Saturday, August 31, 2019

Home School vs Public School Essay

Although both can provide a good quality education to their students, there are many differences between home school and public school. Home school, (No comma needed) students do not have to answer to anyone, public school other are () teaching their children. This has been the biggest debate with parents, whether they want the socialization that comes from public school or the protection that comes from home school. (What about the individualized attention?) â€Å"In a recent study done by the U.S Department of Education, 85 percent of homeschooled students were being done so, in part, because of their parents’ concern about the environment of public school.† (Move the period after the citation, so the citation becomes part of the sentence.) (Public school vs, 2008) (When you have a direct quote, you need to provide the page number where the quote appeared, as well as the last name of the author if it is known, or the source title if the author’s name is not kno wn. If it is an electronic source without a page number, provide the paragraph number by counting paragraphs from the top of the page.) With so many options, many parents have chosen to home school their students either for safety or to have more control. With home school, there are the same options as public school, meaning for academics. Home school seems like the best option when it comes to (concerning) their children, yet we (We is first-person plural. The preferred perspective is third-person – he, she, one, they, etc.) need to look at every detail. With home school there is a problem sometimes with the fact that (because) it does not offer materials for chemistry. With both home school and public school(,) they have the basics of subjects, for example science, history, math, and English. Now with home school there is a choice on how much a person can learn. Meaning that a child can take their (child is singular, â€Å"their† is plural. Use his or her.) time with their education, or they can work ahead. There is even a new study that suggests that home school students are more advanced than public school students. (Citation for this source.) With options for a student to take their time with their education, this can help students with learning disabilities to be able to complete  their school work without worry of falling behind With any school, safety is always the first priority to all parents. With all the school shootings that have been reported, there needs to be some sort of comfort for parents to want to keep their kids (Technically, kids are baby goats. Children is a better word.) in public school. There have been new laws to control how people buy guns, with background checks; this law is called the Brady Law, yet there are those who can buy from private sellers; the threat is still out there. The schools now have started to do their own back ground checks, and making only one entrance into the buildings. They have even put in metal detectors that the children and visitors have to walk through. There are still other worries about safety, like bullying, and how bad that has gotten. This has made kids afraid to go to school; they have to try to fit in, with how they look and how they dress. With all that, it seems like parents would make the decision very easy to home school, yet there is the other question of socialization. Almost all children need some form of socialization with kids their own age, yet with home schooling they are only with their parents, or only communicating with their online teachers. Then there are single parents who do not have a choice but public school. Both online offer some sort of extra curriculum activities. There are different languages, like French, Spanish, German, and a lot more. Having the option to learn other languages leaves so much open, like traveling to foreign countries and getting a good job later down the line. There is also a saying (A saying is like a witty quote. I think â€Å"belief† is a better word in this context.) that learning other languages can help with a child’s reading skills. They can also learn music. They can learn how to read music and play music, for example a musical instrument, which they can later turn in to (into) a career. Art is another thing they can learn, which can help with hand-eye coordination. With most children it is hard for them to use their hands and heads at the same time. When one thinks of home school, there is never a thought that there still should be arts and crafts to help with handwriting, yet public schools usually still have art as something to help a student along the way. (Are you suggesting that home-schooled children do not do art? Let me suggest that general statements are taboo. My sister is an artist, and she home-schooled her children, both of whom entered college at the age of 16, and both are gifted artists because of the  training they received from their mother.) Healthy nutrition is important to everyone. Almost everyone wants to be able to eat right, and make sure that we (We is first-person plural. The preferred perspective is third-person – he, she, one, they, etc.) put the right nutrients in our bodies. When parents home school their children(,) they get to choose what they eat and how healthy it should be. With public school(s) they try to offer healthy choices, yet some school, (Remove the comma and add an s to scho ol.) have vending machines that do not offer a lot of healthy choices or their children do not pick the healthy snacks that they find. Most vending machines have soda, chips and even energy drinks, which have shown damaged to (can hurt) children if they drink too much of it. With public schools(,) they feed the children on their own schedules, which for some kids can be a problem(;) when at home they eat at different times. When it comes to having healthy children, most parents say that doing home school is best for preventing illness. With home school, parents can control the atmosphere their children live in, meaning how clean they can keep their home so their children do not get sick as often. They also control who can come over, if the visitor is sick they will tell them to come a different day when they are better. When it comes to public school, there is not much you can do. With public school, children have a higher chance of getting sick, yet their immune systems are usually a lot better that a home school child. When it comes to being healthy, physical activity always comes in to (into) play. Most children need to stay active, and with video games and television, there is so much distraction for kids that physical activity is something that they do not do. Now this is where a lot of parents like public school. With public school they have physical education as classes where they have to meet ce rtain standards to make sure the students are able to stay fit. There is also recess where the kids can go out and play with their friends, which in turn is another form of physical activity. With home school they usually do not make sure that they have physical education. (Do you have documentation to support that accusation? Remember, critical thinkers take nothing at face value.) They do let them play, but it is usually not enough for the child to make a difference. There are some sports that a parent can put their children in, yet the cost is so much more than it would in public school. Now with public school they do have sports for  kids, and if you meet a certain financial situation they can offer sports at a discounted rate. With the decline of physical activity there has been a rise of childhood diabetes, and children gaining too much weight. When a parent decides to do home school they need to make sure there is still some sort of physical activity. With every public school there is the problem of politics. It seems everywhere a parent looks there is politics. When it comes to their children, this is something that most parents thought should stay out of our schools. Most children that go to public schools are also low income and due to that the government thinks it needs to intervene. â€Å"As if families aren’t facing enough difficulties, right now, the State of Tennessee is currently considering two bills that will reduce welfare assistance for needy families whose children are not doing well in school, according to an article on ThinkProgress.† (Bills in Tennessee, 2013) With the government looking in to what we are doing, it makes parents want to home school seem a better choice. (Here is the problem with that logic. When kids are at school, they eat at least one and sometimes two meals while there. Home school children eat all their meals at home, so I doubt that people who need food stamps will choose home schooling, because then they are on the hook for all the chi ldren’s nutritional needs.) With having public school as an option for any one education needs, it seems like there are both good and bad things that need to be addresses, yet when it comes to their children, there should always be some investigation into what is best. With home school they also have good and bad, yet the decision any parent makes, needs to be based on what is best for your family. The choice of socialization of public school sounds great, yet does the freedom of the control of teaching their own children also sounds goods as well.

