bull of heaven sent by Ishtar to plague Uruk. Beowulf, on the other hand, defeats the monster Grendel and a dragon despite the fatal wounds that lead to his death. Religion and politics take a center stage in the societies depicted in the aforementioned stories. Each society is religious. There is the belief of existence of supreme beings in all the stories. Religion assumes a crucial part in the lives of the characters’ decisions and day-to-day lives. Characters try to demystify immortality and afterlife. They want to do the will of the gods by going considerable lengths of consulting the oracles and performing rituals. They have build temples for worship of the gods. Poli tics plays a foremost role in the societies depicted by organization of government with kings in the societies. The rule of law is evident based on the presence of juries to uphold justice as evident in the case of Socrates. Wars fought control the societies and hence the leadership of the society. The role of women in the societies depicted in the stories is a minimal one as compared to that of men. They appear in the periphery of societies. The only woman who plays a chief role is Antigone who is the main character and protagonist. She is courageous, resilient and does not fear death. Mesopotamians, Greeks and Western Europeans value courage and wisdom. Various heroes like Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu achieve a monumental feat, overcoming main obstacles by defeating creatures sent by the gods. Beowulf defeated Grendel, a monster, and later a dragon. Antigone depicted courage by antagonizing King Creon and going against his rule. Socrates was courageous, as he faced the prospect of death, though he stood steadfast and died for his beliefs. Wisdom is present in these societies. The heroes and heroines use their wisdom to overcome their obstacles. Socrates displayed much wisdom in his arguments for his defense. In fact, he claims that an oracle had told him that he was the wisest of all men. This gives the reason behind his trial in a bid to silence him by sentencing him to death. Nevertheless, he happily embraced it as a means to immortality. Death is also present in the end of the stories. Death is inevitable to all. It is the stage to the afterlife. People must perform proper burial rituals to the dead. This is the source of conflict in the story. Of all heroes, Antigone, Gilgamesh, Creon, amongst others mentioned in the paper, Socrates is the most appealing and most difficult according to me. He is intelligent and extraordinarily courageous. He puts across exceptionally thoughtful arguments in his defense. He is also remarkably philosophical, which makes him also extremely difficult to identify and understand.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Buckler, John, MacKay, John, and Hill, Bennett. A history of western society.10.Volume  A. New York: Bedford-St. Martins’, 2011. George, Andrew. Epic of Gilgamesh. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1993. Haber, Tom. A Comparative Study of the Beowulf and the Aeneid. New Jersey: Princeton University, 1931. Plato. The last days of Socrates. New York: Free Press, 1901. Sophocles. Antigones. London, Routledge, 1999. This essay on Western History was written and submitted by user Eric Pickett to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Iq Testing

IQ Testing The task of trying to calculate a person’s intelligence has been a goal of psychologists since before the beginning of this century. The Binet-Simon scales were first proposed in 1905 in Paris, France and various sorts of tests have been evolving ever since. One of the important concerns that always arise regarding these tools is what are the tests really measuring? Are they measuring a person’s intelligence? Their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Or just some arbitrary quantity of the person’s IQ? In this paper I will try and answer some of these concerns. When probing the situations around which IQ tests are given and the content of the tests themselves, it becomes apparent that however useful the tests may be for standardizing a group’s intellectual ability, they are not always the best indicator of intelligence. To issue a truly standardized test, the testing environment should be the same for everyone involved. If anything has been learned from the psychology of perception, it is clear that a person’s environment has a great deal to do with their cognitive abilities. Is the light flickering? Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Is the chair uncomfortable? Or even worse, are the individuals ill that day? To test a person’s mind, it is essential to employ their body in the procedure. If everyone is placed in different conditions during the testing, how is the test expected to get standardized results. Therefore it’s because of this assumption that everyone will perform equally independent of his or her environment. Intelligence test scores are skewed and cannot be viewed as standardized, and definitely not as an example of a person’s intelligence. It is obvious that a person’s intelligence stems from a variety of traits. A few that are often tested are reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spatial relations. But this is not all that goes into it. What abo... Free Essays on Iq Testing Free Essays on Iq Testing IQ Testing The task of trying to calculate a person’s intelligence has been a goal of psychologists since before the beginning of this century. The Binet-Simon scales were first proposed in 1905 in Paris, France and various sorts of tests have been evolving ever since. One of the important concerns that always arise regarding these tools is what are the tests really measuring? Are they measuring a person’s intelligence? Their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Or just some arbitrary quantity of the person’s IQ? In this paper I will try and answer some of these concerns. When probing the situations around which IQ tests are given and the content of the tests themselves, it becomes apparent that however useful the tests may be for standardizing a group’s intellectual ability, they are not always the best indicator of intelligence. To issue a truly standardized test, the testing environment should be the same for everyone involved. If anything has been learned from the psychology of perception, it is clear that a person’s environment has a great deal to do with their cognitive abilities. Is the light flickering? Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Is the chair uncomfortable? Or even worse, are the individuals ill that day? To test a person’s mind, it is essential to employ their body in the procedure. If everyone is placed in different conditions during the testing, how is the test expected to get standardized results. Therefore it’s because of this assumption that everyone will perform equally independent of his or her environment. Intelligence test scores are skewed and cannot be viewed as standardized, and definitely not as an example of a person’s intelligence. It is obvious that a person’s intelligence stems from a variety of traits. A few that are often tested are reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spatial relations. But this is not all that goes into it. What abo...

How to Get a Job as an Online High School Teacher

How to Get a Job as an Online High School Teacher Teaching online high school courses can be a full-time profession or a rewarding way to supplement your income. New online high schools start up every year, and qualified online teachers are in high demand. Typically, virtual instructors are expected to monitor students in several courses, grade assignments, interact through message boards or emails, and be available when students have questions. The curriculum for online high school classes is often pre-determined by the school and online teachers are generally expected to follow a particular syllabus for each course. How to Qualify for Positions Teaching High School Online Online charter schools are publicly funded and must follow some state and federal guidelines. Generally, online teachers hired by charter schools must have a valid teaching credential for the state the school is based in. Private and college-sponsored schools have more flexibility in hiring, but they also tend to favor online teachers with credentials or an impressive work history. The best online high school teachers usually have classroom teaching experience, technological competency, and excellent written communication skills. Where to Find Online High School Teaching Jobs If you want to become an online high school teacher, start by looking for jobs locally. Contact the online charter schools in your district to see if they are hiring, send in your resume, and be prepared for an in-person interview.Next, take a look at online high schools that enroll students in multiple states. Large online charter and private schools generally accept applications through the internet. Programs such as K12 and Connections Academy have streamlined application processes. Finally, try applying individually to smaller online private schools throughout the nation. Some of these programs offer online job information; others require potential employees to research the appropriate contact info and make a few phone calls. How to Stand Out as a Potential Online High School Teacher Your application probably won’t be the only one sitting on the principal’s desk. Stand out from the crowd by emphasizing your teaching experience and your ability to work in an online environment.During the application process, keep deadlines and respond to phone calls and emails promptly. Keep emails professional but not overly formal or stuffy. Resolve any technical problems (such as email attachment issues or difficulty accessing online application materials) quickly. Since ​online teaching jobs are all about virtual communication, consider every interaction with the school an opportunity to prove yourself.

Environmental management and quality system Essay

Environmental management and quality system - Essay Example Some such efforts towards environmental protection made by the company are high quality insulation throughout the company premises, de-stratification fans that helps re-circulate high level warm air and aluminum framed double glazed window units. In addition, the company has recycling stations throughout the company premises. This helps them recycle nearly five tonnes of plastic every year. As a result of these steps, the company has reduced the amount of waste it sends to landfill sites by 53% between 2006 and 2007. The recycling projects recycle cardboard, plastic cups, paper, metal, wood and plastics (Press Exposure). The company has its own environmental policy that states that the company will try to meet and exceed the various environmental protection legislations by introducing minimisation, reuse, and recycling. For its excellent environmental management system, the company has won ISO14001:2004 certification. Also, following the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive guidelines, the company makes a contribution to the Product Recycling Fund. Thus, the environmental protection measures by Slingsby include making its manufacturing, warehousing and distributing centers effective through repairs and energy efficient systems, and improving office environment through the installation of ECA approved products. Also, there is waste management system that considerably reduces the disposal of wastes at landfill sites. In order to see that these measures are properly taken, there are meter reading, invoices, and other internal and external measures. A look into the concept of Quality Management proves that the purpose is to consistently meet or exceed customer requirements through management practices which will result in long term success through customer satisfaction. The company has already won ISO9001 that is the result of improvement of indirect operation by standardization. Admittedly, quality

