Organic food Essay

We have all heard the phrase â€Å"What you don’t know won’t hurt you† and it has undoubtedly applied to many situations in our lives that we are still unaware of. We like to toss around this phrase without worrying too much about what it implies because that is the whole point of the phrase, not to worry. When it comes to what we are putting into our bodies, though, what we do not know can indeed hurt us immensely. In the United States, we have grown accustomed to not thinking much about what we are consuming. The main factors we look for in food are taste and price. We live in a consumer society where money rules our nation, it rules our lives, and it rules us. Money has become the main focus for every decision we make, but when it comes to something as important as our health, should we look at a few other factors? With societies concerns focusing on wealth and profit, there is no surprise that the food industry finds the cheapest ways to produce the most food. Consequently, this produces many negative effects on aspects of our lives such as our health and the environment. When choosing what foods to consume, we should begin to pay more attention to factors other than the price tag. The food industry obviously plays a big role in this epidemic of processed food, but they are not the only ones to blame. Yes they are the ones taking advantage of our ignorance by mass-producing cheap food that they know we will not think twice about, but the ignorance is our fault. Author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan, describes the current foundation of the food industry, â€Å"Our food system depends on consumers’ not knowing much about it beyond the price disclosed by the checkout scanner. Cheapness and ignorance are mutually reinforcing† (Pollan 245). Pollan is correct in his assumption that most Americans do not know much about their food besides how much it cost. Most of them are not even aware that they do not know what is in their food. They subconsciously assume that chicken is chicken and cheese is cheese, but unfortunately that is hardly ever the case. Many people choose to live along these guidelines of â€Å"ignorance is bliss† by not paying attention to the horror stories of the food industry; they turn their heads from documentaries on animal treatment and plug their ears at the mention of the real ingredients of their precious snacks. As long as the food they are eating tastes good and did not cost a lot of money, they are content with not knowing how unhealthy it might be. Pollan further explains another reason people buy the cheapest available food: It makes good economic sense that people with limited money to spend on food would spend it on the cheapest calories they can find, especially when the cheapest calories—fats and sugars—are precisely the ones offering the biggest neurobiological rewards. (Pollan 108) People with lower incomes are confined to buying cheap food, typically the most processed and unhealthy food, because with their limited funds they cannot afford to care about the quality of what they are eating. They buy what is cheapest because that is all they can get. As long as they have food in their stomachs, they do not complain or worry too much about the side affects. Eating food that may not be very healthy definitely outweighs the alternative of eating nothing and starving. Americans are ignorant of the food that they purchase either because they choose not to educate themselves or because they really have no choice. Either way, they are missing out on other possibilities of obtaining food that have many advantages. Not knowing what our food is made of also prevents us from knowing what alternative food options are available to us. Because we see no problems with our current food choices, we see no reason to discover new ones. The processed food at the supermarket is all we know because it is the most convenient and affordable from of nourishment we can obtain. Pollan’s book includes the testimony of someone who buys food from a local, organic farmer, â€Å"†¦for me it’s all about the taste, which is just so different—this is a chickinier chicken. Art’s chickens just taste cleaner, like the chicken I remember when I was a kid† (Pollan 252). The food available from local farmers is not only better for our health and the environment but it also tastes better. We have grown accustomed to the artificially flavored food we buy from grocery stores and do not realize that the food we eat could taste better and more natural. The locally grown food tastes healthier and more natural because that is precisely what it is. The artificially engineered taste of chicken in a common chicken nugget is not what a chicken should taste like. Besides enhanced taste, buying from local farmers offers many other benefits as well. An organic farmer interviewed in The Omnivore’s Dilemma explains some more benefits of buying locally, With our food all of the costs are figured into the price. Society is not bearing the cost of water pollution, of antibiotic resistance, of food-borne illnesses, of crop subsidies, of subsidized oil and water—of all the hidden costs to the environment and the taxpayer that make cheap food seem cheap. (Pollan 243) One of the main reasons why people do not want to look into these alternative methods of eating is because they are more expensive. People overlook these opportunities because the organic food appears overpriced, but when you evaluate all these factors it might not be as overpriced as you might think. Yes the food is more expensive but it stands true that you get what you pay for. When paying more, you are receiving a whole lot more that benefits your health, community, and environment. The extra money that would be spent on food, you might save on your medical bills and taxes. Locally produced food is healthier for you and it carries a much less chance of containing disease and illness. Another bonus of buying from local farms: there is less pollution created than in the factories and slaughterhouses of the globalized food industry. If people became aware of alternative food options and the benefits associated with them, they would be more inclined to pay better attention to what they are buying. This would not only improve ones personal health, but also the environment. Although money remains a very important role in deciding what we purchase, it would benefit us to consider a few other aspects of the food that we buy. Paying attention to details such as what goes into the food, where it is produced, and how it is produced would lead us to make healthier decisions. More often than not, a satisfying answer to these questions will not be found in the food at our local supermarkets, but rather a local farmer. Buying from these farmers would mean supporting a healthy environment and body. Their production methods are healthier and much more environmentally friendly than any factories in a big-name food industry. While it may seem that this is a simple choice, many Americans will continue to ignore these truths. When it comes down to it, money rules everything and it will take a lot more than the promise of better health for people to overlook a price tag. They say ignorance is bliss, but when that ignorance leads to decisions that contaminate our bodies and our environment, the bliss will be short lived.