Mentor

Instead of cursing the dark we have to light a candle; instead of looking down at the gutter at the roadside on a moonless night why not look up and appreciate the stars   in the sky? We should put passion in every undertaking. And instead saying â€Å" It’s cloudy outside but it’s a Sunday,† why not make it as an opportunity and say   â€Å"It’s a   great Sunday!† Meaning you’re optimistic that the day   would turn out right  Ã‚   because you are free from your office work—of your responsibility here–  Ã‚   despite the clouds hovering at the horizon. Right? In short we, all of you (managers, supervisors, section heads) should try to inspire others through your thoughts, words and deeds. First you should think and act as mentors and not mere managers or slave drivers of employees.   A mentor says â€Å"we have to do this way,† rather than ordering a subordinate â€Å"to do that way.† Make yourself  Ã‚   part of the solution – a member of the team. As a mentor you take every problem as a new challenge. As proactive mentor you have to be ahead of the situation or you have to put up measures to prevent potential problems   to crop up. To be an effective mentor you have to have the unlimited capacity to understand. How? Review your college psychology, about human nature or behavior, about motivation and aspirations of individuals. Make your subordinates feel that their aspirations and ambitions would be addressed by playing   their roles in the company. Make their individual ambitions and the company’s objective   one. Make them proud to belong to the company since they are being taken care of including their loved ones. To be a competent mentor every manager should have an open line of communication. You have to remove the partitions and cubicles. Let every worker approach you any time of the day – or night — and help him solve even his personal problem. As a mentor your responsibility does not end after office hours. The communications line should be open 24 hours a day. Mentoring is like coaching a football or basketball team. A coach is a mentor-leader —not a manager– because he inspires people. Your effectiveness as a coach could be measured on how the athletes play the game and not on the number of games won. The objective of the manager is to win all the games. As for the coach? His foremost consideration is the welfare of the individual players including their future and direction. Winning is secondary. Winning is not the objective. Winning a game or the championship should be the result of mentoring. No amount of shouting, cursing or suspension could make a player give a 100-percent contribution to a game if he is not inspired to play. He only gives his best because of the motivations from his coach. An example is Carter of the popular movie Coach Carter. He made men out of the spoiled and undisciplined youngsters. He transformed their lives—and their future. He considered every game lost an opportunity for each of his players to improve and do better. Carter   provided them reasons to live a beautiful and fruitful life. Another organization where you can find a mentor-leader is the Army. It is not the platoon leader but it’s usually the platoon sergeant who motivates the infantrymen during battles. One factor that inspires the soldiers could be the courage of the sergeant. And he leads in front of his platoon every skirmish. Because he has the extensive knowledge and experiences acquired from previous battles his men have confidence of his leadership. They know that what the sergeant is doing is  Ã‚   for their welfare and to reduce casualties.   In short extensive knowledge and courage play an important role in motivating people. And you can have more knowledge by attending managerial and motivational workshops on your initiative and on your own time. In short self-improvement. Another role you should play as leader is that of a facilitator. You should group your subordinates into teams not as work-related groups, like budget, accounting,   or disbursing section .Each team has an objective to accomplish—just like every squad in the army. Each team member has a defined role to play or a specialization.The men in a squad don’t carry the same type of weapon. One carries a bar or a special weapon which is effective for long range shooting. Another carries a machine gun for close combat. Others carry assault   rifles for the final push. Others carry sniper’s rifle with night vision for evening assault, and so forth. And in the absence of the point -man, the next in rank can take over to accomplish the objective of the team since every member’s role is clearly defined. So you have a logistical team rather than a dispatching section. Each team leader is empowered to make decisions. In case of misunderstanding or conflict in the implementation of an office policy, as manager or supervisor you act as collaborator but not as compromiser. As team member you consider everyone in the group as your   colleague or peer not as your immediate supervisor or your direct subordinate. Each role should be defined not by the ranking of the position but by specialization or skills. Thus, the secretary   becomes communications specialist and the telephone operator the   solutions provider—   for she gives answers to queries, Right? With these changes each can assert his role in the organization and he could measure his overall contribution. Even the janitor must have a position fitted to his contribution — as sanitation specialist. Try to imagine a single day without a janitor. You will find that the following day everything is in chaos or the office smelly. In case of conflict, as facilitator you initiate collaborative work, you initiave   comprehensive cooperation from all the members of the team. For an example in the advertising department, you yave to facilitate the production of the best creative idea for a promotional campaign. In this case you don’t have to criticize ideas presented. You have to facilitate the frution of the ideas into a useful concept. As facilitator you have to be highly assertive so it would be faster for a collegial decision to crop up from the team. Another role you should play as supervisor is that of a monitor. In short you have to record and take note of the progress of each team in your group. You don’t have to record their attendance nor whether they come on time or leave the office earlier. That’s not the point. As monitor you record as to how far they are from the goal. You have to be goal-oriented. You manage by objective. To be an effective monitor you have to be competent about   information management—the ins and outs of the system.In short you have your own system to grade your members. In the military there is such thing as demerits. For example you wear a complete uniform you would be given 100 merits. Any stain or dirt in the uniform, or improper wearing of a single insignia   the officer would give you the corresponding demerits. In this way your team members know their goal if they could make   you objective and make it   perfectly.. The military for example, has its own counterintelligence group. This way the military plays it safe by moving ahead of its enemies. This means you monitor the contribution of each member of the team and advice them from time to time as the necessary adjustments needed in their activities. Another function you should do as manager is that of a coordinator. In this situation you act not only as the coach of the team. You act at   the same time  Ã‚   the team captain or   the playing coach. You coordinate the maneuvers on the court as team captain. All the members of the team observe you from a distance as to what signals you are transmitting to them. As coordinator you know the specialized skill of each member. Like basketball, you know   how the guard or the forwards functions during set plays. You know the capacity   of your center or you know who would be the slotman or pointmaker during crucial time of the game. In short each man has a specialization—just like in your department or section. In basketball, the team captain sometimes decide  Ã‚   as to when they   need   to rest – and not necessarily the coach–   and transmit this need to the coach or the bench officials for the team to take a rest or take a time out to   change plan of  Ã‚   maneuvers . Compared to our company, as facilitator you must have the hands-on knowledge of the operation of your division or section.You cannot play as team captain if you don’t know the limit of your teammates, right? To summarize the following table show you the roles and the competencies needed: ROLES   COMPETENCIES NEEDED MENTOR       Big understanding; open-mindedness, effective verbal and oral Communications; ;extensive understanding of human Motivations; example that of a coach; can   emphatize FACILITATOR  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   team-building skills; delegation of authority; assume Responsibility; will not compromise solution; example That of a college instructor;example:   basketball team captain MONITOR     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proactive and goal-orientation; ability to detect Weaknesses; extensive analytical ability; example: a high school teacher; another example is the Army’s demerit system. COORDINATOR  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Proactive; ability to measure capacity and limits; ex: team captain;   he gets the opinion of the members of the team to arrive at a good decision; ability to get the attention of every member of the team; ability to get respect from the team. Case 1 Shaheen Matombo, staff member The case of Shaheen is not an isolated one. It is always the problem of single mother who doubles as head of the family. Shaheen is not a hopeless case. In fact Shaheen has offered an alternative schedule of 8:30 a.m. in exchange for a 30-minute lunch break. As CEO I would suggest to Andre Tate, Shaheen’s manager, to adopt the staff member’s offer of arriving at 8:30 with 30-minute lunch break, with off at 5 p.m., just like everybody in the office. As manager   it is the foremost to maintain manpower, especially that   Shaheen is a product of a computer college. It is the goal of Shaheen’s immediate supervisor to give the newcomer—three months at work—a chance to develop herself in her workplace. In this age of computers,   and flexible time, the offer of Shaheen is laudable.   Morale of her co-workers would not be affected if the change of Shaheen’s schedule would be known by everybody in the office.And   the same flexible time schedule would be offered to anybody who have the same reasons that of Shaheen. As manager, Andre should also provide a counteroffer. Meaning, Shaheen would follow her suggested schedule religiously.And a single late or failure to follow the schedule may mean she has to revert to the 8 a.m. regular time. During contingency, Shaneen would be given the chance to work online at home, so by the time she will be at the office she would not miss any important call. A system would be installed that calls made at 8 a.m. to the office would be coursed through the home telephone or computer of Shaheen at home. Another counteroffer would be for Shaheen to observe her suggested schedule but without coffee breaks of 15 minutes in the morning and another coffee break of 15 minutes in the afternoon. In short let Shaheen eat at his work station in exchange for her coming at 8:30 p.m. Since Shaheen is a computer graduate, sooner she would learn the ropes and could be effective in her work. As manager, Andre’s work is to maintain cohesion, morale and develop through training all the employees, not only Shaheen. As manager, Andre’s responsibility is to develop human resources in the company, particularly at this time when it would be hard to hire competent employees who are readily knowledgeable with office work. One of the   four approaches to effective values (HM 2022, frame 17 of lecture 2) is emphasis on human relations where the goal of the manager is maintaining human relations. Shaheen stay in the office can be considered probationary for it   takes   from three to six months before an employee becomes regular. Assuming Shaheen is already a regular staffer, the more that she should be retained and given the chance to improve herself.   In this case, Andre may assign a veteran worker or her supervisor as her office mentor. Shaneen needs the guidance of a facilitator and coordinator who understands her first and second willing to help her until she may be six months in office. In this way, if she would not improve, Andre have the reason to look for her replacement or put her in a job that does not require her to be at 8 a.m.. Of she may be given flexible time schedule to suit her work at home. The manager should understand the situation of Shaneen from the poiont of view of a parent. The manager should try to wear the shoes of Shaheen to undertanding extensively the situation Shaheen is in. As mentor, Andre should inspire Shaheen to work better and improve in her work. Andre should have the capacity and the patience to work with a worker like Shaneen For sooner, Shaheen may improve for she has the potential to be an effective worker.               

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Juggler Essay

â€Å"I want to believe in faith and risk and a world where you can stand beneath the grey October sky and flash your own colours through the air like a magician† (218 -221, p. 6). These beautiful lines constitute the final conclusion of the short story, â€Å"The Juggler†, written by Ursula Hegi and published in 2001. The story deals with themes such as beauty, letting go and being stuck in the past. The short story takes place in Coeur d’ Alene in the first weekend of October. An unnamed first person narrator tells the story of her daughter, Zoe and her boyfriend, Michael who have come to visit her. It is the first time she meets Michael, who is a counsellor at the school where her daughter teaches. They go to the cinema and on a beautiful canoe trip together. Michael seems to be a very nice guy and Zoe loves him. What separates Michael from the majority, however, is the fact that he is turning blind. The mother seems to have a very difficult time handling this, which is seen in her inner monologue â€Å"I like him (Michael) – or, rather; I could like him, if only he were not turning blind. Or if he were not with my daughter. I want more for Zoe.† (ll. 115-117, p. 4). It also seems as if she has ambitions on behalf of her daughter â€Å"I want more for Zoe†. We are told that Zoe’s father left the family when she was very young. Perhaps the mother’s dreams and ambitions vanished with her housebound/boyfriend. Therefore, she now lives her life trough her daughter and has resigned and almost accepted that she is in the autumn of her life unable to see the colours of the world. Another reason for her to dislike Michael is the obvious fact that he is stealing Zoe away. This seems to be her main issue with him. She thinks that he, due to his handicap, requires too much attention from Zoe, â€Å"He’ll need you far too much†(l. 177, p. 5). To this Zoe replies, â€Å"That should feel familiar, then† (l. 178, p. 5) as a reference to what leads to another important issue in the text; the narrator has, ever since Zoe’s father left her, been very dependant on Zoe. This is suggested in one of her streams of  consciousness, â€Å"Sometimes I felt Zoe and I were growing up together. Other times I felt like I were eleven and she thirty†(ll. 91 – 92, p. 3). The mother almost bursts into self-oscillation when she tells Michael about her memories with Zoe. This could lead to the conclusion that Zoe is used to taking responsibility for other people and, seen from a homespun psychological point of view, perhaps likes the fact that Michael reminds her of her mother in the way that he needs her. Another result of the mother’s loneliness and dependency on her daughter is the fact that she cannot let her go. She lives in the past and loves the memories of a time she refuses to leave, nor can she ever leave it unless she accepts the fact that Zoe is now a grown up. She has her own life now. The bird has flown. So maybe she should just handle her over to Michael. After all he is not a maniac killer or anything. He seems rather nice and Zoe really loves him, but the narrator simply is too jealous to be happy for her daughter, â€Å"Zoe turns, smiling at him with so much light in her eyes that I have to look away† (ll. 74 – 75, p. 3). The writer leaves, in a very discrete but intelligent and awfully interesting way, many symbols and details for further interpretation. For instance, a visual description of the narrator has been left out. Therefore, she appears as a set of thoughts, which on one side means that the events that take place in the story often are followed by the narrator’s streams of consciousness, which work perfectly well and gives the reader a great understanding of the mother’s actions and issues. However, on the other side it creates a paradox and it is very ironic seen in relation to the mother’s prejudice towards Michael’s blindness. We do not see her from the outside. We only see her from the inside. In other words, we see her exactly as Michael would see her. This makes her a victim of a â€Å"blind reader†. It is a funny and interesting detail from the writer. Another paradox is the fact that the narrator plays the cello and when Zoe & Michael leaves and she finds herself in despair she listens to Vivaldi. It is funny how she finds comfort in something audial, music, when she sees Michael’s blindness as something finite, as the end of beauty. Perhaps the most important symbol is, as the title suggests, the Juggler who  sort of frames the story. At the beginning Michael, Zoe and the mother are going to the cinema. On their way to the cinema the narrator sees a man who juggles smilingly with a basin and some swords. Suddenly, he loses the basin and the narrator grasps Michael’s shoulder as were she frightened by the fact that the juggler had failed. At the end of the story the narrator sees the juggler again but this time she has got a new realization. She envies his fearlessness, â€Å"Whenever he drops something, he smiles and reaches down and juggles once again(†¦). And without fear. Fear of being ridiculed (†¦)† (ll. 111 – 216, p. 6) She also reflects on the fact that he allways juggles with two of one kind and one of another. As if an equal trinity is impossible. As if a trinity requires differences. Perhaps Michael, Zoe and the narrator are all the â€Å"one of a another† and th e â€Å"two of one kind† at the same time. Watching the Juggler leads to the incredibly beautiful ending sentence that reveals some degree of regret in the mother. â€Å"I want to believe in faith and risk and a world where you can stand beneath the grey October sky and flash your own colors through the air like a magician† (218 -221, p. 6). Do these thoughts not sum up the core of life? Faith and risk. Roman philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca once said, †Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity† in other words you have to keep an open mind and be ready to take your chances when they occur – we make our own luck. It is not enough to sit and wait for your turn. You have to confront life! You have to fight a little. The mother blows her chances. Beauty is all around her; The Juggler who is not afraid of failing, the wonderful idyllic canoe trip, her daughter who is madly in love with a good man who makes her eyes light like phosphorescence in the see of the night. Is that not the dream of any parent, to see your child happy? Ironically, she realizes this to late, which is the common issue in life. It is always about timing and balance like juggling. Like flashing your colours in the autumn of your life. Like letting your beloved child fly on and feel happiness. Like defying the never-ending storms of despair and uncertainty. Like living. Beauty takes risks.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A 5 page critical review on the article Why is Quebec Separatism off