Final Project Of Zirconium oxide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Project Of Zirconium oxide - Research Paper Example The flow chart shown below shows the process of Zirconium oxide production. The main raw material in the production of the nuclear-grade zirconium oxide is the zircon mineral (ZrSiO4) naturally occurring as zirconium sand. The zirconium sand consists of zirconium and hafnium whose properties are almost similar. Special separation techniques of precipitation, filtration and calcination are applied to separate the two products (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The production of zirconium oxide is broken down into three simple steps; extraction of zirconium sand, removal of wastes (including hafnium) and conversion of the resulting compound into the finished product (zirconium oxide free from hafnium). The separation of zirconium and hafnium occurs at temperature ranges of 650-700 degree Celsius (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The zirconium sand is mixed with K2SiF6. This converts the metal into K2ZrF6 which is soluble in water and K2HfF6. A sequential process of crystallization eliminates hafnium. The process results into pure form of K2ZrF6 which is ammonized to produce zirconium oxide. The production of 1kg of zirconia requires 0.7 kg of the zirconium metal that has to be extracted from the zirconium sand (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The by-products obtained from the process of zirconia extraction are washed away in water to the sea. These elements are not harmful to the environment. The other byproducts are sold for utilization in other industries like the refineries of magnesium. The final stage of zirconium oxidation into zirconia requires the use of steam. This is carried out at high temperatures (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The oxidation process is exothermic and yields substantial amounts of hydrogen. The equation for oxidation of zirconium is as shown. The production of zirconia utilizes energy in many forms. Electricity is used to heat up the reactors where separation of zirconium

Effects of video games on children Essay Example for Free

Effects of video games on children Essay Although video games can increase aggressive behavior, they can improve memory and logistical thinking, as well as teach perseverance. Over the course of the last few decades video games have been integrated into the lives of our children. Video games are very appealing to children of all ages, and even to some adults. There is a variety of video games out there, and they range from educational to very violent. Because of this diverse selection of video games, there is a wide range of positive and negative side effects that these games can have on children. Because a large percentage of our children’s time is spent playing video games, there has been a lot of research in recent years on the positive and negative effects these games have on them. â€Å"Among elementary and middle-school populations, girls play for an average of about 5. 5 hours/week and boys average 13 hours/week,† (Gentile, D. A. 2004). Teenagers also spend a time playing video games. According to Media Analysis Laboratory (1998),†Eighty percent of teens said they played at least occasionally and the average amount of time spent gaming for the sample was 5 hours per week† (para. 19). Video game play has become not only a leisurely pastime for children, but for families also. When parents are not involved in some of their game play the outcome can become a little scary. Children who play video games with their families have a more pro-social attitude compared to their counterparts who play alone. Children who are less social or somewhat anti-social tend to develop aggressive tendancies when spending long hours gaming alone especially when violent video games are involved. Video games have been shown to increase aggressive behavior in some children. Neubert, S. P. (2004) said, â€Å"Individuals high in hostility are more likely to become aggressive when exposed to violent video games. † â€Å"Games in which the only positive outcome is the violent demise of enemies reinforces anti-social behavior. Violent video games desensitize people to aggression,† (Neubert, S. P. , 2004). According to a study done by Douglas A. Gentile. References Media Analysis Laboratory (1998). Video game culture: Leisure and play preferences of B. C. teens. Retrieved from http://www. media-awareness. ca In-Text Citation 1. [Insert the paraphrased material] (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby B. C. , 1998). 2. The Media Analysis Laboratory (1998) website [Insert the paraphrased material]. 3. , [Insert the quotation]† (para. 19).

John Rocker :: essays research papers

"Imagine having to take the (No.) 7 train to (Shea Stadium) looking like you're (in) Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing. "The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners," the 25-year-old Georgia native said. "You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?" These were the words spoken from Atlanta Braves Pitcher John Rocker in a December issue of Sports Illustrated. Those powerful lines are what people are chatting over. "Should we forgive him, or should we throw him in jail"? Those are only a couple opinions that are swirling around on what Major League Baseball should do. I, in no way agree with what Mr. Rocker is saying, however he is being treated is fair. In order to fully understand where Mr. Rocker was coming from, we have to go back to the MLB Playoffs. The Cinderella New York Mets take the Braves into extra innings in the 5th game of the National League Playoffs. In comes John Rocker, bursting with energy to try and shut the Mets down and take the Braves to the World Series. The Mets had other ideas and laced a couple base hits off Rocker, which eventually lead to the homerun that ended the game. Then when the Braves made it to the World Series, Rocker faced more harsh words from the New York Yankee's fans. The yelling and objects cascaded down from the stands whenever Rocker was out there. This threw his game off, and once again the Braves got beat in the series 4 - 0. So What? The fans where not very affectionate to Rocker, that's their job. Rocker should be able to deal with it like a true sportsman. He had to turn around and offend every human that is not like him. Was it wrong? Yes. Did he apologize? Yes, at least a dozen tim es, but to some ethnic groups that have been wronged like this for hundreds of years, this is what they have been dealing with. 	 As the people's outrage became more evident, Bud Selig, the commissioner of MLB, got involved.