“The Invisible Leash”: The Patty Hearst Case and the Crazy Things Victims Do

In April 1974, roughly two months after they kidnapped Patty Hearst, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) released a photo of Hearst as evidence that she was no longer a kidnap victim but a willing member of their group. In the photo, Hearst is pictured alone (no other members of the Symbionese Liberation Army are evident). She stands off centered in the photo (to the left) in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army’s symbol, a seven-headed cobra (â€Å"Symbionese Liberation Army†). Her stance is aggressive: her legs are apart as if she is braced and ready to shoot; her gun is pointed (not at the viewer, but off to the viewer’s right); and her finger is on the trigger. The gun itself is a serious weapon, a carbine. And Hearst’s attire is militaristic and revolutionary: she wears pants, tight, military-type clothing, and a beret of the same sort worn by revolutionary Che Guevera, in the famous photo of him snapped by Alberta Korda (â€Å"Che Guevara†). Moreover, the background color in the photo of Hearst is red, a color that suggests violence and aggression. In the lower right corner of the photo, another machine gun rests against the wall, only the upper portion of the gun is visible (its barrel), and it’s pointing upward, toward the top of the photo. While this photo is meant to depict Hearst as a willing member of the SLA, it isn’t quite successful. That is, it suggests a more complex truth: that people sometimes play roles that do not fully describe them and in which they are not at home. A close look at the photo reveals that Patty Hearst, though she assumes the stance of a guerrilla, is anything but that. Her gaze is not directed violently at the viewer; instead, she looks to the side, transforming herself into the object of the gaze rather than being the gazer. This is in sharp contrast to Korda’s famous photo of Che Guevara, whose hat style Hearst has adopted. In his photo, Guevara faces the audience squarely and audaciously (â€Å"Che Guevara†). Hearst’s posture may be audacious, but the direction of her gaze reveals submission. Other details in the photo also suggest that she is less than at home in her role as aggressive warrior. Her gun, for example, is pointed to the side – just as is her gaze. She’s not threatening the viewer with the gun; she’s exposing herself to the viewer. Plus, though none of the SLA members are present in the photo with Hearst, the unmanned, projecting gun in the lower right corner of the photo draws the eye and reminds the viewer that just off stage lurks a threat. With her glance to the side, Hearst seems almost focused on this threat. Indeed, a quick look at her eyes reveals dark circles under them. Her mouth is pinched and drawn. These are indicators that she may be uncomfortable, even stressed in her new role. In fact, the photo, along with an audio communication from Hearst on which she called her father a â€Å"corporate liar† and explained that she was joining the SLA and taking a new name (â€Å"SLA: Tania†), caused her fiance and her parents to â€Å"[speculate] that Hearst had been brainwashed or coerced. † They did not believe that the Patty Hearst they were seeing and hearing was the â€Å"real† Patty Hearst (â€Å"SLA: Patty Hearst). And, indeed, Patty Hearst, granddaughter of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, seems to have changed over the course of her kidnapping. Compare, for example, two of her communiques with her parents. The first was received February 12, only 9 days after armed gunman kidnapped her from her fiance’s apartment on the night of February 4, 1974 (â€Å"Radically†). In this communique, she says: Mom, Dad, I’m OK. I’m with a combat unit that’s armed with automatic weapons. And these people aren’t just a bunch of nuts. They’ve been really honest with me but they’re perfectly willing to die for what they’re doing. And I want to get out of here but the only way I’m going to is if we do it their way. And I just hope that you’ll do what they say Dad and just do it quickly. And I mean I hope that this puts you a little bit at ease and that you know that I really, really am alright. I just hope I can get back to everybody really soon. (â€Å"The Patty Hearst Tapes†) Here Hearst focuses almost entirely on her own situation, telling her parents who has taken her and what her parents need to do to free her. She mentions that her captors are serious but says very little about their political agenda. She sounds, in fact, very much like one might expect a kidnapped, 19-year-old to sound. By day 59 of Hearst’s captivity, her communiques reveal that her focus has changed from herself to the SLA’s cause. Mom, Dad. Tell the poor and oppressed people of this nation what the corporate state is about to do. Warn Black and poor people that they are about to be murdered down to the last man, woman, and child. Tell the people that the energy crisis is nothing more than a means to get public approval for a massive program to build nuclear power plants all over the nation. The message goes on in this vein and culminates with the following: â€Å"I have chosen to stay and fight. I have been given the name Tania after a comrade who fought alongside Che in Bolivia. It is in the spirit of Tania that I say, ‘Patria o Muerte, Venceremos’† (â€Å"The Patty Hearst Tapes†). The Latin phrase means â€Å"Fatherland or death: We shall overcome† (Cox), and it suggests Hearst’s transformation from heiress to warrior. Clearly Hearst had changed, and after she was caught on video camera robbing a bank with the SLA only a few months after she’d been kidnapped (Ramsland), Americans caught up in the story were left to debate whether a person is always responsible for his or her own actions. In an article published in the National Review during Hearst’s 1976 trial, one commentator gave specific voice to the questions many people were asking themselves: When given the opportunity, why didn’t Hearst â€Å"reassert her own individuality and [try] to escape? And, even more succinctly, the commentator asks: â€Å"Is Hearst guilty? † (â€Å"What Is Guilt? † 258). Hearst was eventually sentenced to 7 years in prison for helping the SLA with their criminal activities (including bank robberies), but President Carter had her released after only 22 months (Chua-Eoan), and, in 2001, President Clinton pardoned her (â€Å"Radically†), wiping her record clean. President Clin ton’s pardon suggests that Hearst was not responsible for what she did. It suggests that under specific conditions, a person can behave in ways for which she must not be held responsible. In a nutshell, it suggests that those who have endured traumatic experiences (victims) are not necessarily accountable for what they do. And, indeed, by most accounts, Hearst’s experience was traumatic. During the first several weeks of her captivity (prior to her participation in the first of several bank robberies), she was (according to her own accounts) kept in a dark closet. She was â€Å"sexually assaulted† (â€Å"Truth† 201). She was told that her parents were â€Å"insects† and that she was a member of a class of people that was â€Å"sucking blood† from the commoners. When her father visited San Quentin (as part of a ransom demand made by the SLA), and he reported that the conditions of the prisoners there was fine, Hearst’s captors reportedly told her that her living conditions (in the cramped, dark closet) were similar to those of the San Quentin prisoners. The take home message for Hearst was that her â€Å"tiny cell, stale air, and gloomy walls were [considered by her father to be] an acceptable environment for his daughter. † Her captors led her to feel increasingly alienated from her old life and from her family (â€Å"Tania’s World†). Subject to severe trauma, a person may not behave rationally or in keeping with what might be expected. For example, in 2007, when police found and liberated Shawn Hornbeck, a boy who had been abducted 4 years earlier (when he was only 12), one of the questions that surfaced repeatedly was: why didn’t he run? During at least the last two or three of his years of captivity, his captor (Michael Devlin) allowed Shawn a tremendous amount of freedom. Shawn went to school, rode his bike, and had multiple opportunities to report his situation to authorities, but he didn’t (Tresniowski, Grout, and Finan). Shawn’s attorney speculates that an â€Å"invisible leash† kept Shawn from running (qtd. in Tresniowski, Grout, and Finan). And C. Robert Cloninger, a medical doctor at the Sanson Center for Well-Being in St. Louis, indicates that victims may â€Å"[bond] with their abductors† in order to â€Å"feel safe†: Once you’ve begun to identify with your captor, you don’t have to fear them anymore, because you’re in harmony with them†¦We see this in hostage situations, where the emotional brain short circuits the rational brain. (qtd. in Tresniowski, Grout, and Finan) It was this same â€Å"invisible leash† that made Hearst do the seemingly crazy things she did: rob banks, hide from the law, remain with the SLA. A close look at her history and a careful look at the now infamous SLA photo of Hearst reveal the truth: she may have pretended to be Tania, but that was a temporary role, assumed under extreme circumstances to protect herself. Her transformation from â€Å"an apolitical rich girl† to a â€Å"gun-toting radical† (â€Å"Radically†) tells us more about the events that she was caught up in than about who she was.

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Flexibility - Essay Example It works in interrelation with different operational and transactional factors like workforce, technological capital, organizational systems and the concern as a whole. Flexibility allowed in the labor force earns due efficiency if it helps to augment the degree of commitment of organizational workforce. (Procter & Ackroyd, 2009, p. 495). Three main themes would be outlined in the paper, which can be given as follows. The concept of flexibility to be successful must be closely tied to high degree of organizational commitment. Present level of increased competition triggers the need of a flexible workforce who would rightly adapt to changes in level of demand and operational process. The function of flexibility earns success if the employees work together in a committed manner to achieve organizational goals (Guest, 1989.p.49). Moreover, flexibility of the labor force tends to identify the Human Resources Management as a strategic initiative, which helps the company to earn a distinct competitive advantage. Human Resource Management as a strategic function encompasses the different policies and end goals behind the proper management of the labor force. The strategic face of human resource management is likely needed in bigger firms with several departments and also in other multinational firms for maintaining a strong binding in the labor force. (Boxar, Peter & Purcell, 2003. p.50) In key connection to the concept of human resources management is the process of recruitment and selection of the right candidate to help achieve the organizational goals. Thus recruitment and selection procedures and methods must be devised keeping in mind the end goals. The modern day organization desires to bring in a lot of flexibility in their organizational procedure and management of human resources in the organization. Modern day companies observe that through a flexible workforce the company can achieve high levels of profit and