A 5 page critical review on the Why is Quebec Separatism off the Agenda Reducing National Unity Crisis in the Neoliberal Era - Article Example Their article looks at the reasons why the Quebec separatist agenda has quelled down over the recent years in the context of the neo-liberal era in Canadian federalism. The authors provide renewed intergovernmental agreements and neo-liberalism reasons for the eroding of Quebec’s separatism agenda over the recent years. The changing landscape of cooperation between the federal and provincial governments shaped by neo-liberal forces has assisted in dampening Quebec’s separatist agenda. This is a true assessment by the authors on the changing dynamics of Quebec’s separatism agenda (Changfoot & Cullen 772). The acknowledgment of fiscal imbalance between federal and provincial governments has led to specific initiatives targeting the province of Quebec. These initiatives have focused on creating a balance between the province and the federal government and thus changing the view on separatism by Quebecers. Neo-liberal forces have led to increased intergovernmental relations between Quebec and the federation and this has helped the province in mending its political culture of withdrawal. The neo-liberal direction taken by the federal government has necessitated a room for cooperation between Quebec and the federal states. Through this cooperation, a number of Quebec’s demands have b een satisfied and in the process ascertaining that federalism still works for the province of Quebec. The authors are right in assessing that placing more focus on Quebec’s economic development, prosperity and culture has ensured that the federal government has achieved to sell national unity to the province of Quebec. The author’s also contend that neo-liberalism in the federal government has allowed for keeping separatism off the agenda of Quebec. This is a correct assessment by the author’s. Historically, Quebec has always called for autonomy and independence off the federal government. The author’s provide a historical perspective from the 1940s and 1950s

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Things They Carried Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Things They Carried - Article Example In the rest of the story these items are used as a way of emphasizing the different kinds of emotional baggage that each man carries with him. Jimmy’s photographs signify his innocence and inexperience, while other photographs are used to remember partners and children. Some items denote rank, others denote role in the army, and still others provide much needed reminders of life at home, far from the war. One question which the book explores is how far the men live out their predestined fates – some returning from the war unharmed, while others are killed, and still others are damaged by physical or mental injury. By basing the story around these tiny objects, the author seems to be saying that people’s lives can be mapped out just from looking at what they have on their person. In some ways the book confirms this initial impression that everyone just follows a set plan, as if the objects are a map to the path that the person is fated to follow, but in other ways there is a deeper questioning of the whole meaning of war. It seems to me that the book is showing the reader that human life is not negotiable, and it is predestined to go a certain way, which in turn is decoded through everyday objects. It is true that people are largely controlled by a larger fate, but at the same time acts of heroism and love single out moments when people make moral choices, and this is not due to fate. The point is that acting out of free will is an exceptional thing, while following along a predetermined path is what most people find themselves

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Psychological theories of crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychological theories of crime - Research Paper Example Most governments in the contemporary societies are secular in nature; however, they uphold the dictates of religions that also consider such acts unethical thus referring to them as sins. Various psychologies provide varied explanations on criminal behaviors thus their prevalence as explained in the essay below. Governments provide elaborate definitions of crime with the view of upholding the liberties enjoyed by the population. In order to uphold, the liberties, the government spells out the actions that constitute a criminal activity and enforces adherence to such guidelines. Acting in a manner contrary to the existing laws earns an individual a prison term with effective punishment and compensation to the offended arties. However, in doing so the government must uphold ethical standards and maintain a level of credibility. Most governments in democratic societies treat offenders as innocent until proven guilty after which the law provides for appropriate punishments. The existence of such legislations coupled with the effective and efficient enforcement mechanisms thus make the prevalence of violent activities attitudinal. As psychological products, several psychologists analyze the prevalence of crime in an attempt of analyzing the origin of the defiant attitude that compels one to beak all the laws and moral dictates to commit a crime (Grimm, Pianta & Konold, 2009). Key among the theorists is Sigmund Freud. Often considered the father of modern day psychology, Freud has postulated various theories all of which strive to explain the nature and prevalence of crime (Rosenberg & Turner, 1990). The personality psychologist seeks to explain the nature and prevalent of crimes in his psychodynamic perspective which he asserts explains the changes in a people feelings and psychological perspective. In his theory of psychoanalysis, Freud explains that all human behaviors are products of the unconscious mind. This he explains includes aggressive and violent behaviors . Feud explains that several forces in an individual’s unconscious mind the result of which are the varied human behaviors. Additionally, he explains that childhood experiences are also equally important influencers of an individual’s behavior in adulthood. According to Freud’s explanation, development of a multi staged process with each stage having unique requirements. The successful growth of an individual from one stage to another creates a uniform growth pattern and a peaceful succession into adulthood. However, such cases are rare with most people failing to overcome the challenges presented by every stage. This results in the recurrent of the stage challenges in progressive stages thus creating a growth crisis. Freud thus believed that the conflicts that people face in their different psychosexual stages of life influence their behaviors in adulthood. With such elaborate explanations, understanding waves of violence and criminal activities become easier ( Grisso & Steinberg, 2005). Such are products of the forces in the unconscious state of mind. A normal human being with effective understanding to the social and moral standards with a basic knowledge of the operations of the government especially concerning violence and crime should therefore overcome acts of aggression thus containing them within themselves. However, the failure by the unconscious m

Monday, August 26, 2019

Principles of Project Management Prince 2 Essay

Principles of Project Management Prince 2 - Essay Example LU Case Study Analysis The method is beneficial in project management for several reasons. For instance, the methodology is product-focused and hence all the activities are organized in a way to increase product quality. Moreover, method requires segmentation of the project in to distinct stages that are easily manageable (Hinde, 2012). The method will help the LU team to maintain focus and deliver an excellent outcome of the project at hand. PRINCE2 methodology also enhances communication among the project team members as well as other stakeholders thereby promoting effective control of the project. This is important in ensuring that all the actions undertaken in project implementation are understood by all project team members to avoid misperception and promote ownership of the project goals, which is necessary to ensure that everyone strives to achieve a common purpose. More stakeholders are allowed to contribute to the project decision making since they are at all times offered a ccess to information consistently through reports (David, 2009). With the application of PRINCE2, it is possible to make improvements in the project implementation process because of the continuous monitoring and control. Weaknesses can be detected once they emerge and solutions identified early enough to deter them from causing failure in the implementation of the project plan. The method is flexible to a great extent such that the necessary changes can be made as the project progresses (Archibald et al. 2013). Where the changes during run-time are likely to affect the project timetable, PRINCE2 ensures that the effect is curtailed. The method allows the project team members to acquire time management skills as well as cost effective ways of utilizing project resources due to the high level of organization and control, thereby ensuring that the overall project cost is lowered (Rothaermel, 2012). However, PRINCE2 methodology is not without limitations. It has a relatively high level of inflexibility due to the adherence to a step by step process. Moreover, it is likely that only the project managers may have the full knowledge of PRINCE2, meaning other project players are likely to find it complicated thereby getting discouraged or they might fail to get the best out of its application. Its application in the project will therefore necessitate training of all staff who will be involved in the project to promote competence (Seegers & Hedeman, 2009). Ten days training will be enough to sensitize the project team members and take them through practical examples of applying PRINCE2, as well to demonstrate that the method is applicable to this particular project. It should be conducted by knowledgeable professionals who have applied PRINCE2 methodology successfully in other projects. This will save time and resources during the project implementation. To support strategic and tactical decision-making on the project, it is necessary to include information that will enable successful directing of the project, which takes in to account the actions that allow the project board to make sure the project implementation plan is followed from beginning to project closure. These actions are in all the stages of project implementation. It is necessary to include in the business case the required resources for the project, the people who will