Why I Want to Be a Nurse

Why I decided to become a nurse. Growing up I always thought I would someday be a nurse. It was a dream that I always had. Knowing that it would be hard for mom and dad to afford, I considered enlisting into the army to get school and training paid for. As high school graduation got closer, I decided to â€Å"take a break† from school. So, I didn't go to college or enlist. When I started running low on funds, I decided to go to training to become a certified nurse's aide (cna). It didn't take long and cna jobs were plentiful in nursing homes. My first job was as a cna in a nursing home. I loved it, but it was hard work. Next, I got a job as a cna at Cabell Huntington Hospital on the med-surg floor. This reaffirmed the notion that I do love that kind of work. Pay was not bad either. At this time I was single so I made plenty enough money for me. I still wasn't ready to commit myself to school. The years passed by and my life began to take shape. I got pregnant with my first daughter, Jasmine in 1999. My son A. J came along in 2000. I decided to marry their daddy in 2001. Our last daughter Kiana was born in October of 2004. I stayed home with my kids for about 7 years but decided I needed to go back to the adult world. My sister talked me into going to massage school and becoming a certified massage therapist. So, I did and got the job that I currently work at with a chiropractor. I love this job also, but I don't think I can do it much longer because it is very hard on my hands and wrists. My sister failed to mention how hard it was to do this kind of work. Being in the chiropractors office also allows me help people. Nursing jobs will probably always be in demand. I don't think there will ever be a day that the world has too many nurses. Today disease is abundant and the need for good nurses is on the rise. The pay is also a plus. I'm not sure if I want to specialize in a particular area of nursing or not. I like all areas. The hustle and bustle of the emergency room is appealing but I also think working the floors in the different units of a hospital would be exciting. Working in a nursing home is also something that I ouldn't mind. I've done it before, so I know how rewarding it can be. I love working with the older population. I go to a local nursing home and give a couple of my patients massages since they can't get out and come to my office any more. I am very thankful for the opportunity I have been given to finally fulfill my dream of becoming a registered nurse. I can't wait to get this new chapter in my life started. I am anxious to get started helping as many people as I can and help pr ovide a better living for my family. Why I Want to Be a Nurse It was on a Monday morning, the 1st day of December, 2010. I had spent two years preparing and saving money for this memorable day. I was going to be my best moment after my wedding day. The whole village where I was born â€Å"Makupa†led by our local chief Mr. Ndoto, my brothers, sisters members of the Clergy both young and old men and women, no wanted to miss that memorable opportunity of escorting me to Jomo Kenyatta international Airport. One would have thought that there was a very important dignitary visiting the country. Dressed in green and red, women danced and sang patriotic songs, children were not left behind, they recited poems, old men who could hardly stand due to their advance age spoke words of blessing, members of the Clergy invoked long prayers, as though they would never pray again. The whole Airport garden came to a stand-still. A gentleman by the name of John Brown join our group and sort to know about our huge crowd and what it was upto. He introduced himself as the Chief Security Manager. Our Chief, Mr Ndoto took over, he was charge as a bull. When he started talking, her was dead silence, a pin would fall and be notice. He gave along chronology of how our village started and how no one had ever excelled in studies, to a point of winning scholarship abroad. To him that was enough reason to bring the whole Village to the Airport Mr. Brown did not have any choice but allow us celebrate our victory. Clock ticked and my departure time drew neigh, I tried to imagine how Lagos international Airport looked like but I could not fathom. How Nigerians have heavy but good accent, I could not wait! An hour before departure time, the Captain announced â€Å"Passengers KQ 374† please board. There was mix reaction, some of us wept tears of joy, others felt I should have stayed bit longer while still others felt like I was going to heaven and I would never come back again. But in all these, Mr. Ndoto comforted them that I would only be away for two years and my studies would benefit the whole community. After hugging and kissing the much awaited moment came and I boarded the plane. It was a real adventure I had not boarded a plane before, therefore I did not know what to expect, but thank God I was ready to lean. My laugage was put in the cock pit only the carry on was allowed inside the cabin. The whole flight was going to take seven hours. It was meal time and there came a beautiful smiling attendant, ready to serve me. Since no body had told me that the meal was paid for, I thought it was very expensive and I could not afford. I declined the offer! She went ahead and offered a drink, which I neither accepted. Not because I was full but fearful. Six and half hour later, the Captain announced that we about to land, every passage to fasten their belt. I did that with grate excitement because I knew finally we were in Lagos Nigeria. The flight was exiting though fierce being the first time to fly. We disembarked I took my laugage and headed to the Immigration office. I knew the the college which I was joining had sent representative and they were waiting for me at the visitors lounge. No sooner had I entered the office than the officer gave me a card to fill in, Question number one was my religion, I happily wrote Christian, The officer thundered to me , and exclaimed. ‘Stop! ’ Don’t go any further†. His accent scared me to death! He went ahead and told me that I was under arrest. I sort an explanation and he said that I was a spy. I could not connect spying and my education. One of the soldiers told me that the northern state of Lagos was a Muslim state and no Christian was allowed in, peradventure one was found, he would be treated as a spy whose penalty was life imprisonment or death penalty. His words made me feel like I wish the ground would open up and swallow me alive. I explained to them how I got a scholarship to their country but all that fell on deaf ears. They gave me two options, either life imprisonment or death sentence. I found myself between a rock and a hard place. None of the options was better than the other. But I chose life imprisonment. They locked me in jail, fortunately the staff from the college arrived. Better late than never. They engage those officers but they held that I was a spy. They realize they were hard nuts to crack and resolved to contact Kenya ambassador . In the prison, I made all kind of prayers repented all known and unknown sins purified my heart in readiness for any eventuality. Two hours later, there was a knock at the door, I was always hoping and expecting a miracle, but I was prepared for the worse. This time the two officers were accompanied by a third person. He introduced himself as the Ambassador of Kenya in Nigeria. I could not wait for a second word, I defied all the decorum and protocol jumped upon his shoulders and wept uncontrollably. He apologized for what had happened and assured me that my scholarship would de transferred to the southern state which was a Christian state. All this time, the immigration officers were speechless. I was ushered out of the cell by our ambassador to a his waiting limousine fly Kenya flag. I thought I was dreaming! He hosted me in his residence until he transferred my scholarship to another college. My morning was turned into dancing. Why I Want to Be a Nurse When I was in high school I was voted most likely to become a Dr.. This wasn’t a big deal except that I went to a Vocational and Technical High School. So I went on to pursue my parents dream to become a Dr. , note it was my parents dream. I just wanted to play baseball and become a nurse. At last there dream fell apart when I got hurt lost my scholarship in my freshman year of college. Funny thing is I could have stayed in school and really concentrate on my sports ops I mean school. My father told me to join the service so I could have the Military pay for school GI bill. After some thought I would no longer be under my father’s thumb and agreed to join the Navy. After taking the ASVAB test the recruiter smiled and asked if I had ever thought of nuclear subs I said no but said I like this 5 year hospital Corpsman thing it sounds good. The next 5 years was awesome I got to play baseball for a Puerto Rican professional team and play competitive softball for the Navy until I hurt my leg again. Now what to do didn’t take long to decide after my father passed away from a massive heart attack a week before my oldest daughter was born. I knew my calling to be a paramedic. This lasted several years but I realized that I could make more money and make my own hours. Now some years later I after some bad health have come back to my High School dream to become a nurse and this time I won’t be called a sissy for wanting to be one! My original reason to be a nurse was I wanted to work in an Emergency Room. From an early age I wanted to be a nurse not a Dr.. I think it was that while in the hospital I found that the nurses were the ones that left the lasting impressions on you. That was the seed. The ability to go to one job and stay there for a long time is a very good thing. In with what the other options in todays economy are. Most places that employ nurses offer good medical coverage. The last but not the least would be the pay. In today’s economy this has to be the number one reason to have brought me back full circle, to my high school days. So today at all most 50 I know that I can start here and then train to be an ER nurse for many years. Maybe even specializing in a pediatric ER unit. Why I Want to Be a Nurse Although my motives for becoming a nurse haven’t always been as set in place as they are now I have always, ever since I can remember, had the idea that this was the profession for me. I am an outgoing person who enjoys working with and helping people. It wasn’t until my father was diagnosed with cancer that I knew that being a nurse is what I wanted to do, to be an advocate to my father and to all the other patients that I would eventually care for.During my first year of study I was kept very busy trying to juggle all of my courses and at the same time taking care of a 4 yr old and a new baby, I was very determine to accomplish my dream to give my family a better life. Once I became a nurse, I was very proud of my accomplishment, even though my father had passed away from cancer, I was doing this for him. The nurses in the hospital taught me so much about care and compassion.They showed me first hand the characteristics of a good nurse and what being a nurse is all ab out. I believe that nursing is a profession that somebody must feel in their heart and truly love. After my experience in the hospital I can honestly say that I am proud to be a nurse and I definitely do feel it in my heart. I am currently working fulltime at Sentara home care as a nursing supervisor. My experience in nursing involved working at Chesapeake General Hospital as an Orthopedic nurse right from nursing school.I realized once I graduated and starting working with the patients that nursing isn’t just doing the task at hand, it involves compassion, sitting at the bedside of a patient that hasn’t had anyone visit them and spending time or just holding their hand. I love nursing and the longer that I am a nurse the more rewarding it is. I chose VCU to further my education because it enables me to continue working as Home care infusion nurse fulltime and taking care of my family. VCU is a reputable school for nursing and I feel that I would get the best education and experience going through your nursing program.