Crichton Smith Critical Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Crichton Smith Critical Evaluation Essay Home by Iain Crichton Smith is a short story which creates a sense of time and place. This essay will examine how the sense of place is shown in setting and will comment on the message the writer has. Jackson is a man returning to his hometown in Glasgow from South Africa. It becomes apparent to the reader that the setting, in both time and place, is a very important aspect in conveying the meaning of the text. In the short story it becomes apparent that the place has changed since Jackson was last here as the city of Glasgow has undergone a period of decline and decay. This is shown in different ways such as characterisation, descriptive language and the use of imagery. Smith shows firstly how very unpleasant Jacksons hometown has become at the start of the story. He describes how things are poorly maintained like his old tenement has become drab and the walls are described as:  Brown above and dirty blue below, pitted with scars  Brown shows how unpleasant the setting is through the use of negative colour imagery. The colour brown very often has negative connotations. This gives the reader an immediate negative image of the tenement. Also Smith uses the colour blue which should give a positive image, however he uses it with the word dirty which also gives the reader an image of the unpleasant environment around the tenement. Also to give the reader a bit more of a negative image of the area, Smith writes pitted with scars, which has two meanings in the story one of which is suppose to mean the area is literally scarred because the area has been very poorly maintained and is very unpleasant. The second meaning is that it is metaphorically scarred because it has had an emotional impact on everyone in the neighbourhood. This is also used to highlight the horrendous living conditions in Glasgow. While Jackson remains regretful about the hardships of the living conditions in Glasgow and in his tenement, Jacksons wife has a more realistic idea that times have changed in Glasgow when she says to Jackson, Lock the car dear, This shows the reality of this area and shows Jacksons ignorance and that his wife is very wary about that particular area. Jackson shows how naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve he really is and that he does not realise that the place has changed dramatically and protests: They dont do things like that here  The image of the unpleasantness of the area is again highlighted.  as the town had changed a lot since they had left it, that much was clear  The story continues by focusing strongly on the negative changes such as, the loss of the community spirit, the local shops and the loss of friends to featureless estates. Smith is clearly commenting of how the social conditions of Glasgow have changed dramatically through time. Jackson visits his old office, a place of happy memories of. However, upon entering the office his memories are shattered and he begins to realise how uninteresting and unpleasant the office actually is. Jackson stood cringing in that rotting office. This shows that Jacksons view is beginning to change as he draws back and he does not enjoy being back at his old office. Both cringing and rotting have negative connotations and this highlights how uncomfortable he is beginning to feel in an office that appears to be decaying in his eyes. At this point the reader is also meant to see that Jacksons nostalgia destroys the strikingly expressive memory immediately after arguing with the factor of the building. Jackson shows and immediate change of attitude and character when he now sees Africa as home by suddenly saying;  I wish to God we were home  This speech shows the dramatic change in his character. The reader sees how the nostalgia that Jackson had has been completely destroyed. Also he sees people who live in the tenements as punks when Smith writes;  By God, they knew how to deal with punks where he came from  Iain Smith uses very effective word choice. Punks shows how Jackson sees people who live in the tenements in a very bad way. The reader is made aware of the ignorance of Jackson and he appears to have learned nothing from his visit and he would have still have acted aggressively.  Overall, Home by Iain Crichton Smith is a short story which has been shown throughout. The character of Jackson has changed dramatically because of the setting in place. This short story shows that people can be naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve when they are talking about where they come from but when they leave and come back again and see a massive difference which changes the character of the person.