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Critically evaluate the use of Anti suit injunctions in International Essay

Critically evaluate the use of Anti suit injunctions in International Arbitration - Essay Example However, the general perception is that anti-suit injunctions are an interference with disputes that are currently in foreign courts. Arbitration tribunals lack the coercive power that the courts have. As a result, the arbitration process faces several procedural challenges among them the lack of a consolidated proceeding for a common dispute. Thus, parallel proceedings can have divergent outcomes despite arising from a similar dispute3. Lack of precedence also means that awards obtained in specific arbitrations are not applicable to other cases. Strategic delays and their accompanying additional costs as well as breach of procedural deadlines also pose other challenges to the arbitration process. Therefore, anti-suit injunctions are a counter measure against international arbitration. Their employment in a proceeding is to protect public policy or jurisdiction where there are comity issues in the foreign jurisdiction. Comity is the recognition that a nation allows another in reference to judicial, executive and legislative acts. It gives due regard to international duty, convenience and the rights of all persons (citizens or otherwise) under a nations protection4. The subject of anti-suit injunctions in English courts is a controversial one with regard to the relationship between the English courts and foreign jurisdictions5. The 1966 Arbitration Act is a conceptual legislative framework that guides international and domestic arbitration in England and Wales (herein the UK). It has influences from the UNCITRAL Model Law (1985) on International Commercial Arbitration. The Brussels I regulation also has an influence on the decisions of anti-suit injunction in Private International Law. The European Union (EU) also allows the English court jurisdiction on the matter of equity where it applies double standards between the member and non-member states. The

Saturday, August 24, 2019

War on Terror Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

War on Terror Bachelor - Essay Example The war on Iraq is a good example of this. Iraq had long fallen out with the US. Accordingly, the war on terror has been said to be responsible for the influence into the formulation of certain policies. For instance, how suspects are to be treated and even how personal privacy can be breached all in the name of security. As far as foreign policy is concerned, the United States seems to have used the war on terror to pursue some very aggressive policies. For this it has earned open criticism and condemnation from many different quarters. These policies are on the political, economic and military fronts. (2007) The war on Iraq is a true demonstration of this. It is openly clear that the war on terror was used in more ways than one to make sense of the war against Iraq. The people were openly against a war in Iraq but the President Bush and his administration went ahead with it anyway making use of forged documents and giving misleading information to gain the approval and support of t he American people. Careful analysis of the war on terror reveals instances of double speak where language was used to hide the true intentions of the government. The fact is that there were no links to terrorism that were openly visible and real in Iraq. Somehow even President Bush appeared to think so. This is probably why he resorted to using the forged documents. (Braun, 2008) So, there had to be some other reason that the Bush administration was keen on the war in Iraq. Conversely, while Afghanistan was the first to be targeted in the war on terror, being bombed by the United States in the search for Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist group, after some time the war shifted focus and Iraq became the target. So why the shift Iraq has a long history with the United States. When Iraq had attacked Iran, the US had been openly supportive. In addition to supplying Iraq with over 5 billion dollars worth of finances, it also supplied intelligence information and heavy apparatus in the form of trucks and even other machinery. The reason the US was openly involved and supported was so that it could make sure that Saddam Hussein won the war and Teheran, especially the Islamic radicals therein, was humiliated. It was in the 1980's when President George Bush, the senior, adopted the policy of accommodation as far as Iraq was concerned. In the policy the US would be able to gain access to the oil in the Persian Gulf as well as the security of certain friendly states in the region. However, the rapport was to fall after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. (Tirman, 2001) Thus, there are various reasons why the United States focused its attention on Iraq as opposed to Afghanistan as far as the war on terror was concerned. First of all, Iraq was no longer in the good books of the US, not since the time it invaded Kuwait. Before then, the US was able to look the other way even in instances when it was clear that Iraq was committing serious offences and crimes right under its nose. However, the most convincing reason would have to be that Iraq has massive oil reserves which the US wanted to take for itself and exercise control over. In the global arena and especially in politics, countries act by way of leverage and oil is an important tool. Think of all the power and influence that

Friday, August 23, 2019

The influence of Gender and Alcohol Consumption Patterns on Alcohol Essay

The influence of Gender and Alcohol Consumption Patterns on Alcohol Expectancy amongst Undergraduate Students - Essay Example Its nearly impossible to study each and every single person's perceptions on the subject of alcohol prevalence rates, however, numbers and statistics are always an accurate tool for study. Many of the articles chosen to use for research include survey results, marketing opinions, college binge drinking studies, psychology related magazines and of course programs to cure alcohol related problems; such Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and social norms programs made by colleges to reduce and stop binge drinking. Fact, one in three eighteen to twenty-four year old persons admitted into emergency rooms for serious injuries are intoxicated. Fact, a twelve-ounce bottle of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a standard shot of eighty-proof liquor mixed or straight as well as a five ounce glass of wine. Fact, rates of binge drinking are increasing alarmingly. When alcohol and undergraduate students are near, they are contributing to the need for college anti-alcohol social programs, strict laws and regulations, and of course, serious and sometimes fatal injury. But, what is the major problem and why is it a problem Increasing rates of alcoholism on college campuses are creating a large number of negative consequences including long term brain damage, long term jail sentences, and extremely long term sleep; six feet under. The main contributing factors to the increasing rates of alcoholism are directly caused by ineffective laws and regulations and the superior power of manipulation from the multi-media. This paper will be divided into five sections; the first section will cover the laws and regulations made by Canadian and American governments, the second and most focused part of the paper, the marketing power of the mass media and its effects on the individual, the third section will discuss why current marketing strategies to lessen the rates of alcohol use are failing and will continue to fail, the fourth section will bring attention to many of the skewed statistics of alcohol studies and use real articles and statistics to strengthen this allegation, and the latter sections will deal with many of the internal and psychological factors that each individual faces before consumption of alcohol; here, research from psychology journals and magazines will be criticized and analyzed to make a rational an d proper conclusion of the previous discussions and arguments. Laws And Regulations Of Alcohol In most of the United States of America, patrons must be twenty-one years of age to purchase and consume alcohol, whereas in most of Canada, the age of consumption is nineteen, however, one strange fact is that at eighteen, Canadians are considered adults; that is, they are indeed permitted to vote, but not purchase or consume

John Blackthron, I, Che Guevara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

John Blackthron, I, Che Guevara - Essay Example The man was presumed dead since 1967. They said that the man might actually be the martyr Ernesto Che Guevara. His campaign trail was mainly focused on converting illiterate peasants to the revolutionary political philosophy of the True Republic. After the short appearance of Ernesto, Castro’s power finally relinquishes as he steps down from power in exchange of Cuba’s recognition from the United States. Another mission was also to lift the crippling embargo. In order to have U.S diplomatic recognition and to remove all embargoes and sanctions, he had to allow free elections and step down from his official position. After this, two traditional parties formed quickly. These include the Communist Party from one side and the U.S and Mafia backing Cuban exiles on the other. The bargain was accepted, and the communists left the Mafia backed exiles square off the presidential elections. Then came a bitter rivalry of the political titans but as soon as the new party, True Repu blic, was introduced things started to change. Che, though he did not admit to the name, started to gain popularity. The True Republic movement spread rapidly throughout Cuba that each person from every side devised plots to get rid of Ernesto Blanco. The left, the right and fumbling White House started groping on the quick spreading rumors that Guevara is back, and they all tried to get rid of him in every possible way. This included manipulation, treachery, threats, intimidation, bribery; media pay-offs and even assassination attempts. Despite the efforts by the rivals to get rid of Che, he was able to achieve unstoppable momentum to put a stop to the revolution. Che’s spirit of governing oneself gave him grassroots drive to populist local self-determination to his missions. The book tries to speculate Cuba’s future through the early retirement of the President Fidel Castro and the return of the man who appeared after his alleged death and began to draw attention to the various provinces of Cuba. Facilitated by the efforts of two women, a journalist and an assassin, the movement captured a lot of the world’s attention. In the back cover of the book, there is an interesting opinion about the author â€Å"John Blackthorn is the pseudonym of political figure whose name is well known in international capitals and intelligence circles† (Blackthorn) This can only mean that John’s work is outstanding and excellent. In my opinion, John writes from his inner passion and skill. This is so b ecause he is well knowledgeable about Cuba through his American-Latin citizenship. The book has been able to show a clear view of the much-illuminated social, political, and economic realities of the government. I think the author’s intentions were to assist in greater understanding of politics and socioeconomic factors of a society with an aim of molding great leaders and thinkers. Blackthorn wanted to show the forces that Cuba had to contend with and the uprisings. He also wanted to bring about the idea of Marxism and communism. John Blackthorns is a former senator and two-time presidential candidate whose public career came to a halt after a sex scandal in 1987. He is now a lawyer especially in international law. The book made him travel several times to Cuba usually to convey messages unofficially between Fidel Castro and the Clinton administration. Other works done by John Blackthorn include Sins of the Fathers, which was also a non-fictional book. The fact that Ernesto re-appeared years later after the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Burts Bees Essay Example for Free