Big Fat Globalization Essay

ABSTRACT: It has often been observed that obesity follows a socioeconomic gradient which adversely affects the poor. This paper proposes the outline of a sociological theory of obesity as a consequence of ‘globalisation factors, such as labour market deregulation. Forced to work longer hours – and with lower levels of job-security – workers in low paid jobs have fewer opportunities to burn calories, and are more likely to consume fast-food. This combination has led to higher levels of obesity among the poor in countries that have adopted neo-liberal labour market reforms. There are some human phenomena, which seem to be the result of individual actions and personal decisions. Yet, these phenomena are often – on closer inspection – as much a result of social factors as of psychological ones. In 1897, Emile Durkheim (1997) showed that the suicide – perhaps the most personal of all decisions – could be analysed through the conceptual lenses of sociology. Obesity, much like suicide, is often regarded as a personal problem; result of an inability to control ones desires in front of the fridge. Obesity does have a psychological, and, indeed, a medical, dimension, yet like the suicide, this growing phenomenon also has a social dimension. This paper is an attempt to do the same for obesity as Emile Durkheim did to the study of suicide; to analyse it in the light of the theories of sociology. Obesity and Social Science Interest in the social aspects of obesity is nothing new. Jeffrey Sobal has written extensively about the social and psychological consequences of obesity , including the stigmatisation and discrimination of obese and even overweight individuals (Sobal 2004). Scholars with a more anthropological twist have written about the different social perceptions of obesity, e.g. the positive view of fatness among some indigenous peoples (Swinburne et al. 1996). In an article entitled, â€Å"An anthropological Perspective on Obesity â€Å" (Brown and Konner 1987), the authors found that â€Å"cross cultural data about body preferences for women reveal that over 80% of cultures for which shape preference data are available, people prefer a plump shape† (cited in Sobal 2004, 383). That these ideals are embedded in their respective cultures is perhaps best evidenced by the small statuette Venus of Willendorf, by common archaeological consent the oldest known work of art. Stone age man evidently preferred a big girl complete with multiple love-handles, someone who could both carry and nurture his offspring under the harsh conditions of the Palaeolithic world. Other examples of the cultural acceptance of large people obese Buddha statues in the Far East and rituals of prenuptial fattening in many cultures, where fatness is seen as sexually attractive (Brink 1989). That fat has often been a symbol of status is not merely an anthropological observation. In the 19th Century, in Britain, according to Williams and Germov, â€Å"a large, curved, body†¦connoted fertility, wealth and high status. While poor women were occupied with physical work, the voluptuous women of the middle classes were often viewed as objects of art, luxury, status, virtue and beauty† (Williams and Germov 2004, 342). â€Å"Fatness†, they go on, â€Å"was linked to emotional stability, strength (stored energy), good health, and refinement to leisure† (Ibid). These observations are worth bearing in mind when we discuss obesity. Obesity is – to a certain extend – a social construct. But obesity is also more than this. As an increasing medical problem, obesity is not merely a condition that can be – or should be – analysed in the light of perception and aesthetics. Obesity is also a product of biological, psychological, and social conditions. While not ignoring the importance of the former two factors, this paper presents an account of the latter. While correlations between obesity and  social and economic background variables have been reported (Flegal et al. 2000), sociological analyses have thus far not addressed the question of the social aetiology of obesity. This paper seeks to present a first step towards remedying this. The Obesity Debate ‘Why are we so fat?’ asked American magazine The National Geographic in a feature article in the summer of 2004 (National Geographic 2004). The use of the collective noun ‘we’ seemed particularly warranted as recent statistics show that more than 65 percent of us (the British) are overweight. (defined as having a Body-Mass Index of 25 or above). Still more alarming; 20 percent of us are clinically obese (defined as having a Body-Mass Index of 30 or above).(House of Commons Select Committee on Health 2004). Britain is not alone in this. In America the figure is even higher; 30 per cent of the Americans are obese (US Department of Health and Social Services 2000). According to a recent study of obesity in the USA, diet related illnesses are responsible for four out of the ten leading causes of death. (Bush and Williams 1999, 135). These figures matter for more than psychological and aesthetic reasons. It is estimated that more than 30.000 deaths per year in the UK are attributed to obesity or obesity related illnesses (House of Commons Select Committee on Health 2004, 6). In the colourful words of one medical expert: â€Å"this is an epidemic†¦the likes of which we have not had before in chronic disease†¦[obesity is] making HIV look, economically, like a bad case of the flu† (William Dietz quoted in Greitser 2000, 42). Add to this that close to ten percent of the total NHS budget is allocated to obesity and related illnesses, and it is difficult to dispute that obesity is a major health concern as well as a major socio-political problem. Facts1 such as these more than justify the Chief Medical Officer’s conclusion that obesity is â€Å"a health time bomb† that needs diffusion (Chief Medical Officer quoted in HC Select Committee on Health 2004, 8). But public health is not just about diagnosing and treating conditions, it is also about understanding causes, the identification of which will enable us to take the appropriate prophylactic measures to combat the epidemic. Yet, there is far from agreement on what these causes are. The explanations for the obesity epidemic cited in the popular press, e.g. in The National Geographic and in Newsweek (2004) were all biological in origin and medical in consequence. Quoting the work of medical geneticist Rudolph Leibel, The National Geographic concluded that obesity was down to genetics. â€Å"Our overeating†, the magazine quoted Leibel as saying, â€Å"is not the wilful result of deranged upbringing. It is genes talking† (National Geographic 2004, 62). This biochemical reductionism is not new – though the underlying science has changed. As far back as 1924, the editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association editorialised that ‘obesity’ was purely the result of ‘malfunctions in normal metabolic processes’ (Editorial: The Journal of the American Medical Association 1924, 1003). Contrary to the impression left by features such as those in Newsweek, the National Geographic and the octogenarian editorial, the picture is a good deal more complex than that. This is increasingly recognised within medicine. A report from the American Institute of Medicine is an example of a critique of the geneticist view: â€Å"there has been no real change in the gene pool during this period of increasing obesity. The root problem, therefore must lie in the powerful social and cultural forces that promote an energy-rich diet and a sedentary lifestyle† (Institute of Medicine 1995, 152). There is evidence to support the veracity of the hypothesis that social and cultural forces play a role (Flegal et al. 2000, 6). What is striking about the obesity epidemic is the extent to which it reflects social class conditions. To cite but one example; the Health Survey  for England has shown that in 2001, 14 percent of women in professional groups were obese, while 28 percent of women from unskilled manual occupations were categorised as such (House of Commons Select Committee on Health 2004, 16). Similar examples are legion. As a study concluded; â€Å"the largest rates of obesity occur among population groups with the highest poverty rates and the least education† (Drewnowski and Specter 2004, 6). This correlation between poverty and obesity is likely to be the result of underlying social factors. It is not that there is an automatic relationship between poverty and obesity. This relationship is a new phenomenon, which, consequently, needs to be analysed in the light of recent social, political and economic developments. As Ulrich Beck has observed; ‘the struggle for one’s ‘daily bread’ has lost its urgency as the cardinal problem overshadowing everything else†¦for many people the problems of ‘overweight’ take the place of hunger’ (Bech 1997, 21). The interesting question from a sociological point of view – as well as from a medical one – is why. Globalisation and Obesity: Towards a Pattern It is difficult to dispute that obesity is a social condition, which adversely affects those in low paid/short term jobs. Needless to say, obesity does have a significant biomedical component; what happens inside the body after you have munched your Big Mac obviously requires a physiological/biochemical explanation. However, it is (from a sociological and public health point of view) equally important to determine the factors which lead you to eat the Big Mac in the first place. What we endeavour to answer is the social aetiology of obesity; the social causes, which lead to weight gain. The aforementioned research findings strongly indicate that weight problems and poverty are highly statistically correlated. As a oft-cited study said:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"diet affects the health of socially disadvantaged people from cradle to grave† (James, Nelson, Ralph, and Leather 1999, 1545). Of course a quote does not establish a fact, nor does a statistical association. The question is what lies behind these correlations? Some could – with some justification – argue that these class differences merely reflect and reconfirm the existence of serious inequalities in health – as reported in the Black Report in the early 1980s (Working Group on Inequalities in Health 1982). What has hitherto been missing from the literature on obesity – as well as that on health in general – has been more ambitious theoretical explanations linking medical conditions – in this case obesity – to more general sociological discourses and theoretical trends (such as modernisation and globalisation). One obvious – yet overlooked – hypothesis is that societal changes from a traditional industrial society to a globalised (deregulated) economy has created new patterns of life and work, which have had adverse effects on food consumption, exercise, and hence has contributed to the increase in the growth of the obesity epidemic. According to this hypothesis, the advent of a neo-liberal economic regime has had – and continues to have – profound consequences for working patterns – especially for those in low paid/insecure jobs. This hypothesis is, in fact, consistent with observations made by sociologists such as Anthony Giddens who have observed that â€Å"one of the ways globalisation has affected family life in Britain is by increasing the amount of time that people spend each week at work† (Giddens 2004, 62). In addition to working longer hours, individuals are increasingly working in service sector jobs (such as call centres) with provide little opportunity for physical exercise. With ‘flexible’ working hours, individuals are likely to eat later and more likely to consume fast-food (Dalton 2004, 95). The  medical consequence of this is that they are unlikely to burn the extra calories they consume. While no evidence of this has been published using UK figures, data from America confirm this trend; â€Å"Americans now spend almost half of their food dollars on food away from home – 47 percent, or $354.4 billion in 1998† (Dalton 2004, 94) .That the hurried life-style brought about by changes in labour market is – in part – responsible for this, is underlined by figures from the fast food chains reporting that ‘drive-thru’ sales now account for more than half of their total sales (Dalton 2004, 95)2. That this has contributed to the obesity epidemic is underlined by the fact that â€Å"away from home† foods contain more total fat and saturated fat on a per-calorie basis than â€Å"at home food† (Dalton 2004, 94). As a further consequence of the changes in working patterns – and the less free time available – individuals are less likely to engage in sport and social leisure activities – factors which have been shown to be negatively correlated with weight gain (Dalton 2004, 95). Again American figures illustrate the trend. In 1991, 46 percent of high school students and 57 percent of middle school students were enrolled in sport activities (Sallis 1993, 403). By 1999, those figures had dropped to 29 percent of high-school students and 35 percent of middle school students. On average there is a 3 percent decrease in the number of kids who take part in sporting activities on a daily basis (CDC 2000). Viewed in this light is perhaps not surprising that the countries in the forefront of ‘globalisation’ (especially labour market deregulation) are also the countries with the highest incidence of obesity (See table One). Conversely, countries with less globalised economies, have had lower – sometimes much lower – levels of obesity. A few examples will suffice. In Sweden – a country that has not followed the neo-liberal reform agenda – the number of overweight people is 39 per cent  (the same figure as France – another country that has resisted neo-liberal reforms). The figure for Norway another affluent society in the same category is even lower; 25 percent (www.iotf.org). That labour market dergeulation goes hand in hand with obesity, seems to be confirmed when we contrast the obesity figures from ‘globalised’ countries with similar figures from less globalised economies (as measured by the Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom). The Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient between this measure of globalisation (admittedly a gross proxy!) and obesity rate is a Pearson’s R of -.71. In other words, the less globalised the economy, the lower the number of obese people. While this correlation is not all conclusive – and only significant at 0.37 (two-tailed), it does suggest the existence of a causal link between obesity and globalisation. Table One: Index of Economic Freedom and Obesity Rates CountryIndex of Economic Freedom %Obese Australia1.8820 France2.63 8 Finland1.9513 Netherlands2.04 8 Norway2.25 7 United Kingdom1.7917 USA1.8525 Sources: The Heritage Foundation and www.iuns.com (accessed 14 August 2004) While governments of the most globalised economies – such as Australia, the UK and the USA – have gone to great lengths in their efforts to deregulate the economies and give ‘the market’ a stronger role, other countries – especially those with strong corporatist traditions (See Lijphart 1999) –have adopted a different approach to globalisation. In the Netherlands the government, trade unions, and employers associations have negotiated responses to globalisation, which have prevented the growing inequalities and levels of job-insecurity associated with globalisation in  Australia (Bessant and Watts 2002, 306)., Britain and the USA (Giddens 2001, 69). Consequently, the Dutch workers are not under the same pressures as their British and American counterparts in having to seek low paid/short term employment, with all the consequent negative implications on food consumption and lack of time for physical exercise (Freedman 2000). The difference between these two ‘pure types’ of welfare capitalism is not merely of importance for the reasons identified above (food intake with little opportunity to burn calories). There is also evidence to suggest that the ‘Dutch model’ is more conducive to the formation of ‘social capital’, which in turn is negatively correlated with levels of obesity (Putnam 2000, 264). Further globalisation is more than just labour market deregulation. Global liberalisation of trade under the WTO and liberalisation of the market for broadcasting are other factors to be taken into account. Globalisation is a mix of contingent factors which – when combined – create social developments. One of the consequences of globalisation is a society, in which consumers both ‘enjoy’ the benefits of cheap food from around the globe, while at the same time, are being subjected to advertisements from multinational food and beverage producers, such as McDonalds, Pepsi, Burger King, Coca Cola, and others. The level of this influence can hardly be exaggerated; in one year McDonald spent in excess of 1 billion US-dollars on advertising for kids (Brownell and Horgen 2003, 60). Globalisation has profoundly affected capitalist democracies, yet not all countries have responded by deregulating labour markets and unleashing market forces. In some cases, countries have (successfully) attempted to regulate the forces of globalisation, e.g. through restrictions on media advertising (especially on TV). In the Netherlands the public broadcasters  are not allowed to interrupt programmes aimed at the Under-12 year olds with advertisements. Similar restrictions have been introduced in Sweden and Norway (www.childrensprogrammes.org). That such restrictions have been introduced in small countries with relatively open economies is an indication – perhaps even a proof – that the effects of globalisation are not inevitable; that political intervention has not been rendered impossible by globalisation Conclusion â€Å"There is no question that the rates of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes †¦follow a socioeconomic gradient, such that the burden of disease falls disproportionally on people with limited resources, racial-ethnic minorities, and the poor†. Thus wrote two dieticians recently (Drewnowski and Specter 2004, 6). Previously, scholarly studies in the social aetiology of obesity have stopped short of developing these statistically based conclusions into a more general theoretical sociological framework. In this paper a case has been made for the view that obesity is – at least in part – a consequence of the recent political and economic developments commonly known as ‘globalisation’. Globalisation has led some governments (e.g. in the USA, Britain and Australia) to enact and implement labour market reforms (flexible job-markets with less job-security). One of the consequences of this development has been pressures on families and individuals in low paid/temporary jobs. Through this ‘globalisation’ has created conditions, which are conducive to over-consumption of high-energy foods. Forced to work longer hours, individuals have less time to prepare meals opting instead for pre-prepared fast food with a high fat content. In addition to this development, the availability of cheap food from around the globe coupled with advertising from multinationals – has resulted in new pressures which have led to a growth in the consumption of energy-rich food  among the poor. Thus a combination of social factors have contributed to the fast growing epidemic of obesity which is eroding our health budgets, lowering self-esteem and creating premature deaths. References: American Medical Association (1924), ‘What Causes Obesity’, Editorial, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1924, 83, 1003. Ulrich Beck, Risk Society. Towards a New Modernity, London, Sage, 1997, p. 21. Bessant, Judith and Watts, Rob (2002) Sociology Australia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen&Unwin P.J. Brink (1989) â€Å"The Fattening Room Among the Annang of Nigeria: Anthropological Approaches to Nursing Research†, in Medical Anthropology, Vol. 12, pp. 131-43). Brown, P.J. and Konner, M. (1987) â€Å"An anthropological Perspective on Obesity â€Å", in Annals of the New York Academy of the Sciences, Vol. 499, pp.29-49 Brownell K.D. and Horgen, K.B (2004) Food Fight : The Inside Story of the Food Industry, America’s Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It., McGrew-Hill. Bush, L. and Williams, R. â€Å"Diet and Health: New Problems/New Solutions†, in Food Policy, Vol. 24, pp.135) Campos, Paul (2004)The Obesity Myth. Why our Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Our Health. London: Penguin. CDC. The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, â€Å"Healthy People 2010†, 2000, www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/HTML (Accessed 13 September 2004). Childrens Programmes (n.d) www.childrensprogrammes.org/regulate.html. Critser, G. (2000), â€Å"Let them Eat Fat†, in Harper’s March 2000. Drewnowski, A and Specter, S.E, ‘Poverty and Obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs’, in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004, 79, 6-16. Durkheim, Emile (1997) Le Suicide. Étude de Sociologie. Paris: PUF Flegal, K.M, et al. ‘Prevalance and Trends in Obesity among US Adults 1999-2000, Journal of the American Medical Association, 2000, 288, 1723-27 Freedman, Richard (2000), ‘Single Peaked versus Diversified Capitalism: The Relationship Between Economic Institutions and Outcomes’ Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper 7526, Washington, NBER. Giddens, Anthony (2004) Sociology, 4th Edition, Cambridge, Polity Press. Institute of Medicine (1995); Weighing the Options: Criteria for Evaluating Weight Management Problems, Washington DC, American Academic Press. International Obesity Task Force, www.iotf.org James, W.P.T, Nelson, M., Ralph, A. and Leather A. (1999), â€Å"Socioeconomic Determinants of Health: The Contribution of Nutrition to Inequalities in Health†, in British Medical Journal, Vol.314, No.7093, pp.1545-49. Lijphart, Arend (1999). Patterns of Democracies, New Haven, Yale University Press. National Geographic, ‘Why Are We So Fat?’, August 2004-09-16 Newsweek, (2004) â€Å"What do You Know About Fat†, in Newsweek Magazine September 20 Putnam, Robert (2000) Bowling Alone. The Collapse and Revival of American Social Capital, Simon and Schuster, New York. J.F. Sallis (1993) â€Å"Epidemiology of Physical Activity and Fitness in Adolescents†, in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, Vol.33. no.4-5, 403-408. Sobal, Jeffery (2004), ‘Sociological Analysis of the Stigmatisation of Obesity†, in John Germov and Lauren Williams (Editors), A Sociology of Food and Nutrition. The Social Appetite, Oxford, Oxford University Press Swinburn, Boyd. et al. ‘Do Polynesians Still Believe that Big is Beautiful?, in New Zealand Medical Journal,1996, 109. 100-103 US Department of Health and Social Services, Healthy People 2010, 2nd Ed., US Gov. Printing Office, 2000. Lauren Williams and John Germov (2004)†The Thin Ideal: Women, Food, and Dieting†, in Lauren Williams and John Germov (Editors) A Sociology of Food and Nutrition. The Social Appetite, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 342 Working Group on Inequalities in Health (1982) Inequalities in Health (The Black Report), London, HMSO, 1982.