Gender Identity In Friends Tv Show Film Studies Essay

Gender Identity In Friends Tv Show Film Studies Essay When we say that gender identity is socially constructed, what we do mean is that our identities are a fluid assemblage of the meanings and behaviours that we construct from the values, images and prescriptions we find in the world around us. Our gendered identities are both voluntary we choose who we are and coerced we are pressured, forced, sanctioned and often physically beaten into submission to some rules. We neither make up the rules as we go along, nor do we fit casually and without struggle into preassigned roles. (Carter and Steiner 2004) The influences that gender roles and our daily occupations have on our lives extend well beyond the workspace. In the popular television series, Friends, the show exhibits six main characters, consisting of three males and three females. During each episode, several portrayals of the intermingling of work and gender related issues arise. These issues interact with the personal and social lives of each of the main characters. Thus, each character finds that their careers define themselves, and that they are defined by their gender roles and their chosen job markets. Looking into how the role of each character affects their social relationship, one thing that I am interested in is that the successes, failures and experiences of their careers can also play upon the characters friendships. This essay aims to explore how each character attempts to represent their social class and their gender roles. Also, it will attempt to demonstrate whether their careers have a direct impact on their s ocial relationship. For this assignment, five episodes of Friends were chosen from the second season of the series, which aired September of 1995 into January of 1996. The answers to the three following questions were then sought from each episode. 1.) What careers do each of the characters have, and how do they attempt to represent themselves as employees of such? 2.) Do the careers have a direct impact on their personal identities, if so, how? 3.) Do the careers and gender roles of each character have an impact on their social relationship? 4.) Are there any other gender and work related issues portrayed? The following answers will come as a result of the inquired questions. Each of the male characters attempted to represent themselves with success in their career fields, although it may not have always happened. In their various fields of work, Joey and Ross feel the desire to depict profitable growth and flourishing careers. Joey, as an actor, spends time trying to coerce his way into various employment situations. In the episode, The One After the Super Bowl, he specifically wines and dines an assistant movie director in an attempt to obtain an acting role for a movie. In the end he succeeds, but prior to his victory he expresses distress about being outshined in show business by Ross pet monkey. In this context, I could consider about Joeys self identity. Giddens (1991) mentioned a persons identity is not to be found in behavior, nor important thought this is in the reactions of others, but in the capacity to keep a particular narrative going. Here Joey gives a good example that competition (with a monkey), whether real or imagined, impacts how one man feels he represents himself as successful or not in his chosen career. Joey felt surpassed in the acting business. While he performed as a television character, a monkey without acting skills had appeared in popular advertisements and a film. Understandably, Joey displays feelings of confusion and jealousy when an animal obtained more attention from Hollywood than himself. Joeys personal identity as a successful actor comes into question, which instigates him to pursue a role in a film as well. Joey succeeds, obtaining a supporting role. His self identity as a successful actor reappears when he feels that he has accomplished as much in the acting business as the monkey. On the other hand, the character Ross tries to represent himself as successful in his job by proving the scientific credibility of his research. In the episode, The One with Phoebes Husband, Phoebe reveals that she does not believe in the theory of evolution. Ross, as a palaeontologist, feels the inclination to convince her that evolution really exists. He spends considerable effort to explain to Phoebe the way humans have changed throughout time. When Phoebe finally persuades Ross to admit that other explanations seem plausible for humans existence besides evolution, Ross feels his incentive to work shattered. Overall, Ross represents himself as a realistic fact finder in his career, and makes attempts at success by researching and sharing the information he finds with others. Ross obviously feels his job success through the proven facts that he and his career endorse. When others question those very facts, he feels not only his career but also his personal identity challenged. Ross, unlike Joey, has no competition and does not need to achieve more to feel successful. Instead, his values, reasons, and passion for why he works in the field he has chosen come into question. Phoebe challenges Ross to examine his motives, and then determine whether he wishes to continue down his career path once he admits other explanations for human evolution could exist. Admitting to other possible theories of human life makes Ross wonder about the legitimacy and value if his own work. No conclusion to this dilemma appears in the episode, and viewers are left to wonder how Ross overcomes such a critical experience. An adequate example of Chandlers career did not appear in the chosen episodes for examination. However, each of the present examples given illustrate Mac an Ghaills observation on mens attitudes concerning their careers. Nothing is more important to a mans pride, self respect, status, and manhood than work. Nothing. Sexual impotence, like a sudden loss of ambulation or physical strength, may shatter his self -confidence. Butà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦pride is built on work and achievement, and the successes that accrue from their work(Mac an Ghaill 2007). On a similar context, Gauntlett(2007) also describes about mans pride and self-esteem in society; both of them are based on confidence in the integrity and value of the narrative of self-identity. Joeys situation supports former statement by the revelation of his damaged pride and self identity when his acting career falls into the shadow of a monkeys stardom. Ross exemplifies latter statement as his confidence diminishes when he questions the validity and worth of his work. The women of the series do not seem to feel as much pressure to express their success in the career world, but do instead feel the gender limitations that their chosen careers impose on them. Monica, as a chef, finds herself without a job and struggling to obtain a new one. During the episode, The One with the List, she desperately takes on an assignment with a food company awaiting an FDA approval on its product mock-o-late, a substitute for chocolate. Her task with the food product concerns making thanksgiving recipes with mock-o-late as the main ingredient. After all her hard work with this horrible product, the FDA refuses to approve the chocolate substitute. Therefore, all of her effort goes wasted. However, she still receives a check from the food company. This encourages her to return to them for employment when they make another attempt with fish-stacios. Due to her desire to work, Monica describes herself in her career field as, having no morals and in need of money. Monica, unfortunately has an advanced level of training as a chef and yet reduces herself to take whatever job avails itself. One might wonder if the Jane Arthurs opinion, women face persistent discrimination based on their gender; they are paid less, promoted less, and assigned to specific jobs despite their qualifications and motivations(Arthurs 2004), rings true in this situation for the despairing culinary artist. Unlike Monica, Rachel, a waitress at the local coffee shop, remains content with her career. Surprisingly, she reflects no concrete representation of herself as the other characters do. The same situation arises with the character Phoebe, who has a career as a masseuse. Both of these women in the episodes chosen have very few, if any, attitudes that they reveal towards their chosen careers. Although their careers lack emphasis in the series, they still play vital roles in the characters personal identities and friendships as will later be shown. Moving onto the impacts that the careers have on their social relationships, the most prominent example of such appears in the episode, The One with the List. During this particular show, Ross tries to decide whether or not to break up with his current girlfriend in order to go out with Rachel. While trying to make his decision, Joey and Chandler convince Ross to create a list of pros and cons about each woman. Ross lists Rachel as only a waitress while his current girlfriend shares his career of palaeontology. Ross still breaks up with his girlfriend and seeks to start a relationship with Rachel. However, Rachel finds the list and discovers Ross thinks of her as only a waitress. The differences perceived between Rachels career and Ross career establishes the foundation of a rift in their friendship as well as their potential relationship. The Ross measured the difference between Rachels career and his girlfriends career by level of success. Labelling Rachel as only a waitress depicts Ross disdain for average jobs, yet Rachel does not feel inadequacy with her career until Ross brings it up. Rachel, Phoebe and Monica do not seem to measure themselves by their careers like the men in the series. Instead they view their careers mainly as a way to pay their bills. This gender difference shows that women tend to stress work less in relation to their sense personal identities. Careers to the women appear as more of a means of survival, while men view it more as a self defining role. Another issue that revealed itself concerning work and genders impact on relationships happened in the episode, The One with Phoebes Husband. In this particular viewing, fans find out that Phoebe has a supposedly gay husband from Canada. They were married so that Phoebes husband could obtain a green card and join the American Ice-escapades. However, to Phoebes disappointment, her husband turns out to be straight and presently wants a divorce. Previously, the characters career as an ice skater led him to think that he might be homosexual. He drew this conclusion before many years, as a young man, since all his friends and fellow skaters were gay. Feeling pressured to fit in, Phoebes husband presumed and tried to convince himself and everyone around him that he shared a homosexual orientation. This extreme view of gender roles in the work place obviously had huge and lasting impacts on the relationship Phoebe had with this man. Interestingly, this characters career dilemma did not focus on success or personal motivations to work, it revolved around wanting to fit into the crowd. As a skater this man was already talented, and obviously his passion for skating motivated him to continue. The gender identity that people labelled male skaters in his career field with, as well as the established gender of his fellow friends and co-workers, presented him with the problems he encountered. Finally though, he broke through the social labels to assert himself as a heterosexual. Consequently, an important point to note considers the fact that Rachel and Ross careers alone do not cause the problem in their friendship. Nor did Phoebes husbands career cause their resulting conflict. The dilemmas actually arose from the combination of perceptions they held about each others careers and also the feelings attached to them. Rachel finds herself defined by her career in the One with the List episode, and not in a favourable light. Interestingly, Ross too had found his own career criticized by a friend as was mentioned previously. When Phoebe cast Ross work into doubt by questioning evolution, Ross sense of self esteem fell. A parallel of low self esteem occurred in both characters (Rachael and Ross), when their careers value came into question. Careers do seem to have an important impact on friendships, but could it also be said, as in Phoebe and her husbands case that friendships have a rebounding affect on careers? Overall, the six main characters in the series Friends do visibly define themselves in relation to their careers, and that those very careers touch their friendships in significant ways. Upon viewing all five episodes there also appeared other work and gender related issues that will be shortly summarized for observations sake. First, most of the secondary characters that were depicted in positions of employment on the series were male. Two janitors, a lawyer, a movie producer, a company and a zoo manager all were men. The only two women who appeared employed aside from our main characters were a makeup artist and an animal trainer. This bias of more males than females in the working world being presented may have been due to the random selection of the episodes. However, the jobs shown in the viewed episodes do reflect that males hold more prestigious jobs. One could wonder if that bias comes from the writers or whether Kimmels observation gathered from Rhodes work, Speaking of Sex, Different occupations are seen as more appropriate for one gender of the other, and thus women and men are guided, pushed, or occasionally shoved into specific positions (Kimmel, 2004) again applies to the situation. (Words 2,349)

Intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence Abstract Using four published articles this paper takes a look at gender differences in addressing intimate partner violence (IPV), the causes, whos at risk and what can prevent revictimization. Not only will this paper explore intimate partner violence (IPV) and the motives behind it, it will also discuss the court system, public policies, and the gender bias it holds. A portion of the studies analyzed in this paper used the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to gain research. This study is the largest annual crime victimization survey worldwide. The information used for analysis in these particular journals was gathered from 1987 to 2003, and participants in the study were interviewed once every six months for three years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper attempts to evaluate Intimate Partner Violence and compare the severity and frequency of male perpetrators and female perpetrators. IPV is defined by Cho and Wilke as â€Å"a violent crime, including rape, sexual assault, aggravated assault, and simple assault, committed by a current of former spouse or boy or girl friend†. This topic is important to study in order to reduce the prevalence of IPV and to be able to better help victims of IPV.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a 2004 study, Henning and Feder compared the demographic characteristics, severity of intimate partner violence and criminal histories of men and women arrested for assaulting an intimate partner in order to analyze the increase in female arrestees due to IPV. The study will evaluate if women offend as often and as seriously as men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The study analyzed 16,200 men and women from 1997-2001 that were arrested for misdemeanor or felony domestic violence assaults. Henning and Feder (2004) found 16.8% of people arrested during the four year period were women. It was found that females that were arrested were younger than male arrestees and were also young than the victim. In addition to this, the majority of men and women were African American. Additionally, female offenders were more likely to get arrested with their partner and also more likely than men to be charged with a felony assault and to have used a weapon. Contrary to this however, women were not more like to have injured their partner during the dispute. Males in the study were more likely to have had the police involved in a previous domestic abuse incident and also more than twice as likely to have prior arrests.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The study shows that while women do have a fairly high level of intimate partner violence, it was concluded that risk assessments associated with men that were arrested were much greater than risk assessments associated with women that were arrested. Furthermore, the criminal history of men that had been arrested previously for domestic violence and nonviolence charges may be more likely to continually be arrested for domestic violence, while women in the study â€Å"appear to be at low risk to engage in continued aggression or criminality† (Henning and Feder, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A significant weakness in this study is that it fails to take into account self defense from women. For example, if a woman was using violence as a form of self defense, she would still be included in the study. A major limitation of this study is that it only analyzes men and women in Shelby County, TN and may not be an accurate representation of all men and women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In research acquired by Muller, Desmarais Hamel (2009) it shows that women initiate physical aggression as often, or more often than men, rarely in self defense, and motivated for similar reasons, typically for the purpose of expressing frustration, to communicate or to control, our out of desire to retaliate. Our public policy focuses primarily on male- perpetrated domestic violence and the needs of female victims and their children (Muller et al., 2009). There are close to 2,000 shelters nationwide and only a handful offer beds or services to battered men and their children (Muller et al, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muller et al. (2009) research reveals that women are significantly more likely to have their abuse protection request granted than men, with an approval rate of 91% versus men at 66%. Currently there are 227,941 active restraining orders against adults; almost all of them are domestic violence cases (Muller et al.,2009) Approximately 72% were protecting a woman from a restrained man, 19% restrained a same-sex partner, and 9% restrained a woman from a protected man according to Muller et al (2009). Female defendants were much more likely to use a dangerous weapon when attacking their victims and were also more likely to scratch or gouge their victims (Muller et al., 2009) In Hambys summary article she brings to light the fact that women perpetrate physical abuse against their children in roughly equal numbers, if not more than men. Along with Muller et al. (2009), Hamby research also complies that women report more victimization crimes with the police. Interestingly enough once the police were called they were more likely to arrest assailants of females (36%) versus males (12%) (Hamby, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The findings were parallel in both Muller et al. (2009) and Hamby (2005) articles, concluding that due to the size differential injury rates are much higher in assaults against women. Research demonstrates that men far more hesitant to report domestic violence than women, even in the more severe cases (Muller et al., 2009). Muller et al (2009) also showed that male plaintiffs are more likely to drop a case given the decreased likelihood that they will report their abuse. This can be due to prevailing norms regarding masculinity, men may be opposed to convey their fear or to call the police even when they have every reason to do so (Muller et al.., 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cho and Wilke (2010) examined the effects an arrest has on a domestic violence offended and revictimization. Cho and Wilke analyzed men 18 and over who reported being a victim of IPV from a female perpetrator (female victims were also analyzed for sake of comparison).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the study, Cho and Wilkes found, there are 8 times as many female IPV victims as male IPV victims, which highly contrasted with Hambys findings. Female victims in this study were younger than male victims. Similarly to Henning and Feders 2004 study, female victims reported more minor injuries while male victims endured more aggravated assaults (Cho and Wilkes, 2010). Also, as Henning and Feder reported, Cho and Wilke found â€Å"more female perpetrators used severe violence and weapons than did male perpetrators†. Male victims were revictimized less frequently than female victims; which may be in part due to what was suggested in Henning and Feders 2004 study, that women are less likely to be repeat offenders, and also with Hambys research that women report more victimization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the study, there appeared to be no significant relationship between perpetrator arrest and reducing revictimization of males. However, perpetrator arrest reduced the odds of female revictimization by 45% (Cho and Wilkes, 2010). Also, while Cho and Wilke found there was no difference in revictimization in cases with or without weapons, it was found that victims of rape/sexual assault were three times more likely than victims of simple assault to be assaulted again. Like Henning and Feder, Cho and Wilke concluded that men are IPV victims much less frequently and they confirmed that IPV is mainly male violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A significant limitation in this study is that only 33 of the 298 men study were revictimized, and out of those 33 men, only 7 had perpetrators that were arrested (Cho and Wilkes, 2010). Since this number is so small, it would be hard to link arrests to the reduction of revictimization. Another limitation is that the study did not take into account the context of the violence, or what â€Å"type† of violence it was, much like Henning and Feders 2004 study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A more conclusive study of IPV would provide a better insight to the understand of male vs. female perpetrators. However, based on the studies analyzed, one can assume that women are much more likely to be the victim of IPV than men. Muller et al. 2009 research deviates from these findings, but it is in the minority. This was the main concern in comparing the four studies, as it seemed like it would be very clear as to which were more likely to be perpetrators men or women. For the reason that only one of the four studies found that women perpetrate more than men, it is safe to assume that women are more frequently victims of IPV.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As suggested, services and after care for victims of domestic violence is much more geared toward women. Research in the studies proposes men may be less apt to look for help after IPV as well as less likely to report IPV, which can be a severe factor in the skewing of information. Although research suggests that men are more capable of hurting women in IPV disputes, women and men both need to be held to the same standards when it comes to arrests and seriousness of the offenses. In order to more accurately assess the prevalence of IPV against men vs. against women the same action must be taken to each offender. References Cho, H, Wilke, D. (2010). Gender differences in the nature of the intimate partner violence and effects of perpetrator arrest on revictimization. Journal of Family Violence, 25. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/g66p6m7l17h04783 Hamby, S. (2005). Measuring gender differences in partner violence: implications from research on other forms of violence and socially undesirable behavior. Sex Roles, 52(11), Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/n73725h872gn7564/fulltext.pdf Henning, K, Feder, L. (2004). A Comparison of men and women arrested for domestic violence: who presents the greater threat?. Journal of Family Violence, 19(2), Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/mju9703751346711 Muller, H, Desmarais, S, Hamel, J. (2009). Do judicial responses to restraining order requests discriminate against male victims of domestic violence?. Journal of Family Violence, 24(8), Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/content/r8j8u66319rl13j7/

Fluids And Hydration :: essays research papers

How important are fluids? Fluid replacement is probably the most important nutritional concern for athletes. Approximately 60% of your body weight is water. As you exercise, fluid is lost through your skin as sweat and through your lungs when you breathe. If this fluid is not replaced at regular intervals during exercise, you can become dehydrated. When you are dehydrated, you have a smaller volume of blood circulating through your body. Consequently, the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat decreases and your exercising muscles do not receive enough oxygen from your blood. Soon exhaustion sets in and your athletic performance suffers. If you have lost as little as 2% of your body weight due to dehydration, it can adversely affect your athletic performance. For example, if you are a 150-pound athlete and you lose 3 pounds during a workout, your performance will start to suffer unless you replace the fluid you have lost. Proper fluid replacement is the key to preventing dehydration and reducing the risk of heat injury during training and competition. How can I prevent dehydration? The best way to prevent dehydration is to maintain body fluid levels by drinking plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout or race. Often athletes are not aware that they are losing body fluid or that their performance is being impacted by dehydration. If you are not sure how much fluid to drink, you can monitor your hydration using one of these methods. 1.Weight: Weigh yourself before practice and again after practice. For every pound you lose during the workout you will need to drink 2 cups of fluid to rehydrate your body. 2.Urine color: Check the color of your urine. If it is a dark gold color like apple juice, you are dehydrated. If you are well hydrated, the color of your urine will look like pale lemonade. Thirst is not an accurate indicator of how much fluid you have lost. If you wait until you are thirsty to replenish body fluids, then you are already dehydrated. Most people do not become thirsty until they have lost more than 2% of their body weight. And if you only drink enough to quench your thirst, you may still be dehydrated. Keep a water bottle available when working out and drink as often as you want, ideally every 15 to 30 minutes. High school and junior high school athletes can bring a water bottle to school and drink between classes and during breaks so they show up at workouts hydrated. What about sport drinks? Researchers have found that sports drinks containing between 6%