Burts Bees Essay A while back in 2007, Burts Bee’s was bought out by Clorox for $913 million. In buying Burts Bee’s Clorox is promising to go green. This was Clorox’s start in buying out other green companies to help them achieve their goal in going completely green. Mr. Shavitz and Ms. Quimby the original owners of Burt’s Bees had a huge fall out that began in the late 1990’s which has been going on ever since. (1) The reason that Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 Billion for Burts Bee’s because they see a big opportunity in the market to make their products green. The Burt’s Bess is really into the whole giving back to the community, and always helping. A few events they have done for the community is Urban Gardening when they teamed up with NEEM, to help make Durham, North Carolina greener, and help them plant more community gardens. Another event that they have done is help create green homes in North Carolina. As I was looking on the Burt’s Bees website on their most frequently asked questions someone asked how they can receive donations, and the answer the company gave threw me aback. â€Å"At this time, Burts Bees is not currently providing product or financial donations. We remain committed to supporting local community organizations committed to The Greater Good† (2) Personally in reading this I feel like if they want to help create that customer satisfaction, they should be willing to help everyone go green and not just the community. Since the buyout according to Clorox, their natural care products already account for over $6 billion in sales and is growing at a fast rate. The sales are climbing to a yearly rate of around 9%. As for the stalk holder Clorox states, they rose from $1. 69, 2. 8%. to $62. 69. This was a huge boost for the stockholders, and for people who wanted to buy into the stalk. As of 25th 2013, the stalks are at $83. 25. (3) This was also helping Clorox’s public relations by helping them get well known. Clorox does a whole bunch of press releases to help show that they have turned green. They also do press releases when they win an award or do contests for people to enter. When you go on the Clorox website they give you three options to choose from, Press Releases, Media Resources, and Press contacts. Since working together with Burt’s Bee’s, Clorox is also trying to get more involved in the community which they never used to do. On their website they state, â€Å"Clorox knows that it cant do it alone and actively seeks partners and other affiliations to help us become a more sustainable company. Clorox also cares. In addition to our work to make Clorox a more sustainable company, we strive to make a positive eco impact beyond Clorox. † (4) Clorox donates nearly $1 million dollars to environmental causes. Some of things they do to help the community is they donate products to the Save the Frogs, and Save the California Oaks. They also have their own foundations to help Keep America Beautiful.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Benefits of Adult Foster Care (AFC)

Benefits of Adult Foster Care (AFC) Types of Community-Based Long Term Care Services Crystal Mullen What did you learn this week that you did not know before or that you found interesting? What outside resources did you use this week? Your submission should be 1 page APA formatted paper, not including your title page. Although I was blessed to grow up in a home with a mom who loved me and provided for all my needs, I knew not all children were as blessed. I remember watching television shows like â€Å"MacGyver† and talk shows like â€Å"Donahue† and â€Å"Oprah† that spoke about foster children who grew up in various homes until their 18th birthday. Then, almost without warning they are dropped out of the foster care system because they are now legally considered an â€Å"adult†. I always thought that once a person turns 18 there is basically no long term assistance for individuals who are unable to care for themselves and I always found that premise to be so cruel because there are adults who need to be cared for. Well, I’m happy to report that for those who need it the most, there is such a thing as Adult Foster Care (AFC). AFC offers physically or mentally impaired, frail senior citizens or simply ailing adults around the clock assistance that they may not receive from their own family members or caregivers. Often these caregivers are overwhelmed and find themselves unable to continue the necessary care for their loved one. In these cases the only alternative would be to admit them into the AFC system (Boehlke, 2013). Many times AFC homes are large homes that are set up to mimic a traditional, mainstream home that could teach these adults life-skills that will help them interact with society the best of their own ability (Boehlke, 2013). AFC is no substitute for a therapeutic residential facility where an adult would receive services like awake night or nursing care support (Fosterparenting.com, 2013). However, the home does provides 24 hour assistance for up to five adults for those who are simply unable to care for themselves. Adults receive their meals, are supported, supervised, and even receive as sistance with their personal care needs while obtaining necessary training in living skills. Licensed providers are paid by the state that has the home, usually on a monthly basis (Fosterparenting.com, 2013). Reviewing the facts with the various types of AFC homes as well as the duration of stay will help a family member or caregiver determine an informed alternative on where he or she can send their loved one to be cared for long term (Boehlke, 2013). If a person were to develop an AFC home, he or she would require vision, a competent staff, a budget, and the capability of meeting all applicable policies and procedures, regulations and laws. These items can be realized by taking the following steps: 1 A person who is interested in developing an AFC home should research the applicable state laws and regulations where the home is to be founded. States govern AFC through their Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing, Social Services Department, Department of Health, or the state’s Department of Human Services. This is because when an AFC home is being set up, the applicable state office that oversees AFC homes needs be identified. The rules and regulations for creating and establishing an AFC home in each state can be found through Internet research (Rappeport, 2013). 2 Interview people who already manage foster homes. AFC homes may be found through the state office that provides licenses for AFC homes. That are quite a few questions that may arise would be appropriate to discuss when planning to create an AFC. One question to consider would be what type of population does this particular home serve? For example, are they mostly developmentally challenged individuals, emotionally challenged individuals or a mixture of both? Another set of questions to consider would be what is the general age range this AFC home serves? If there is a diversity of ages in the home, how do individuals interact with each other despite the age differences? Finally though certainly not exhaustively I would consider asking the question what does the AFC home schedule look like. For example, does the schedule enable those who can to work outside the home? If so, how are residents able to obtain work (Rappeport, 2013)? Answers to questions like these and many others could prepare an individual for opening an AFC home. 3 Contact the state as well as federal government office that offers grants for the establishment of AFC homes. Periodically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides grants and/or loans for the development of AFC homes. As soon as the home has been approved the appropriate government entities will then allocate the proper compensation that will be allocated toward the eligible AFC individuals to manage the home and care for their residents in a licensed AFC facility (Rappeport, 2013). 4 Licensed assistants and staff need to be recruited and implemented to help maintain the facility. What the home will need to run efficiently will be based on the needs of the residents they house. This includes the severity of their disabilities and the number of residents who live in the home. The state’s regulatory office that governs AFC homes will make available a list of the requirements that state holds for the staff in that home. Information for these requirements can be retrieved from the offices website. Generally, most states require that those desiring a job in a foster care home complete a basic course in AFC followed by continued education hours annually. A criminal background check may also be required (Rappeport, 2013). Conclusion I can now see how AFC can benefit more than the adults who live there. First of all, adults who are unable to take care of themselves have a place to go where they can both receive care while also be enabled to live as independently and autonomously as possible. Furthermore, family members and caregivers who become overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for these adults have an option of ensuring care for their loved one while restoring a sense of normalcy within their own home. Finally, though not exhaustively, I can see how AFC can be a viable business option where licensed personnel can be compensated for caring for those who cannot care for themselves. I don’t know if they are adequately paid for their services, but I still see it as a selfless occupation. Therefore, AFCs give hope to adults to live a fulfilling life without being tossed out by the traditional system. They benefit adults, their families, and those who manage the AFC home. References Boehlke, J. (2013). What Is Adult Foster Care? Retrieved December 31, 2013, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/print/about_4578950_what-adult-foster-care.html Fosterparenting.com. (2013). Adult Foster Care. Retrieved 31 December, 2013, from Fosterparenting.com: http://www.fosterparenting.com/foster-care/adult-foster-care.html Rappeport, L. (2013). How to Start an Adult Foster Care Home. Retrieved December 31, 2013, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/print/how_5625539_start-adult-foster-care-home.html

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Analysis of the National Environmental Policy Act

Analysis of the National Environmental Policy Act Summary of Laws Purpose: The purpose of the National Environmental Policy Act was to establish recommendations for federal agencies to encourage mitigation and reduction of potential damage to environmental systems from human-environment interactions that prioritized human interest over environmental health (Dept. of Energy, 1969). It was meant to educate federal agencies on how natural systems and ecosystem services are of critical importance (Dept. of Energy, 1969). In addition to the establishment of environmental guidelines, the act also created the Council on Environmental Quality, which made the President accountable to Congress on the welfare and health of the environment. (Dept. of Energy, 1969). Implementation: The law is administered by the Council on Environmental Quality, a federal agency that was established by the law itself (Council on Environmental Quality, n.d.). The Council administers the law through advising on the content of regulations, regulating the implementation of the laws procedures, as well as mediating between the different agencies and governmental bodies that work within the scope of the laws regulations (Council on Environmental Quality, n.d.).. The state government are involved through their branches of various federal agencies but they have no direct influence on the implementation of the law, their actions are subject to federal approval (Council on Environmental Quality, n.d.). The public has little chance to engage in the process beyond the presidential election process, as the Council is under presidential authority (Council on Environmental Quality, n.d.). The primary level of administration therefore is entirely federal, with little outside influence (Council on Environmental Quality, n.d.). The full text of the law can be found at:https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/Req-NEPA.pdf History of the Law This law was enacted in 1970, specifically on January 1, when President Richard Nixon signed it (Council on Environmental Quality, n.d.). Since it passed, the law has been amended several times. The first amendment was in 1975 through Public Law 94-83, which enabled states to write the environmental impact statements required for acquiring federal funding (Quartner, 273). The second amendment was passed later in 1975 as Public Law 94-52, and altered the allowed uses of funds by Council on Environmental Quality (Government Publishing Office, n.d.). Congress Demographics: The Democratic party controlled the chambers of Congress when the NEPA was enacted (US Senate, n.d). However, the Republican party controlled the Presidency (US Senate, n.d).The bill passed by a with a vote of 372 to 15 in the House of Representatives and was voted through the Senate by a unanimous vote (HistoryLink, n.d). Relevant Policy Principles: This law invokes the policy principle of common but differentiated responsibility, or command and control (Connelly, 189). Because it is a command and control based principle that makes it a rights based mechanism (Connelly, 188) This is due to the nature of this law which mandates that the federal government regulates the implementation of environmental policy, but there is a secondary level where the state level agencies also have a level of responsibility to uphold the standards set by the federal law (Connelly, 2012). This multiplicity of responsibility, where multiple parties are responsible, but no responsibility is designated as the superior one, fits in with the idea of this policy principle (Connelly, 2012). The primary strength of this kind of policy is that it prevents a race to the bottom type situation where companies move locations to find the most lenient restrictions (Connelly, 2012). However, in contrast, this policy is weak in that it takes away the opportunity for industries to be motivated towards innovation to avoid penalties (Connelly, 2012). Various Summaries: The National Preservation Institutes summary of the NEPA can be found at: https://www.npi.org/NEPA/what-is. The NPI is a nonprofit that aims to educate the public about cultural heritage (NPI, n.d.) as well as management (NPI, n.d.) and preservation, (NPI, n.d.) and offers seminars to instill this knowledge in its members through multi-day workshops (NPI, n.d.). This summary differs from the EPA summary of the NEPA in that it outlines the two main objectives of the act within federal agencies, whereas the EPA version is more generalized about what the act was intended to accomplish on a more societal level, mentioning industry and commercial operations (NPI, n.d.). The EPAs own summary can be found at https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-national-environmental-policy-act. Works cited: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) | Department of Energy. Department of Energy, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. https://energy.gov/nepa/council-environmental-quality-ceq. NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act. Council on Environmental Quality, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. https://ceq.doe.gov/. Senate Historical Office. U.S. Senate: Majority and Minority Leaders and Party Whips. United States Senate, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm. Summary of the National Environmental Policy Act. EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, Feb. 2017. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-national-environmental-policy-act. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as Amended. Environmental Impact Statements, Second Edition (1999): n. pag. The Department of Energy. Web. 2017. https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/Req-NEPA.pdf. United States Statutes at Large, Volume 89, 94th Congress, 1st Session. United States Statutes at Large, Volume 89, 94th Congress, 1st Session. Government Publishing Office, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-89. What Is NEPA? What Is NEPA? | National Preservation Institute. National Preservation Institute, 14 June 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. https://www.npi.org/NEPA/what-is. Andrew Quartner, Amending NEPA: State Preparation of Impact Statements, 5 B.C. Envtl. Aff. L. Rev. 271 (1976), http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/ealr/vol5/iss2/5 Connelly, James, ed. Politics and the Environment: From Theory to Practice. 3rd ed. Abingdon, Oxonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯; New York: Routledge, 2012. Kershner, Jim. EPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. http://www.historylink.org/File/9903.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Dickens Hard Times as a Critique of the Educational System Essay