Abstinence essays

Abstinence essays In the article Abstinence by Ray Hoskins (Slife, 1994) it is stated that abstinence is the only way that a person with an addiction can recover. On the other hand Michael S. Levy states in his article Individualized Care For The Treatment Of Alcoholism (Slife, 1994) that abstinence may not the best way to treat an addiction, but that the best way to treat an addiction depends on each individuals specific needs. It is clear that the only way a person can strive and conquer an addiction is to completely distance themselves from the cause of that addiction, in the case of an alcoholic; they must distance themselves from alcohol. To understand abstinence we must first understand what the terms addict and addiction mean. According to Websters Dictionary (1996) addict is defined as, surrendering (oneself) habitually or compulsively to something, as caffeine or alcohol. To break down this definition, we can say that an addict is a person that creates a habit on relying on a substance (alcohol) or an act (sex). With the understanding of what an addict is we can define addiction as a state of mind where one depends upon a substance (alcohol) or an act (sex) that affects their daily life in some form, usually in a negative way. For example in Levys Individualized Care For The Treatment Of Alcoholism (Slife, 1994) case vignette 5 states; L...a 30 year old, married male...described his drinking most every day, but was most concerned about his heavy drinking with loss of control, which generally occurred three times a week. In this case we can see that L was showing signs of addiction towards alcohol in the ways that he formed a habit, drinking everyday, and it affected his life, losing control. When a person does become addicted to a substance such as alcohol the only way to successfully stop the addiction is through the means of abstinence, or stopping completely ...