Winston Churchill Essay -- essays research papers

Winston Churchill: Britain’s Man of the Century Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. Winston S. Churchill It was words such as these and the certitude in which he said them that played an important role in guiding Britain’s people through the trials and tribulations of the Second World War. Churchill was also an accomplished writer who composed several campaign reports and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 for his six volume history of World War II. But there is much more to this noble man other than his tongue and his pen. Sir Winston Spencer Churchill is a great mind because of the everlasting impression he left on Britain through his genuine leadership, his firm resolution, and his unrelenting defiance. It was divine intuition that put Winston Churchill in a position of leadership made evident by the amazing effect he had on his countrymen through the words that he spoke and through his idea of forming the "Grand Alliance". When his speeches were broadcasted over the radio during wartime, Britain stopped. Every citizen listened to each word he said with great attentiveness. Churchill’s Blood, Sweat and Tears speech is a fine example of his beautiful art of speaking as it filled the people of Britain with much needed hope and bountiful courage: You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. (Churchill) His manner of speaking was just as important as what he was saying, hence without his brilliant oratory, Churchill would not have been as successful in politics. As far back as 1930, Winston Churchill had the idea that the only way to stop Hitler was to form the "Grand Alliance" with France and the Soviet Union. He was certain that a unified and resolute front could cause Hitler to back down. It wasn’t until 1941 that his idea was put into action, but when in place, the "Grand All... ... Parliament rarely changed parties and Churchill was execrated for years by the Conservatives for his betrayal. Unaffected by his former party, Winston Churchill, as undersecretary of state for the Liberals, played a considerable part in making peace with the Boers. His decision to leave the Conservatives was largely criticized, but the ends justified the means in this case as it led to his political greatness. Winston Churchill lead his country with such grace through the uncertain times of war, he showed great resolve especially while Prime Minister during Britain’s darkest hour, and he also chose to defy strong opposing forces to maintain honesty within himself. On January 24, 1965, Sir Winston Churchill died of a massive stroke and was later buried in a little churchyard near Blenheim Place, his birthplace. Winston Churchill was a very kind and gentle man with a terrific sense of humour and it is safe to say that such an individual will never again come to pass. Although he lies in eternal rest today, his unmatched spirit lives on in the heart and soul of every British citizen of the past, present, and future.

Kate Chopins The Storm and The Story of an Hour Essay -- Papers Chopi

Kate Chopin's "The Storm" and "The Story of an Hour" 'The Storm' and 'The Story of an Hour' expresses the attitudes of two women's rebirth and liberation. These two stories are alike in several ways. Natures plays a major role in both of these women's lives. Calixta and Mrs. Louise Mallard struggle to find their independence and in doing so the endings are triumphant and tragic. 'The Storm' begins on a stormy spring day, with the protagonist Calixta at her sewing machine. She is alone, her husband Bobinot and son Bibi have gone to the store. Calixta seems to be a bored woman, confined to her duties as a housewife and mother. As the distant storm approaches she is unaware of what the storm brings, her former lover Alcee. Calixta allows Alcee into her home and opens her whole world to him. There is a connection between the storm that is going on outside and the storm of emotions going on in Calixta and Alcee. The weather sends Calixta into Alcee?s arms, he wraps his arms around her, and they can no longer hide their feelings for one another. They gave into their raging emotions and made love. Outside the weather was subsiding and Calixta and Alcee?s bodies felt relaxed and calmed. ?The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems.? (1614) His face beamed with light like the sun. The storm inside of her was satisfied and for a brief instant Calixta felt liberated from her ordinary dull life. Unlike Calixta, Louise Mallard is a fragile woman afflicted with heart trouble. It comes to her attention through a trustworthy friend that her husband, Brently Mallard has been killed in a railroad disaster. She is overcome with intense grief and instantly weeps o... ... she has. Mrs. Mallard?s freedom did not last but a few moments. Her reaction to the news of the death of her husband was not the way most people would have reacted. We do not know much about Mr. And Mrs. Mallards relationship. We gather from the text that her freedom must have been limited in some way for her to be feeling this way. Years ago women were expected to act a certain way and not to deviate from that. Mrs. Mallard could have been very young when she and Brently were married. She may not have had the opportunity to see the world through a liberated woman?s eyes and she thought now was her chance. Bibliography: Chopin, Kate. ?The Story of an Hour.? Literature For Composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, et al. New York: 1996. 12-13 Chopin, Kate. ?The Storm.? The Norton Anthology. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. New York: 1999. 1612-1615

Demographics Diversity and Education in Texas

Demographic displacement has a great bearing on several facets of community development, regional development taking to the province and state development. Texas is one of the provinces where it will be pertinent to analyze these facets as it borders Mexico. Switching demographics over the old ages in Texas with regard to population of migrators, graduation from schools, employment rates tell a batch to us with respect to the hereafter development and related planning procedure.The Demographic Shift in TexasThe biggest demographic displacement seen in Texas is towards growing of population of Hispanics, which was found to hold increased by 33 % between 2000 and 2008. At the same clip, not Latino population excessively has gone up by similar per centum ( 33.7 % ) during the same period. However, populations of Whites and inkinesss have gone up by 5.4 and 16.2 % severally. Every county in the province of Texas did non hold similar growing. For illustration in the Dallas County the popu lation of Whites has gone down by 13.7 % in contrast to the Hispanic growing of population of 41.6 % . ( Former Census DirectoraˆÂ ¦ ) As per 2005 US nose count, individuals of Hispanic beginning accounted for 35.31 % that belonged to any race. Mexicans are considered to be largest lineage group in Texas accounting 25.3 % with African American and Germans accounting to 10.5 % each. English and Scots-Irish are at 7.2 % each. It will be interesting to see how this population displacement has affected the school graduation over these old ages. In one of the survey done by IDRA ( Intercultural Development Research Association ) during the twelvemonth 2006-07 across Texas populace schools it was found to hold abrasion rate of around 34 % . To farther elaborate, around 34 % fresh pupils who enrolled in 2003-04 left school before graduating from a Texas public high school before 2006. The current statewide abrasion rate in Texas is seen to be higher than that found during 1985-86 as per survey done by IDRA. Higher abrasion rates indicate schools ‘ failure to maintain pupils in school. ( Texas Public School )AnalysisSome of the main findings can be listed as under: One of every three pupils left school prior to graduating with high school sheepskin. Overall abrasion rate has gone up by 3 % from 1985-86 to 2006-07 The abrasion rates of black pupils have gone up from 7 to 18 per centum points. Attrition rates of Latino pupils have remained the same at 45 % ( Attrition and Dropout ratesaˆÂ ¦ ) In position of the diverse cultural groups and race in Texas, political economic system has a important importance