Dickens' Hard Times as a Critique of the Educational System  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Industrialization made Victorian England a brave new world.   A world bereft of justice, humanity and emotion.   In Hard Times, Dickens critiques this world in several ways; it's pollution problems, factory accidents, divorce laws, utilitarian ideals, and educational system.   The goal of this essay is to focus strictly on Dickens critique of the educational system which was influenced by Industrialization.   In his novel, Dickens shows us how children were indoctrinated at very early ages that "facts alone are wanted in life" (47).   "The Gradgrind school in Hard Times was modeled on the so-called Birbeck Schools inaugurated by William Ellis in 1848 to teach principles of political economy to poor children. . . " (Thomas 52). The children were taught that they were not to do anything or believe anything which is contrary to fact.   The "Gradgrindian educational project is based on . . . Enlightenment intuitions" (Wainwright 179); wherein,   all knowledge m ust be verified by science.   Teachers even went so far to say that: "Taste, is only another name for Fact" (51).   In Hard Times, Dickens "attacks [this] education built on statistics, figures and facts . . ." (Taine 33). Dickens criticizes the Victorian educational system because it dehumanized the children, killed fancy, and destroyed the importance of emotion.          The Victorian educational system dehumanized the children by treating them like mathematical figures.   It sought to turn them all into little utilitarian robots who were only interested in facts.   As the children enter the class, they are described as "little vessels then and there arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of fac... ...       Mutual Friend. Ed. Norman Page. New York: Macmillan Press, 1979.       Thomas, Deborah. Hard Times: A Fable of Fragmentation and Wholeness. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1997.       Wainwright, Valerie. "On Goods, Virtues, and Hard Times." Dickens Studies Annual, Vol. 26. Ed. Friedman, Guiliano, and Timko. New York: AMS Press, 1998.       The student may wish to begin the paper with the quote below:    "I am going, next month, to publish in one volume a story now coming out in Household Words, called Hard Times.   I have constructed it patiently, with a view to its publication altogether in a compact cheap form.   It contains what I do devoutly hope will shake some people in a terrible mistake of the days, when so presented" (Guiliano 893).    Charles Dickens in a letter to Thomas Carlyle, July 13, 1854 Dickens' Hard Times as a Critique of the Educational System Essay Dickens' Hard Times as a Critique of the Educational System  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Industrialization made Victorian England a brave new world.   A world bereft of justice, humanity and emotion.   In Hard Times, Dickens critiques this world in several ways; it's pollution problems, factory accidents, divorce laws, utilitarian ideals, and educational system.   The goal of this essay is to focus strictly on Dickens critique of the educational system which was influenced by Industrialization.   In his novel, Dickens shows us how children were indoctrinated at very early ages that "facts alone are wanted in life" (47).   "The Gradgrind school in Hard Times was modeled on the so-called Birbeck Schools inaugurated by William Ellis in 1848 to teach principles of political economy to poor children. . . " (Thomas 52). The children were taught that they were not to do anything or believe anything which is contrary to fact.   The "Gradgrindian educational project is based on . . . Enlightenment intuitions" (Wainwright 179); wherein,   all knowledge m ust be verified by science.   Teachers even went so far to say that: "Taste, is only another name for Fact" (51).   In Hard Times, Dickens "attacks [this] education built on statistics, figures and facts . . ." (Taine 33). Dickens criticizes the Victorian educational system because it dehumanized the children, killed fancy, and destroyed the importance of emotion.          The Victorian educational system dehumanized the children by treating them like mathematical figures.   It sought to turn them all into little utilitarian robots who were only interested in facts.   As the children enter the class, they are described as "little vessels then and there arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of fac... ...       Mutual Friend. Ed. Norman Page. New York: Macmillan Press, 1979.       Thomas, Deborah. Hard Times: A Fable of Fragmentation and Wholeness. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1997.       Wainwright, Valerie. "On Goods, Virtues, and Hard Times." Dickens Studies Annual, Vol. 26. Ed. Friedman, Guiliano, and Timko. New York: AMS Press, 1998.       The student may wish to begin the paper with the quote below:    "I am going, next month, to publish in one volume a story now coming out in Household Words, called Hard Times.   I have constructed it patiently, with a view to its publication altogether in a compact cheap form.   It contains what I do devoutly hope will shake some people in a terrible mistake of the days, when so presented" (Guiliano 893).    Charles Dickens in a letter to Thomas Carlyle, July 13, 1854

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Corporate Governance Essay examples -- Business Management Essays

Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is the relationship between the shareholders, directors, and management of a company, as defined by the corporate character, bylaws, formal policies and rule laws. The corporate governance system was designed to help oversee the decisions and best interest of the shareholders. The system should works accordingly: The shareholders elect directors, who in turn hire management to make the daily executive decisions on the owner’s behalf. The company’s board of director’s position is to oversee management and ensure that the shareholders interest is being served. Corporate governance focus is with promoting enterprise, to improve efficiency, and to address disputes of interest which can force upon burdens on the business. Ensuring that the clearness, and truth in a company’s business can make contribution to improving the enterprise standards and public governance. What created corporate governance is still a question of debate? It is a developing order control system, and one in which little has been rearranged from the outlook of developing and transition economies. From the corporation’s outlook, the developing system’s general agreement is that the purpose of corporate governance is to increase the firm’s value, subject to meeting the corporation’s financial and other legal obligation. They believe that the extensive meaning stresses the need for boards of directors to balance the interest of capital providers with those of stakeholders in order to achieve long term maintained commercial success. While on the other hand, the public believe the purpose of corporate governance is to nature the spirit of the company while ensuring accountability for the exercise of power and special privileges by the firm. The role of the public policy is to provide firms with the incentives and discipline to minimize the difference between private and social returns, and to protect the interest of stakeholders. Corporate governance has become an issue of worldwide importance. Corporations have a role to play in promoting economic development and social progress therefore they must have the best members on the board to assure good standards. Board members and directors should possess certain characteristics that will allow them to make good decisions for the firm. The appropriate characteristics should be possessed by each c... ...lling away from the company. This new Nasdaq rule is suppose to make investors and the public aware of what is happening with the company weather its conflict of interest or other corporate abuse. They also believe it will give investors more confidence in the companies that they invest their money in. The new rule should prevent a bad company from showing dishonest behavior. Many agree that there will not really be a change for companies that are doing business correctly already. All it really will do is show the public who the bad companies are and see them as they are put to justice. The bottom line to the whole scenario is â€Å"all honest people are honest people and crooks are crooks†. It has been said that this new rule will only make the bad people work harder to be bad and continue wrongful doings to learn new ways to bet the corporate governance system. Face it the bottom line is if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, but how could one person have some many obligations to meet for a company when they will face problems also. Hopefully along with the new Nasdaq rule and obedience board directors corporate governance will become better with in time.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Article Analysis of Gasoline Consumption Essay