Calculations With the Gamma Function

Calculations With the Gamma Function The gamma function is defined by the following complicated looking formula: Γ ( z ) ∠«0∞e - ttz-1dt One question that people have when they first encounter this confusing equation is, â€Å"How do you use this formula to calculate values of the gamma function?†Ã‚   This is an important question as it is difficult to know what this function even means and what all of the symbols stand for. One way to answer this question is by looking at several sample calculations with the gamma function.   Before we do this, there are a few things from calculus that we must know, such as how to integrate a type I improper integral, and that e is a mathematical constant.   Motivation Before doing any calculations, we examine the motivation behind these calculations.   Many times the gamma functions show up behind the scenes.   Several probability density functions  are stated in terms of the gamma function. Examples of these include the gamma distribution and students t-distribution,   The importance of the gamma function cannot be overstated.   Γ ( 1 ) The first example calculation that we will study is finding the value of the gamma function for Γ ( 1 ). This is found by setting z 1 in the above formula: ∠«0∞e - tdt We calculate the above integral in two steps: The indefinite integral ∠«e - tdt -e - t CThis is an improper integral, so we have ∠«0∞e - tdt limb → ∞ -e - b e 0 1 Γ ( 2 ) The next example calculation that we will consider is similar to the last example, but we increase the value of z by 1.   We now calculate the value of the gamma function for Γ ( 2 ) by setting z 2 in the above formula. The steps are the same as above: Γ ( 2 ) ∠«0∞e - tt dt The indefinite integral ∠«te - tdt- te - t -e - t C.   Although we have only increased the value of z by 1, it takes more work to calculate this integral.   In order to find this integral, we must use a technique from calculus known as integration by parts. We now use the limits of integration just as above and need to calculate: limb → ∞ - be - b -e - b -0e 0 e 0. A result from calculus known as L’Hospital’s rule allows us to calculate the limit limb → ∞ - be - b 0. This means that the value of our integral above is 1. Γ (z 1 ) zΓ (z ) Another feature of the gamma function and one which connects it to the factorial is the formula Γ (z 1 ) zΓ (z ) for z any complex number with a positive real part. The reason why this is true is a direct result of the formula for the gamma function. By using integration by parts we can establish this property of the gamma function.

Stay Regionalized of West Morris Regional School District in NJ Research Paper

Stay Regionalized of West Morris Regional School District in NJ - Research Paper Example Representative James Button is one of the most outspoken shareholders on the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education. He is pushing for the school district to build two new high schools and re-appropriating the students from all five counties into the two new high schools. In re-appropriating, the students from all five counties into four high schools would help improve the district's scores on state tests. Kristen Forrester is the president of the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education. Forrester is from Washington Township. James Button claims that students from Washington Township receive $10,000 per student in state funds, Phil Garber (1). The students from the other counties in the district received $22,000 per student in state funds, Phil Garber (1). The Education Commissioner Brett Schundler and New Jersey State Governor Chris Christie support a change in the district; because it could save the towns the cost of a study, Phil Garber (1). The biggest consequence of building a high school for all the towns in the West Morris Regional High School District would be that the taxes in all the towns would increase. If all of the taxes in the towns increase it would be; because the cost to the state to build two new high schools would be astronomical. Another main concern of building a high school for all of the towns is, the cost per student would begin to decrease. The taxes would increase in all of the towns, but this would be to augment the cost of building the two new high schools. If taxes increase in the towns only to augment the cost of building the two new high schools, there would be no money left over to appropriate to the students.  

Cameron and Obama Show Unity on Afghanistan Essay

Cameron and Obama Show Unity on Afghanistan - Essay Example Hoffman describes the terrorist groups as â€Å"rational actors† who are terrorizing for gaining political power. The same was exercized by Israel in 1946 to get a separate homeland from Palestinians. They massacred 91 people and terrorized them to seek political power. Today, although the president Obama is much stick on his footings to take tough measures against Iran for its nuclear programme but what keeps him bound is the approaching elections. Because US is not yet ready to trigger guns against Iran because she has a strong opinion from the public that they should not opt for any war further after the bitter experience of Afghanistan and Iraq. US is holding back its terrorist policies yet for the gain of political power as it can turn the masses against him. The game that every terrorist plays is for the gain of power and politics, so are doing the big political powers like US and Britain. The expression of totalitarianism in Afghanistan and Libya has been a phenomenon o f much concern for the world. Because the power US and its allies have expressed in terms of gaining world peace is outrageous. But definitely the definition of terrorism differs for every one. Although the USA is showing terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya but it is not viewed as terrorist in that critical term of terror as Al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden is being viewed. The meeting between US and Britain affirm that Hoffman was right in explaing the terorism as a ‘globalized factor’. It has emerged from its historial roots to contemporay dilemma. 9/11 attacks, existence of Al-Qaeda and nuclear programme of Iran have united the globe against terrorists who are moving ahead to get their objectives. Hoffman is of the idea that the fears disseminated and political gains of terrorist have enabled the two adversaries of the past to merge together. British once set white house at fire, today US and Britain are allies against their common adversaries like Al-Qaeda who attacked US on 9/11 and Britain on 7/7. Terrorism was once a tool for only some small terrorist organizations but today it has gained popularity on state level. Now states like US, Britain, France are waging wars against the groups like Al-Qaeda etc. Hoffman gives one of the definitions of terrorism as, â€Å"the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or the threat of violence in the pursuit of political change (p.40). It seems quite fit to the current political situations where nation states are working for their specific political gains and change policy. As United States policy on Libya and Syria differs. The US used all possible means and measures to bring the political change in Libya while with reference to Syria; we see a clear cut diversion in US policies. The use of violence and threat that was exercised in Libya, completely complies with the new definitions of terrorism by Hoffman. The states use the tools of threat and violence to get political changes of their own choices. â€Å"When we see what’s happening on television, our natural instinct is to act† was the statement by Obama that enables us to relate the link between terrorism and media as viewed by Hoffman who said, â€Å"

Psychology article summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology article summary - Essay Example This is an important source of physiological stress for them because of the risk for dehydration. So the two experiments here rely on the toads sensitivity for detecting the composition of fluids around him and the stress it feels when conditions arent suitable for it- which leads to changes in both his heart rate and in its attempts to avoid these conditions and run away. Researchers therefore used an amount of sodium chloride which neither caused the toads to gain weight or loss weight, to create a "neutral" situation and then test their responses. A pilot experiment showed an increase in the heart rate of toads, which is important to set off their attempts to flee the environment. It used two solutions, one was good for the toads and the other wasnt. This technique was also good to evaluate the functional significance of conditioning (like in Pavlovs experiment with the dogs) in the context of water balance. During the experiment, researchers put the toads in Plexiglas cages, added water, changed the chemical composition of the water and lastly drained the tank. Toads were either put with another toad in the tank or placed there alone. There were mostly insignificant differences between the groups, but one significant find was that the toads placed with another toad in a tank learned to expect the reinforcement better. The toads showed learning abilities, as they anticipated the changes in water composition after it was done to them several times. Their anticipation could be witnessed by their increased heart rate. They managed to avoid losing weight almost as well as the toads never exposed to the different solution in the water. This experiment added another feature- an added compartment in the Plexiglas tank in which there was no altered solution. The toads could escape there to avoid being in contact with the solution. The results showed that all toads showed a consistent weight loss and did learn to avoid being in