for the growing and development of province. These groups do hold diverse spiritual religions excessively. It becomes indispensable that they work cohesively for the overall aim of growing and development. Besides public school, the State of Texas promotes charter school so that under privileged and deprived excessively acquire equal chance for the development and growing. Charter schools are attractive because advanced pedagogues have a freedom to develop new and refined attacks to formal instruction. The province of Texas is one of the taking provinces in advancing the charter schools and that is declarative from the fact that the province has excused charter schools from certain revenue enhancements. State Board of Education ( SBOE ) of Texas is a facilitating organic structure for set uping charter schools. Government has to guarantee that everybody gets an chance without any racial, gender or category prejudice. It becomes necessary that these diverse groups have a religion in each other. The manner European feudal society examined political economic system, the political orientation and schooling clip to clip in a societal context so is the demand to absorb and convey homogeneousness across these diverse ethnic groups and race. Native Americans were most conformable to assimilation through instruction as mentioned by Jefferson and the same is the demand of an hr for holding all unit of ammunition growing with full engagement of all diverse groups of any race and ethnicity. Steven Tozer states â€Å" schools are complex establishments with varied and intricate relationships to their surrounding communities † . While the survey of learning methods and direction is important to proper teacher instruction, instructors must understand the complex nature and the broader societal context of instruction in order to do determinations about educational ends and methods for themselves. In other words, in add-on to larning how to learn, instructors should develop an apprehension of the dealingss between their schools and the larger society in which schools are embedded. Thus school preparation is based on premiss that understanding the context of American schooling in general and Texas in peculiar can take to an apprehension of what it means to fix pupils to come in and populate in a democratic society.Determining and Bettering the Education SystemIn position of the above demographic displacement in Texas, it becomes imperative to develop and implement nece ssary alterations in instruction system and course of study, which eventually brings equal chance for all, riddance of poorness for the category who are deprived and therefore opening the door for inclusive growing. At this occasion, it will be pertinent to take note of the positions of some of the celebrated educationalists who have played a cardinal function in determining the American schools over the old ages. Horace Mann has possibly instilled most profound impact as an educationalist to carry through the above ends. He felt the demand to promote the moral orientation of the pupils and he was right in indicating out that it can better be achieved through public schools. He strongly believed that a set of values can be devised for citizens in the proper operation of democracy and that should be nurtured during the school yearss of a kid. These set of values are non identified with any spiritual religions and will ever be compatible to all spiritual beliefs and followerss. Mann emphasized on practical cognition. He believed that ownership of cognition means one is in charge of his/her fate. He believed that human existences are separate from all other species in their pursuit of cognition, intent and intelligence and if these are non decently harnessed so life is so full of waste. Mann strongly opposed rote acquisition as it is non effectual and does non convey coveted consequences. He viewed larning as a agency to an terminal which separates us from the animate being. ( Giants of American Education, pg 7 ) His positions on instruction in his Twelfth Annual Report as Secretary of Massachusetts State Board of Education clearly advocated about cosmopolitan instruction which will emancipate the domination of capital and obsequiousness of labour to a big extent.Educationist James ConantJames Conant put frontward particular plans for gifted pupils and screening them as per their ability and proposed academically less gifted pupils for work. Conant besides proposed scholarships to academically qualified pupils. He was concerned about â€Å" fringy † pupils and of the sentiment that excessively many pupils are likely to lend to societal instability through over-education. Conant steadfastly relied on experts as a means to make ideal democratic values and believed in equality of all type of labours. His survey of high schools conducted in 1957-58 along with run for the book ‘The American High School Today ‘ all greatly contributed to the public sentiment that comprehensive high schools were carry throughing its mission. He concluded that vocational instruction was suited for schools holding low economic strength. John Dewey stressed that the pedagogue must take into consideration that each pupil is different. Each individual has a different yesteryear experiences and different familial scenes. For him, instruction has a broader societal intent and purposes at giving freedom along with construction and order to the pupils and non based on merely caprices of the instructor or the pupils. So harmonizing to him it is based on the theory of experience, which is derived from continuity and interaction. Each state of affairs can be experienced otherwise by different individuals because of the singularity of each person. One pupil may hold a liking for one school while another one may detest it and for pedagogue it is indispensable to understand these state of affairss while showing the educational state of affairss to them. Therefore, the instructor with good apprehension of these varied state of affairss probably to assist pupils and supply quality instruction to the pupils, which is besides releva nt to the pupils. ( Experience and instruction ) In present extremely competitory sphere, any employer would wish to see following from his/her employees. Comprehension and reading accomplishments Communication skills – written and unwritten Computational accomplishments Problem resolution and decision-making capacity In order to foster above accomplishments, it is required to hold activity-centered instruction. Students should be trained for rational and moral growing with maximal flexibleness and freedom in their operations. Having seen assorted cardinal issues involved in the reform procedure, it can be said that the followers should be the most cardinal portion of the educational reforms procedure. Educational disadvantage linked with ethnicity, race, and low household income should non come in between while tackling the endowment of pupils. Ninety per centum of school instructors in U.S public schools are white so pedagogues of all race and cultural orientation demand to develop new teaching methods to run into the demands of altering demographics with extreme earnestness. Highly trained and effectual instructors are the demand of an hr and most critical ingredient for pupil ‘s inclusive growing and their public presentation. Teachers need to develop cultural competences – should be able to organize and develop effectual relationships across all race and ethnicity. Proper monitoring and timely disciplinary action with appropriate feedback to the pupils will assist accomplish higher public presentation from the pupils. There has to be changeless and echt interaction between instructor and pupils so that timely disciplinary actions keep the diverse race of pupils in one common watercourse. All support directed for the proper cause and used most efficaciously towards the attainment of aims laid down clearly and exactly in a given clip frame.DecisionFinally, any public school should come out with an effectual mission statement for instructors and school leading that ‘my school is committed to leave an just and indifferent educational experience for every pupil of the school regardless of their gender, race, ability, socioeconomic association, faith, beginning, age, or linguistic communication. ‘