Gasoline is one of the most demanded resources that Americans count on to get us from point A to point B in our vehicles, and it is also used to help us heat our homes. Ethanol with gasoline can be combined for a blended gasoline, which is better for some vehicles. The following information is from two articles appropriate for this topic. In the first article, â€Å"Trends in U.S. Gasoline and Ethanol Use, and Petroleum Production and Imports† by Dr. Robert Wisner, a Biofuels Economist with the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, states that â€Å"Several decades ago, the U.S. was a net exporter of petroleum products. However, that picture has changed dramatically in recent years as gasoline consumption trended upward and environmental constraints on new wells plus declining production from existing wells failed to keep pace with rising domestic demand. U.S. energy policies in the early 1990s were altered to encourage increased production of biofuels, in part because of a desire to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil† (Wisner, 2011). The demand for gasoline and oil is unbelievable. Some observers suggest that oil company collusion, anticompetitive mergers, or other anticompetitive conduct (not market forces) may be the primary cause of higher gasoline prices. If the market price of gasoline is higher than the equilibrium price, a negative slope in the demand and curve will result. The negative slope of the demand curve for buyers will mean that the quantity demanded will be less than the equilibrium quantity. A positive slope of the supply curve for sellers will mean that the quantity supplied will be greater than the equilibrium quantity; hence the quantity supplied will be greater than the quantity demanded. If the market price of gasoline is below the equilibrium price will result in a negative slope and if that happens, the demand curve ensures that there will be a greater quantity demanded than at the equilibrium price. A positive slope of the supply curve ensures that there will be a smaller quantity supplied than at the equilibrium price. Hence the quantity demanded will exceed the quantity supplied. This excess demand will force consumers to spend more time looking for sellers who have the goods available, and to spend more time waiting in line if they do find a seller with the good. These search costs and queuing costs will lead some consumers to offer more for the good, and hence the price will tend to rise. Dr. Wisner also states in the article that â€Å"future trends in the nation’s use of these fuels will depend on a number of factors including the health of the economy and employment levels, automotive technology, the rate at which consumers accept hybrid automobiles, and the possibility of a sharp increase in government-mandated fleet average fuel mileage requirements in the years ahead that has recently been advocated by administration officials. Blending of ethanol with gasoline is mandated to increase sharply in the 2012-2022 period† (Wisner, 2011). Price elasticity of demand is elastic when the percent change in demands is greater than the percent change in price. Inelastic is the opposite. So, I would have to say that gasoline is inelastic because the demand for gas is high and even though prices are rising, people are still buying gas, just not as much as they want to purchase. If there are substitutes (such as electricity or liquid fuel) for a gasoline usually will be elastic. If there are no substitutes it will be inelastic because it is a necessity. I know that no one is happy about gas prices rising, but everyone sure does get excited when the prices drop. When the price of gas increases, consumers will not purchase as much of the product as they would when prices decrease. In the second article, â€Å"Explaining the variation in elasticity estimates of gasoline demand in the United States: A meta-analysis† by Molly Espey, published in Energy Journal; states that Espey examined 101 different studies and found that in the short-run (defined as one year or less), the average price-elasticity of demand for gasoline is -0.26. That is, a 10 percent hike in the price of gasoline lowers quantity demanded by 2.6 percent. In the long-run (defined as longer than one year), the price elasticity of demand is -0.58; a 10 percent hike in gasoline causes quantity demanded to decline by 5.8 percent in the long run. In conclusion, if the price of gasoline continues to rise, there will be a decrease in the demand of the product. If the price decreases, there will be an increase in the demand of the product. When prices are high, demand is low and when prices are low, demand is high. The prices of gasoline will fluctuate because demand is always high. References: http://www.agmrc.org/renewable_energy/energy/trends-in-u-s-gasoline-and-ethano l-use-and-petroleum-production-and-imports http://www.ftc.gov/reports/gasprices05/050705gaspricesrpt.pdf

Physical Education Essay

1. History and meaning of Physical Education. History of Physical Education The Spartans and Athenians were the first to have a type of physical education. Though very different, both systems served the people and supplied their needs. The Spartan system was similar to dictatorship, a form of government. At the age of seven, boys were taken to learn basic military skills while living in barracks. When they reached the age of fourteen, they began learning group fighting tactics which would allow them to succeed while in the military from the ages of twenty to thirty. Once thirty, the men could then marry a women who had been doing some training of her own in order to make strong babies. The philosophy of the Spartans was basically to allow them to invade other countries if desired, and to prevent other countries from invading them. see more:legal basis of education The philosophy of the Athenians was quite different compared to the Spartans. The Athenian culture was very democratic, and focused on training of the mind and body. Reading and writing was a large part of society as well as physical activity which took place in the center of the city where the gymnasium was located. The physical education philosophy of the Athenians was the high point of physical education for many years. Some other cycles in physical education that we have evolved from are that of the Romans, the dark ages, and the crusades. The Roman era is a bit disturbing, but is nonetheless a cycle of physical education. Physical education for the Romans was about athletics, which was primarily about entertainment. People were forced to fight to the death, and oftentimes fed to lions. During the dark ages, religion viewed physical education as a waste of time and a work of the devil. The dark ages were a very sedentary time for human civilization. Following the dark ages in approximately 1096, were the crusades. The crusades were a time of muscular Christianity, because of the Muslims conquering Jerusalem. Muscular Christianity is basically Christians believing that the more one trained to become good soldiers, the more Christian a person was. In 1270, the crusades ended and so did the thought of physical education being worthwhile until approximately 1400 when the renaissance period began. Physical education during the renaissance period is quite similar to physical education today. It is done to better oneself, not to be doing something for someone else. The development of physical education had another setback in the 1600’s when it was very functional and not a priority. People believed that if it did not have a specific purpose, than it was a waste of time. During the 1700’s, there was a big change in physical education that can be largely attributed to three people: Rousseau, Johan Simon, and Guts Muths. Rousseau was the first person to promote education for the masses and he also thought of play as being educational. In 1712, Rousseau invented an activity that is still used by millions of children everyday, recess. Johan Simon was the first physical education teacher and believed physical education should be taught along with reading and writing. Simon believed physical education should include a lot of physical labor. Guts Muths developed a series of gymnastic apparatuses and believed physical education developed very important social skills. These people of the 1700’s and the things they did began paving the road to where we are today. During the 1800’s, physical education programs were finding their way into universities which contributed to many things we have today. New sports were being invented, intramurals were being brought into schools, women began exercising, gymnasiums could be found in most colleges, and many recreational areas and parks were being built in order to decrease the crime rate. This continued on into the 1900’s which brought on the creation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association to regulate college athletics, and the golden age of sports during the 20†² and 30’s. During this golden age of sport, the number of people in sport increased dramatically, the number of teachers increased, and physical education began moving toward the involvement of sport. In 1941, World War II began which brought a big shock along with it. Of the first 2 million males drafted, 45% failed their physical. With this, physical education began to be very strongly pushed in schools in order to improve the health of the American people. Since W.W. II, the United States has continued to press the importance of physical education, which brings it to where it is today, a highly complex field with many different sub-disciplines. The sub-disciplines are: â€Å"Exercise physiology, which is the study of bodily systems and their reactions to the stress of exercise. Kinesiology, which is the study of how the muscular system moves the bony structure of the body. Biomechanics, which is the study of the human body as a mechanical system, utilizing principles and applications from physics. Motor learning, which is the changes in motor performance related to experience and practice. Sport sociology, which is the social structure, social patterns, and social organization of groups engaged in sport. Sport Psychology, which is the stud of behavioral and psychological issues and problems in sport. Sport pedagogy, which is the study of the processes of teaching and coaching, the outcomes of such endeavors, and the content of fitness, physical-education, and sport-education programs.† (Siedentop) These sub-disciplines have created many new jobs for people in the field of education, and will surely branch off to form others in the future. Physical education has definitely come a long way since the Spartans and Athenians. From an authoritarian type system to promoting lifespan physical education with many sciences studying the different intangibles of physical education in order to better the mind and body. These new sciences have obviously broadened the â€Å"umbrella of physical education†, but when looking to the future, there really is no end in sight. The growing â€Å"umbrella† will continue getting larger as new thoughts and ideas come, and with them, new sciences also. Definition of Physical Education Physical Education is an educational course taken during primary and secondary level, and even tertiary level that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting to promote health. It is also defined as a process of learning through physical activities designed to improve physical fitness, develop motor skills, knowledge and behavior of healthy and active living, sportsmanship, and emotional intelligence. Thus, Physical Education is not only aimed at physical development but also includes the development of the individual as a whole. 2. Concepts of physical education Physical Development Objective — deals with the program of activities that builds physical power in an individual through the development of the various organic systems of the body. Motor Development Objective — concerned with making physical movement useful and with as little expenditure of energy as possible and being proficient, graceful, and aesthetic in this movement. Mental Development Objective — deals with the accumulation a body knowledge and the ability to think and to interpret this knowledge. Social Development Objective — concerned with helping an individual in making personal adjustments, group adjustment, and adjustments as a member of society. 3. What are the legal basis and related activities in physical education? The legal basis of physical education is stated in the 1987 Constitution, Article XIV Section 19. (1) The State shall promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports, including training for international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry. (2) All educational institution shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Kauflauf GmbH Essay