Neuropsychopharmacology Concepts: Overview and Analysis

Neuropsychopharmacology Concepts: Overview and Analysis Cole Garcia Introduction This research paper was written explore and demonstrate my personal interests in my field of study, neuropsychopharmacology. The research papers discussed were selected to provide a diverse range of topics within the field, and to convey findings that I’ve deemed to be particularly unique or useful in real-life application. Neuropsychopharmacology: a Brief, Multidimensional View Although frequently demonstrated to be neurotoxic in humans, amphetamines have been therapeutically prescribed and abused recreationally since their discovery over a century ago. One form of amphetamine, infamous for its high rates of addiction and toxicity in users, is methamphetamine (METH). The researchers of this study posed the question of whether the traditional animal models demonstrating that METH use decreases caudate-putamen dopamine levels (DA) can be applied to human patterns of abuse and resulting neurotoxicity. Substantial research has indicated that tolerance to METH reduces many of the toxic effects associated with binge use of the drug. To demonstrate this, the researchers aimed to find if the neural death in rats associated with an acute METH binge following an escalation-dose (ED) pretreatment would be less severe than the damages stereotypically observed after high dose â€Å"binge† exposure without prior ED treatment. The researchers hypothesized that curr ent research overstates the neurotoxicity associated with METH abuse, since animal model studies fail to account for the ED pattern typically observed before binge-use in most human users of METH. To test their hypothesis, the researchers selected groups of healthy male rats for experimentation. The living conditions of the rats were kept stable and relatively natural. Following a normalization period of at least a week, the rats were administered three separate, increasing doses of d-METH each day for two weeks. The period began with a dosage of 0.1mg/kg and finished with a dosage of 4.0mg/kg, a dose considered extraordinarily high for human users. Following the last day of ED pretreatment, the rats were administered a â€Å"binge† regimen, consistent with those traditionally used in similar studies, of four injections of 6mg/kg at two hour intervals. Throughout the experiment, a variety of data regarding behavioral responses to the drug, physiological responses like hyperthermia, and other immediately observable variables were gathered. Three days after the last METH administration, the rats were killed and their brains were analyzed to measure DA content and the leve ls of DAT transporter binding that is typically reduced as a result of METH binge use. Analysis of the data showed that the acute METH binge administration produced lower than average neurotoxicity in rats that were subject to ED pretreatment. All but one of the post-mortem neural tissue measurements displayed a reduction in damages in the pretreated rats while non-pretreated rats displayed normal levels of neural death following the acute binge. In vitro data showed similar results; rats administered the binge regiment without pretreatment displayed stereotypic movement associated with acute an METH binge. Most significantly, the data showed that the reduction in DA levels typically resulting from METH binge administration was considerably less severe in the rats that underwent ED pretreatment. All p values for this data were less than 0.01 or 0.001. The researchers concluded that a significant portion of the neurotoxic effects of METH binge use observed in rats can be attenuated by a prior escalation dose regimen. Since past studies on METH’s neurotoxicity fail to examine the drug’s neurotoxicity in subjects that followed â€Å"regular† human patterns prior to administration of toxic doses, the researchers argued that future research on stimulant abuse should follow an escalation dose pretreatment in order to produce data that is actually applicable to the majority of human subjects. For psychopharmacology researchers concerned with reducing drug related harm, this is extremely important information and future studies should explore further by finding a rodent ED pretreatment that is most comparable to actual human behavior patterns. The effects of hallucinogenic drugs like psilocybin and LSD have been documented to profoundly alter visual perceptions of the world. For thousands of years, psilocybin and similar substance have been used for spiritual and religious rituals in many different cultures. Until recently, the neurological causes for the visual distortions have been largely unknown. Past research has found that the serotonin receptors, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, 5-HT2C, are likely highly involved in visual processing as well as hallucinations associated with Schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Past animal studies indicate that activation of the 5-HT2A receptors increases the excitability of the visual cortex. This research paper, published by the Journal of Neuroscience, investigates the possibility that the activation of 5-HT2A receptors through psilocybin causes modulation of parietal-occipital ÃŽ ± oscillations, resulting this noted increase in excitability of visual processors. The researchers further hypothesized that the hallucinations could be caused by the 5-HT2A receptor modulation of the visual cortex’s visual recognition â€Å"potentials.† Specifically, the researchers questioned whether or not the P1 and N170 (visual recognition and mid-level processing potentials) are modulated by psilocybin’s activations of the 5-HT2A receptors. The researchers attempted to answer these questions by administering across multiple doses a combination of psilocybin, a placebo, and ketanserin (a 5-HT2A antagonist to cancel the effects of psilocybin in certain trials) to seventeen healthy individuals on four different experimental days. After administration of each drug(s), visual stimulus and response tests were carried out with continuous EEG monitoring during each trial. ÃŽ ± waves were measured for a short duration before and after the administration of the visual stimulus, and the resulting strengths were compared. Six hours after the administration of the drugs, the subjects were required to fill out a standardized questionnaire addressing their subjective visual alterations and changes in perception as a result of the drugs administered on that day. A variety of corrections and comparisons were performed on the data to analyze it with respect to the hypotheses, and results were constructed from the implicated correlations. The first finding was that all subjects administered psilocybin subjectively experienced hallucinogenic effects or visual distortions. It was also found that the all subjects administered the placebo or ketanserin reported no hallucinations or visual distortions. P and r values for these data suggested very strong replicability and correlation. From the ÃŽ ± oscillation data, the researchers found that, under normal conditions, the ÃŽ ± oscillations were stronger during the prestimulus phase than the poststimulus phase. From the psilocybin administered subject trials, the researchers found that the ÃŽ ± oscillations were weaker than usual in the prestimulus phase and the subsequent reduction of strength was not observed in the poststimulus phase. In the placebo and ketanserin tests, no attenuation of ÃŽ ± oscillations were observed. Similarly, in trials where ketanserin was administered 1 hour following psilocybin administration, the decrease in ÃŽ ± oscillations was not observed, in dicating that the 5-HT activation following psilocybin administration is likely a cause for the observed ÃŽ ± oscillation modulation. Since ÃŽ ± oscillations have been shown to be involved in the brain’s construction of vision, the researchers concluded that the hallucinogenic effects of psilocybin are, at least partially, caused by modulation of ÃŽ ± oscillations by activation of 5-HT2A. Along with the modulation of ÃŽ ± oscillations through psilocybin’s activation of 5-HT2A, the researchers also monitored modulation of the P1 and N170 potentials. Activation of 5-HT2A was found to decrease the P1 potentials while increasing the N170 potentials during stimulus. Differences between the psilocybin and non-psilocybin trials showed trends and replicability similar to the observed ÃŽ ± oscillation data. Since these potentials have been shown to be important neurological processes associated with the brain’s recognition and construction of visual input, the researchers concluded that modulation of these important visual potentials is likely somewhat responsible for the perceived changes in visual perception. These data are among the first to show a potential neurological mechanism of action for the changes in visual perception caused by psilocybin, and future research could seek to understand how the modulation of these systems directly relates to specific vis ual changes. Alcoholism is an affliction facing millions of people worldwide and its consequences stretch far beyond the individual. Despite the mounting medical and social costs of alcohol addiction, little progress has been made towards developing effective medication as treatment. Ibogaine, a hallucinogen found in a plant native to Africa, has been anecdotally observed to reverse or undue addiction to many drugs of abuse, including alcohol. Due to its safety profile and nature of the drug’s effects, ibogaine has not yet been considered a potential medication. In this study, the researchers posed the question of whether ibogaine reduces behaviors of addiction; and, if so, how and where it produces these effects in the brain. Digging deeper, the researchers aimed to refute or confirm evidence indicating that ibogaine causes neurotoxicity at doses associated with the addiction reducing action of the drug. To answer these questions, the researchers used both behavior studies and in vivo `brain analysis. The behavior studies, testing the anti-addiction potential of ibogaine, were carried out by habituating rats to ethanol (self-administered or systematically) and then recording preferences following treatment with ibogaine. One study allowed the rats continuous access to both water and ethanol for a period of two months before administration of alcohol. In another study, rats were placed in a cage with two levers, one delivering water and the other delivering ethanol. After a period of three days without the water lever being active, ibogaine was administered and the responses were recorded. A variety of similar experiments were carried out, each of them aiming to eliminate one area of uncertainty regarding the nonspecific activities of the drug. To test for the mechanisms involved in ibogaines addiction reversal, the researchers carried out a series of ibogaine microinjections into the brains of ethanol self-administering rats. In order to clarify which area of the brain is mediates ibogaines effects, each injection was localized at a different brain structure associated with addiction and the resulting behaviors were observed. In vivo, the researchers further isolated ibogaines mechanism of action by examining the drug’s effects on cells in the rodent’s midbrain. To test for neurotoxicity, the brains of non-ibogaine treated mice were analyzed against the brains of ibogaine treated mice. After analyzing the data, the researchers found that all trials indicated attenuation of alcoholism in rats treated with ibogaine. With continuous access to alcohol before and after treatment, ibogaine treated subjects showed a reduction in preference for alcohol (when given a choice) as well as a reduction of intake when no choice was offered. Further clarifying the findings, the data showed that rats treated with ibogaine showed very little change in preference for water or sucrose control solutions. P values for these data was less than 0.02 consistently. The findings confirm that ibogaine, when administered to alcohol preferring animals, reduces the animals consumption of alcohol. Among the secondary findings, the researchers also determined the specific area mediating ibogaine’s action to be the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In trials where ibogaine micoinjections were performed in the VTA, rats decreased their consumption of alcohol considerably. In trials where the same microinjections were made in neighboring substantia nigra, no reduction in alcohol was observed. Another important result was the lack of cell death observed in mice treated with the same therapeutic doses administered to the rat subjects. This was found by observing comparing brain sections of mice exposed to known neurotoxins, ibogaine, or nothing. Similarly, no coordination impairment or bodily harm was found to occur after ibogaine administration at therapeutic doses. The researchers also found that the expression of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is directly affected by the drug ibogaine. This leads to what is probably the most important discovery of the data: when GDNF neutralizing antibodies are injected into the VTA of ibogaine administered alcoholic rats, the reduction of alcohol intake was negated. These findings confirm previous studies that show GDNF negate some of the effects of psychoactive drugs. The results of the experiment indicate that ibogaine is not only a potential treatment for alcoholism and addiction, but that this effect is likely carried out through increase in GDNF expression after administration of ibogaine. In the research field seeking to find treatment for drug abuse, these results are potentially revolutionary. To develop an effective treatment, future studies could seek to develop a molecule that induces the upregulation of the GDNF pathway. Alternatively, further research could be done on ibogaine in order to develop a treatment that excludes the hallucinogenic effects of the drug. Mertons theory of Anomie: Girl gangs Mertons theory of Anomie: Girl gangs Topic: Read the report A study on girls in gangs by Hong Kong Federation of Youth and evaluate the possible explanations offered by Merton’s strains towards anomie theory. After reading the report A Study on Girls in Gang by Hong Kong Federation of Youth , to a large extent I disagree to Merton’s strain towards anomie theory. Lets begin with the definition of Girls in Gang. Firstly, Girls in Gang means those girls are not contribute in any triad or serious criminal cases like murder, but they mainly committed in physical violence, stealing from shop or strangers, dishonesty to use their phone or bullying some people that they do it for fun. Secondly, they aged from 10 to 17 years old. Thirdly, gang members are or above 3 people.(Chu Yiu Kong, An Analysis of Youth Gangs in Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong) Moreover, there are 5 types of structure in gangs. They are autonomous which is girl-dominant, auxiliary which is also girl-dominant but also rely on boy gangs, mixed which included girls and boys, independent group which is not control by anyone, satellite group which is girl-dominant, rely on boy gangs but independent. But what we know is, auxiliary and satellite are the main structures which were more common in Hong Kong society, and the decision-making are mainly from the boys. According to the theory of Structural Functionalism, the society is co-related. The social relationship extending over time and form stable patterns of interaction, then these structures in turn constituted social institutions when times gone. Therefore the social problem happens when function of an institution is not being performed properly, results from the malfunctioning. Also, from Mertons theory, deviant behavior and social disorganization were separate and distinct; tended to see each as causing the other. (Merton, 1938) In the case of Girls in Gangs, there is malfunction in the social relationship of their family, which cannot achieve prerequisite of socialization in order to inherit values, social norms, customs or ideologies by the society. That means their relationship cannot engage those girls in such a way that we find appropriate and acceptable. At the same time, their family cannot give out as the role of the family does such as give them love and belonging, financial support. Thus, girls may easily accept the deviant behaviors such as join gang to satisfy their needs. Refer to Mertons theory of strains towards anomie society, separate deviance into cultural structure and social structure. First, anomie means the low level of moral regulation which regard as normlessness, on the one hand, it is about when we are free to act and not constrained by social norms. Second, cultural structures means a hierarchy of shared values that govern our behaviors and provide us with cultural goal like achievement on education or career, material comfort of wealth. On the other hand, social structure means institutional norms which define and regulate the acceptable mode of reaching these goals.'(Merton, 1938) In other words, is to provide legitimate means by which members can pursue their goals. From his theory, there are five types of adaptations to achieve either cultural goals or social means. To a large extent, I agree to the conformity adaptations, but small extent agree to the ritualism adaptations, the innovation adaptation, the rebellion adaptations and th e retreatism adaptation did applicable to the case of girls join gangs in Hong Kong. The reasons are as of the following. The report of A study on Girls in Gangs have shown that the several reasons of the girls join gangs because of emotional attachment and protection. As most of the interviewees responded that they were lack of affiliation, which they do not have a good or even lack of relationship with their family, school or working place. In order to fulfill their mental needs or emotional attachment, they joined gangs to achieve the conformity with other people in order to lower the loneliness. Besides, girls in gangs will be named as ah-so, English means either sister-in-law or girlfriend, or ka -mui, in English means little sister, both names did not have a direct relationship, but somehow they can get protection from the gangs because of what their fake relationship is simply as same as the real family. This structure represents that the girl participating in gangs is trying to achieve their cultural goal and they do have social means which is join gangs . Thus, the girls participate in gangs d oes regard as an conformity adaptations since they have their cultural goals and social means. According to the report, A study on Girls in Gangs, the two interviewees told that they were pleasant and happy because of they can enjoy free entertainment when they join gangs. (18 years old, student) They will go to sing karaoke, dancing or go to mainland sometimes, depend on where the gangs go, and the girls in gangs do not need to pay any money, which for boys to show their gentleness and power. (16 years old, employee). From the research, it presents the girls do have cultural goal which is free entertainment regard as use the social means, but they use the same means which do not have any new goals or new means. In addition, the society was also assume the goal as materialism or material comfort, when they did not achieve their goals in legitimacy means, so they will reject the mean. Therefore, the ritualism adaptation which refers as no goals but with means cannot apply in this case. Nonetheless, the report A study on Girls in Gangs, One of the interviewees said that she joins gang because of her boyfriend is one of the members in gangs.(16, student)Furthermore, from what she has said, girls join gangs may seem to have a new goal which is find a boyfriend and maintain a stable love relationship with their partner, but it is also talk about they need emotional attachment, love and belonging by the mean. Thus, rebellion adaptation which have new goals and new means, and innovation adaptation which have goals and new means are not applicable in girls join gangs in Hong Kong, because they do not have the new goals and new means. The above report datas also presented some of the girls know that when they need to leave the gang. The report shown that girls join gangs which they think they were smart enough to protect themselves, and they know what they are doing, they always did something for aim.(18, employee) This shows that they are not as what retreatlism adaptation means have no goals and no means to do some deviant behavior, and what Merton regards as true deviant. Therefore, retreatlism adaptation cannot apply in this case, as the girls join gangs for goals. In our life, different countries or places may bring a different social structure. Compare to America, Hong Kong is rarely have serious criminal cases, and the girls in gangs which were totally different. Mertons theory can explain why rates of deviant behavior are higher in some sectors of the society than in others. American culture is characterized by great emphasis on the accumulation of wealth as a success symbol without a corresponding emphasis on using legitimate means to match toward their goal.'(Marshall B. Clinard, 1964) Refer to the theory, it told that in America society, if the one who want to achieve goals of being wealthy, they can use any means leaned success, even illegal or criminal should be accepted by the theory. Thus, American are more focus on wealth, and do not care all other things such as relationship, love, caring, academic, and they may not facing the same problems of Hong Kong girls in gangs which was lack of affiliation or facing failure. Then, compare t o the case of Hong Kong girls in gangs, mainly concerned about the emotional attachment and conformity, join gangs seek as an instruments to achieve their conformity, they may have goals but they do not have any new means. So in this way, Mertons theory may not be appropriate to apply on the girls join gangs in Hong Kong society which is more applicable on American society. Last but not least, Hong Kong girls join gangs should be regarding something they want like affiliation to achieve with means, which is Hong Kong girls join gangs were trying to gain conformity by satisfy their emotional attachment, love and belonging. So conformity adaptation of the Mertons theory is the only one can apply and suit on the girls join gangs in Hong Kong. On the other hand, girls in gang of Hong Kong society need to fulfill their need with means, but not with new goals or new means, so other adaptation of the Mertons theory may not be the best to apply in Girls in Gangs of Hong Kong society. Therefore, to a large extent I disagree to Merton’s strain towards anomie theory. Reference Readings Chu, Yiu Kong (2005)An analysis of Youth Gangs in Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong in Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences NO.29 Spring/Summer 2005. Clinard, Marshall B.(1995) Robert Merton: Anomie and Social Structure in Earl Eubington and Martin S. Weinberg ed. The study of Social Problems Seven Perspectives, London : Oxford University Press. Haralambos, Michael and Holborn, Martin (2000) Sociology Themes and Perspectives ,London Collins. Mok, James and Chan Shui-ching(2008) A study on Girls in Gangs, Hong Kong : Research Centre, Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group.