Critique Nursing

Essay preview The purpose of this assignment is to critique and evaluate the chosen article in terms of strengths and weaknesses, to demonstrate an understanding of the research process. According to Polit and Beck (2004) the aim of critically appraising an article is an attempt to determine its strengths and limitations. Therefore, the research critique should reflect an objective and balanced consideration of the study's validity and significance (Polit and Hungler 1999). The task of critiquing is, according to Lo Biondo-Wood and Harber (2006) a challenging one and can only be effectively achieved through much practice and skill.For the purpose of this critique, the frameworks of Parahoo (1997) and Polit and Hungler (1999) have been used as a guide. This will assist in producing an organised sub-headed piece of work. Title The title of an article is the first part of a study to be encountered and Parahoo (1997) states that a title should draw the reader's attention to the precise a rea of study and make reference to the population from whom the data is collected. Cormack (2000) and Marshall and Kelly (2007) agree, stating a title should be concise and reflect the content of the study.The chosen article is titled ‘Perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing research findings in the Irish practice setting'. This title utilised by Glacken and Chaney is concise, consisting of 13 words in bold print. Rumrill et al (2000) state that a standard length title is 12 – 15 words. However, the title does not reflect the population of the sample group i. e. Registered Nurses. Although the title still provides insight into what the article is trying to accomplish. Author(s) According to Cormack (2000) researchers must be qualified to commence a esearch study. The researchers qualification and credentials in the article are clearly stated and easy to find. They both have initials after their names, one of which has a PHD, which indicate that they have an educational background. A search using Glacken and Chaney using the ProQuest database identifies several published articles by Glacken. According to Lo Biondo-Wood and Harber (2002) this enhances the credibility of a study placing confidence in the findings. The article was submitted for publication on the 1st July 2003 and was accepted on the 9th January 2004.This illustrates that it was still relevantly recent and not dated when published which could have posed questions regarding validity and reliability. â€Å"The Journal of Clinical Nursing† has published the article. This also adds to the credibility of the research study, as all published articles are double bind peer reviewed. Abstract The purpose of the abstract is to provide a short comprehensive synopsis of an article (Rumrill et al 2000). According to Parahoo (1997) it should quickly focus the reader's attention on the main points of the study.Langford (2001) also states that a well-presented abstract should be ac curate, self-contained and readable. This abstract gives a brief summary of the study and within the first few lines identifies what the study is trying to achieve – to ascertain what registered nurses perceive as barriers to the utilisation of research findings and discover what they perceive would facilitate the implementation of these findings. The remainder of the abstract provides a summary of approach (cross-sectional survey), the population (registered nurses) and overall findings.One limitation noted is that the researchers do not give the exact sample size in the abstract. By reading this summary it is believed that the reader would be able to make an informed choice about the relevance of the article for their purpose. The keywords used within the abstract were – barriers, clinical practice, facilitators, Republic of Ireland, utilisation. It is vital that researchers choose appropriate keywords for their articles in order to aid literature searching through d atabases (Webb 2005).The keywords used by Glacken and Chaney are all relevant to the research study. Introduction The purpose of the introductory section is to clearly identify the problem and give a rationale for the study been carried out (Cormack 2000). Poilt and Hungler (1999) agree by stating that the introduction should explain the research problem and why the study is important, worthwhile and relevant. Russell (2004) also states that the introduction should thoroughly describe the background of the research problem so that the need for the study is apparent.The introduction given by Glacken and Chaney builds a cause from existing literature that the problem is of adequate value to justify further research. The author of this critique believes the research problem is in the last sentence of the introduction. It states that there are many difficulties involved in achieving evidence – based practice and many barriers that may impede research utilisation. If this is in fa ct the research problem, the researchers comply with Russell's (2004) recommendation that the research problem should flow directly from the introduction and conclude this section.However one would feel that this introduction deals more with the importance of research rather than explaining that the remainder of the article will focus on the barriers that impede research. According to Cormack (2000) an introduction should also state the study's limitations. This particular introduction does not make the study's limitations explicit to the reader. Literature Review/Background According to Parahoo (1997) a literature review serves to put the current study into the context of what is already known about the subject.Cormack (2000) states that the literature review is a critical review of previous literature relating to the research topic. Therefore this section aims to provide the reader with an understanding of what the current state of evidence is in the selected area of study. This r eview is organised by heading that correspond to the key study concepts, which makes the review easy to follow. The researchers attempt to review previous studies relating to the topic, thus preparing the ground for new research. The studies presented highlight the significance of the problem under investigation.It was difficult to identify the exact research question, as there was no definite question asked. Although Valente (2003) states that sometimes researchers may hide the research question within the purpose of the study. The final statement of the literature review is therefore the purpose of this study – ‘it is timely that perceived barriers†¦ are identified and acknowledged'. Therefore as you read the review it moves from broad to specific relevance with the last section of the review clearly outlining the need for the study. Due to the article been published in 2004, it is expected that the references used will be relevantly recent.From reading the refer ence list, it can be seen that this is the case and only three references before 1994 have been used. There was a need for these older references as the original author who employed the Barriers scale did so in 1991 and the purpose of the 1978 reference was to illustrate that access to research reports has been a problem for many years. Also noted is that the articles included in the reference list are clearly related to the topic under study and include international resources, all nursing – related. http://repository. uwc. ac. a/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10566/308/RoweBlendedLearning2012. pdf? sequence=3 Method According to Polit and Hungler (1999) the heart of the research critique is the analysis of the methodology decisions adopted in addressing the research question. Cormack (2000) suggests the method section should clearly state the research approach to be used and asks whether the method is appropriate to the research problem and whether the strengths and limitations of the approach are stated. Although not written in text it is clearly pointed out that the article is of a quantitative approach.Burns and Groves (1997) describe quantitative research as a method used to gain more information, test relationships and uses numeric data to answer problems. In reviewing the methodology section which is under the subheading â€Å"Methods†, the researchers clearly demonstrate that the design method is a cross – sectional survey using a non – probability sample. According to Polit and Hungler (1999) a cross – sectional design involves the collection of data at one point in time. This descriptive study uses the established 29 – item Barriers 5 point Likert scale, after firstly gaining permission from the main author to employ the instrument – S.Funk. Therefore a strength of this article is related to the measurement tool. The researchers used an already developed measurement device in which the reliability of the tool would have been determined. They reinforce this fact by saying that the scale is recognised to be psychometrically robust. A further quantitative research tool – a questionnaire, was selected as the method to solicit opinions regarding the barriers to research. Cormack (2000) believes that questionnaires are the most widely used method of collecting data.However he recognises that if participants are aware that they are partaking in a study, it is natural that they might alter their response – the Hawthorne Effect (Cormack 2000). The researchers do not state how they minimised this Hawthorne Effect. In addition to the questionnaire, a demographic information sheet was utilised. This is in line with a descriptive design, as the purpose of such is to gain more information about the characteristics of a group (Vitale 2003). The research participants were a convenience sample of registered nurses who enrolled in a nursing focused academic course in Trinity College, Dublin .All who enrolled were invited to participate in the study. However the recruitment process is not described in much detail. It is not until the Findings section that the size of the sample is revealed – 169 participants responded. According to Thompson (1999) the sample size in quantitative research is preferably a large sample. Vitale (2003) states that the general rule regarding sample size is ‘sample error decreases as sample size increases'. It is harder to generalise a sample of this size. It is recognised by the researchers in the Discussion section that the particular mode of sampling employed may introduce bias into the findings.This may result in the findings becoming less reliable. A limitation noted in the method design used by the researchers was the lack of an explicit framework. The researchers did not identify if they used one. When researching the other studies that used the Barriers scale the vast majority used a framework. Ethical Consideration Ethics is an important part of nursing and nursing research. It is about researchers doing what is fair, decent and moral and is underpinned by values and believes of the community (Crookes and Davies 2004).There is no designated section allocated to ethical considerations, however Hek (1996) states that ethical issues may be integrated throughout the article. This article addresses ethical issues in both the abstract and under the method section. The researchers clarify that the ethical issues of a persons right not to be harmed, right of full disclosure, right of self-determination, right of privacy and confidentiality were respected. According to the researcher all participants provided their consent to the study by the returning of the completed questionnaire.Consent is vital as it respects the autonomy of individuals, their right to privacy and their right to choose (Tingle and Cribb 2002). Results Cormack (2000) states that the results should be presented clearly and in enough detai l so that the reader is able to judge how reliable the findings are. Polit and Beck (2004) agree by stating that the most critical element of any study is getting your results across and understood by your readers. Valente (2003) believes that the researchers should repeat the research question before delving into the findings.The researchers in this case presented the data in succinct form with little discussion at the start, but organise their findings under subheadings. According to Russell (2004) researchers frequently organise their findings by research question to facilitate readability. The aim was to quantify the barriers to research implementation. The authors of this article present their findings systematically, utilising a variety of graphs and tables. Figure 1 shows a graph depicting that 38% of the participants consulted journals more than twice a month.Table 1 presents the barriers to research utilisation in descending order of importance. Results were also explained and summarised alongside which according to Clifford (1997) is a form of descriptive statistics. According to Russell (2004) if a descriptive design was used the reader should find descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, median and standard deviation. All these statistics are included within the results section. The target audience (professional nurses) are more than likely to be able to interpret the figures within each table and, thus, judge hoe reliable the results are.It is important that results are presented in such a way that they are clearly understood (Cormack 2000). Parahoo (1997) is an advocate of comparing results with other similar studies. The researchers adopted this style and compared the top 10 barriers with those found in three recent studies (Table 3). The researchers showed their findings to be very similar with the studies undertaken in both Northern Ireland and Australia. Discussion/Conclusion The discussion section should flow from the data results and plac e the study's findings in context with what is already known (Parahoo 1997).Valente (2003) believes that under this section the researchers should summarise their major findings and conclude their application to practice, research, and theory and knowledge development. The researchers state that this section will discuss the findings in comparison with other studies undertaken. Valente (2003) states that author(s) should compare and contrast their results with other studies and interpret the findings. The discussion is unambiguous and supported by the results obtained. Again the researchers used subheadings to ease readability. There are many implications to practice identified by the researchers.According to Valente (2003) implications should describe how the results of the study could be applied to nursing practice. For example the researchers discovered that their study and many other studies identified nurses' perceived lack of authority as the most common barrier to research. T herefore they exposed a need to implement some change into the organisational setting. Also, more support from managers was noted to be the top ranked facilitator of research implementation. The researchers also suggest a further research study, which would explore the reasons why nurses do not access research journals on a regular basis. General ImpressionOverall the article was interesting with clear aims and use of methodology. It was quite simple to interpret and has provided interesting fact regarding this topic. The study contains few flaws and represents a valid example of descriptive quantitative research. The results have addressed the aims of the study and are both informative and descriptive. It is recommended that it should contain a section of ethical consideration however the ethical issues are evident throughout the article. In the introduction the article stresses the importance of research in nursing and health care. This builds a good case for continuing the study. Research is an essential part of every nurse's role. But as this study revealed there are many barriers for nurses to overcome to properly utilise and implement research. This study has brought these barriers to the foreground and identified ways to overcome them. The findings were interesting, although it might become more reliable if the study was replicated using a larger, random sample group. The top ranked barrier to research utilisation was surprising to read, as it was made known to be nurses' perceived lack of authority. The article was very good overall and a lot of interesting facts emerged from the study. References