Business model: Kauflauf GmbH was founded in 2002. First European organisation to offer _’ software as a service’_ The product portfolio included Customer Relationship Management and ERP software for – Auto Parts, Computer/ Office Supplies and Medical Devices companies Product owners worked with design team, sales force to prioritize new features and anticipate customer demands Their competitive advantage was derived from their successful field consultants who provided consulting and support to customers Kauflauf had three divisions: Development and Support services, Marketing Sales They had a strong competitive advantage due to _hands on consulting_ provided by field consultants backed up by the development group. As opposed to competitors who targeted larger firms, Kauflauf targeted middle market (revenues from â‚ ¬100 million to â‚ ¬1 billion) and top-tier smaller customers. _CLIENT EDUCATION, HAND HOLDING AND CUSTOMIZATION_ were the main areas of focus for the sales force, in order to obtain customer loyalty. The culture of the company was _YOUTH ORIENTED AND ANTI-HIERARCHICAL_ . It was characterized by small company friendliness and deep pride in superior software engineering. JESS WESTERLEY An American woman who had lived with her family in Germany as a child, Jess had developed a love for the country and was fluent in the language. She has been hired as Assistant Product Owner (CRM product) for computer and office supply wholesalers and retailers. CREDENTIALS: Jess came with a proven track record. She had earlier worked with a rapidly growing CRM software service provider in the United States, where she demonstrated great success in growing market share. Has high degree of analytical capabilities and keen grasp of market evolution. Is deeply interested in computers, management and international business. Able to speak German and form informal relationships with her colleagues. RESPONSIBILITIES: To understand the market and customers. To establish product development priorities to serve both existing and future customer needs. To increase sales volume and enable greater penetration in the global CRM subscription software market JESS WESTERLY’S PROPOSED CHANGE Even if the external environment was not changing, the competitive landscape was stable and Kauflauf was doing well in terms of business and revenues, the company still required to bring about a change. The internal environment  was changing and demanded for Kauflauf to shake itself up in regard to its strategy, processes and structure. With its single minded focus to operate in the middle size market segment, the firm was operating in silos. There was a persistent failure to spot new development and opportunities in the market. Thus, to trigger off innovation, increase sales revenue and build more agility in the company, Jess Westerly proposed a change in the sales call patterns at Kauflauf GmbH, with the field consultants redirecting atleast 30% of their time and focus towards larger, more established potential purchasers of CRM software services in the computer and office supply business. Based on Jess westerly’s own quantitative analysis and simulations, she had identified that: Only 35 % of the consultant’s time went to customers who produced 85% of the revenues, while the remaining time was spent with smaller, less profitable accounts By reducing the time spent with customers with annual sales volume less than â‚ ¬ 250,000 (Class 5 and 6 clients) by 20%, and instead focusing on bigger prospective clients , Kauflauf could increase revenues by 30% Field Consultants spending time on closing sales for companies with less than â‚ ¬100,000 in annual sales volume only yields suboptimal returns Kauflauf’s recent success in getting business from Dart, one of world’s largest suppliers of computer parts through persistent call efforts also supported her proposal Thus, the company was losing significant sales growth opportunities by strictly focusing on smaller accounts and neglecting large prospective companies. WHY IT FAILED – THE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE 1. An organization-level change requires the change agent to clearly communicate the vision ahead to those being most impacted by the change. Jess Westerley did not speak to RSDs and consultants before sending out the memo to implement the changes. 2. Change requires the agent to form a core group of people who buy into his/her idea and begin the change process. Jess did not explain why there was a need for change, even though there were no changes in the company’s external environment. Internally, it seemed that all was well too. Hence, the field consultants felt that she was intruding into their work schedule. To them, it appeared that she was interfering with their work-patterns though she had no idea of how things actually worked. 3. Jess did not understand the challenges faced by consultants at different levels of experience – She did not seek the consultants’ opinion which could have contributed to the change. The issues that came to light when Jess sent out the memo were : Consultants felt that this proposal was not for their market They did not wish to work for a firm that served larger accounts They doubted whether such a change would be good for the firms competitive advantage They doubted Jess’ understanding of different markets They had concerns about Kauflauf’s development capacity to support class 1 and 2 sales 4. She did not get approvals from the higher management and RSDs before approaching the Field consultants. An approval from them might have made  them think of the change more seriously. However, the entire change process that she suggested was completely based only on her analysis and simulations, and it did not have the backing of the higher-ups. 5. Large clients did not allow consultants to have access to top management and hence closing a sale was tougher and less probable. However, this was the one point which gave maximum motivation to the consultants. Since closing a successful sale required a lot more effort with larger clients, the consultants were left disappointed at times when all their efforts did not bear fruit. Hence they were up in arms against the idea of changing their call patterns towards larger clients.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The experiences of family members who provide care for their relatives with Alzheimer’s disease

Taking care of an elderly relative can be quite challenging. When this relative is diagnosed with a terminal condition, with no known opportunity for recovery additional challenges are added. Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition which paralyzes the patient’s ability to function normally and thus require personal care from either a nursing professional or an at-home care provider in the form of a family member.Since the survival rate with the disease could reach to as much as 15 to 20 years (Coen et al. , 1999), caring for an AD patient is a long-term commitment. The experiences encountered by these caregivers must be quite unique and would of course vary among families. It is useful therefore to discover some of the commonly challenges faced by caregivers in order to obtain a better understanding of the issue and to develop appropriate strategies to address the issues.2. 0 Literature Review Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among ol der people (Coen, O’Boyle, Swanwick & Coakley, 1999).Dementia is a slow-onset neurodegenerative disorder marked by a severe decline of cognitive abilities (Ward, 2007) with obvious effects on daily life, mostly memory, which seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. AD begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know.According to Carradice, Beail & Shankland (2003) this disease is more common among those persons older than eighty years. Given that there is a noted increase in life expectancy where more and more persons are living longer it is quite understandable that the incidents of dementia are also increasing (Zarit & Edwards, 1996). The prognosis for elderly patients with AD is quite dismal. While there are treatment options available that may improve some of the behavioural and cognitive ill ef fectives of the disease.No treatment current exists that will halt the progression of the disease of lead to full recovery (Mittelman, 2002). In order to ensure that the condition is controlled as far as possible and that AD patients are well cared for long-term care options have to be sought. While there are countless long-term care institutions, many with qualified nursing and other medical personnel to cater to the needs of the AD patient, most AD patients are given this long-term care within the domestic situation, primarily by family members (Coen et al., 1999). Research indicates that family members are the ones who are more often than not responsible for providing care for their relatives with Alzheimer’s disease (Mittelman, 2002; Tettelman & Watts, 2004 and Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004). In fact health professions usually feel it best that the elderly continue living at home for as long as possible (Teeri, Leino-Kilpi & Valimaki, 2006), and the elderl y themselves also desire to be home (Aggarwal, 2003).Additionally researchers have often criticized institutions on the basis that often many elderly are registered in these institutions against their wishes and are also often unhappy in these non-private situations (Teeri et al. , 2006). However for those relatives who opt to provide care for AD patients there are considerable day to day strains and difficulties that they face. The financial burden is one of the most apparent. Grahm (2001) highlights that the costs of taking care of an elderly relative are very overwhelming, particularly one who has suffered a stroke or who has AD.Statistics suggest that the usual cost of taking care of an elderly relative ranges between $148 and $158 billion dollars (Caregiving & Alzheimer’s, 2004). Most research has, however, discovered that the greatest challenges for at home caregivers to elderly AD patients is not so much the financial burden, but the psychosocial and emotional difficul ties faced by these caregivers. Thus considerable attention has been paid not only to the dismal prognosis of those suffering from the disease but also those who have to provide at-home care for Alzheimer’s patients.Various researchers have attempted to isolate the various challenges faced by caregivers of AD patients. Grahm (2001) contends that the pressures faced by caregivers are of both an emotional and physical nature. Gwyther (as cited in Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004) mentions chronic stress and decrease health as one of the ill effects of caring for the elderly. Tettleman and Watts (2004) also allude to stress in additional to mental strain as issues of concern faced by these caregivers.Anxiety (Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004), fatigue and depression (Mittelman, 2002) and psychological distress (Carradice et al. , 2003) are other issues commonly noted in the literature. The preoccupation of researchers examining this disease is, therefor e, not only on the debilitating effects that it has on the patient but also the demands that are placed on caregivers who are required to take care of these patients. Evidently caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease at home is not without its challenges as significant strains are put on the caregivers.Each individual situation where a family member is responsible for taking care of a relative with Alzheimer’s disease comes with its own challenges and it is very difficult to generalize specifically about the experiences of these caregivers. This study will seek to identify and categorize some of the more common experiences shared by them. This research will be of considerable importance to medical practitioners who have to interact with patients and their families as well as to the individual family members/caregivers.The findings from this research will be useful to current caregivers in helping them realize that other persons face the same challenges as they do and therefore a network of caregivers facing similar problems could be formed where they formulate strategies to deal with problems together. Medical professional would also have this information and could share this with new caregivers that enter their offices in order to prepare them for the challenges ahead. 3. 0 Research design and justificationConsiderable research has been conducted on the problems associated with Alzheimer’s and challenges that have been associated with caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease. Previous research has highlighted the challenges faced by caregivers of ill relative but not much research has focused specifically on the condition of Alzheimer’s disease (Teeri et al. , 2006). Where research was specific to Alzheimer’s disease, the focus on caregivers was not specific to family members providing this kind of care, but generalized on the various categories of caregivers including compensated professionals (Ellor, 20 05; Teeri et al., 2006). Further, research has failed to classify the problems faced by these family caregivers and place them into meaningful categories (Mittelman, 2002; Caregiving & Alzheimer’s Disease, 2004). This will be a qualitative study explaining the common experiences of family members who are caring for elderly relatives at home. Where other researchers were not specific to Alzheimer’s disease this research will be exclusive to this category of caregivers. The experiences of a cross-section of such caregivers will be compared and analyzed for common themes.Unlike previous researchers this study will conduct a comprehensive categorization of the most common experiences based on the information garnered from the caregivers. The information gathering instrument will be primarily interviews. The use of interviews to gather information has long been lauded by researchers. Interviews may either be structured where the researcher directs the line of the conversati on with specific questions requiring direct responses. Unstructured interviews allow the researcher to approach the interviewee with a general objective and allowing the conversation to flow in whatever direction it will.Both of these interview tactics have their benefits. The first forces the respondent to focus specifically on the information that is required for the purposes of the research. The second type allows the research to gather a vast amount of information, even information that was unanticipated when the research was being prepared. For the purposes of this research the unstructured interview would be quite useful as the research does not wish to restrict the extent of the responses given by the interviewees.This research will therefore add to the wealth of knowledge about the nature of Alzheimer’s disease and the direct and indirect effects it has on patient and family. This research will also help to improve understanding of the role that caregivers fulfil and the challenges they face in dealing with ill and elderly relatives, specifically those who have Alzheimer’s disease. Respondents will not be restricted in the type of responses they produce thereby allowing the researcher to get a comprehensive and true picture of the real lived situation of caring for an AD patient.