Reality TV and Morality

Invention of television is a product of a spectacular brain who has a great influence on everybody’s life nowadays, some of them are mortal, some of them are like brain-washing and some are just a little just because of reality televisions. This reality television changes the concept of reality in people’s mind. Television first started as our eye for outer world which we don’t know about and for being informed which we can say a â€Å"tool† but now it is just our â€Å"aim† to be on television. So this is forming obsessed brains which causing death of morality as Rushdie says. First of all, main reason why people are joining these reality programmes is just the anxiety of being rich and famous which are the most two important notions in western society in these days (Rushdie, 2010, p. 63). Contestants are doing bizarre and disturbing just for obtaining wealth and fame, like a guy fried his hand at American Survivor (Rushdie, 2010, p. 63). This leads us Rushdie’s thesis â€Å"good to be bad† (Rushdie, 2010, p. 64) from which it is comprehensible that people acts like mindless zombies like the hand frying guy. Good to be bad† refers to a lot of other things too like being selfish just for winning prize and being double faced in the competition. So it forms a question in mind; do you really need to be talented to win these competitions? Absolutely no (Rushdie, 2010, p. 63). You just need to play the game with its â€Å"corrupted† rules. One of the biggest immoral issues is the first death on television (Rushdie, 2010, p. 64) which n egates the most basic natural right that we have. Moreover, it is need to define what morality is. It distinguishes good and bad. However, â€Å"good to be bad† ignores it completely. As it became a common ritual to watch television in home with the whole family, children will be affected heavily by these programmes and generation by generation the spirit of morality will change or collapse. However producers don’t care others much, they just need ratings, big articles in newspapers next day after the show just for their name to be written on those piece of papers. These producers are enough blind and shallow that they can’t see influence of these programmes on society, so we are being acted like a guinea pig. They are just damaging society’s mental stability and pushing them act immoral in their lives without consciousness with injecting these awkward behaviours by their programmes. So basically contestants and producers are becoming famous without doing anything else. This is just an unfair way of tricking people and paralyzing them in front of television and even it annihilates our understanding of morality. Furthermore, there is another point of view which is not able to not to take into consideration about those poor contestants. Poniewozik tells that: â€Å"Isn’t there something simply wrong with people who enjoy entertainment that depends on ordinary people getting their heart broken, being told they can’t sing, or getting played for fools? â€Å" (Poniewozik, 2010, p. 70). It is really sad that some people are enjoying with this stuff. As spectators are the people who watch television in their home, it is acceptable to say that, there are lots of â€Å"already diseased† brains which are exempt of notion of morality. Everyone can imagine children will be affected more than everyone. They will be lost while they are searching their personalities and it is a high odd that they canalise to wrong role models for their life. So they are the main and the weakest victims. Something must be done to avoid for our future generation not to get attracted by those programmes or they should be aware while watching those television programmes or it is fatal that humanity will lose the â€Å"judgement ability†. As a result, these ideas show us that reality tv’s are really dangerous and causes death of morality. These un-realistic programmes are being watched nowadays and spectators don’t have any idea what they are watching. It’s clear that reality tv’s are absurd and not worth to watch. However there are no ways to avoid watching them because we can not limit or cut television sells. Immoral behaviours will increase day by day; if this problems goes on, there will be serious behaviour malfunctions in society. Some can say not to watch them but it will just enter from left ear and fly out from right ear. It’s able to see that Rushdie is right with his arguments so it’s clear that reality tv is a regret.

Cultural Diversity in Afghanistan Essay

Afghanistan is an Islamic country. It is divided into different regions where people manifest their own culture and beliefs. Though Afghans dwell in same country yet they practiced different cultures because of their regions’ location and tradition. What is applied to a certain region of Afghanistan may not be applicable to the other regions of the country. This would only show that there is a cultural diversity amongst regions of Afghanistan. Moreover, Afghanistan is located in south-central Asia. The encyclopedia of Islam stated that: Afghanistan has borne that name only since the middle of the 18th century, when the supremacy of the Afghan race (Pashtuns) became assured: previously various districts bore distinct appellations, but the country was not a definite political unit, and its component parts were not bound together by any identity of race or language. The earlier meaning of the word was simply â€Å"the land of the Afghans†, a limited territory which did not include many parts of the present state but did comprise large districts now either independent or within the boundary of Pakistan† (see â€Å"Afghanistan†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. November 15, 2006). The northern part of the country is bordered by the Soviet Union and on the northeast; it is bordered by China and Kashmir, on the west side is bordered by Iran and on the east and south it is bordered by Pakistan. Every citizen of the country is called as Afghan though the country is composed of various ethnic groups. One of these ethnic groups is the Pashtun (it is also be spelled as Pakhtun, Pathan, Pushtun, and Pukhtun) which makes up about 60 percent of the population. They are from the Caucasian origin and dwelt in Afghanistan in not less than 1, 3000 year. Normally, they are recognized and acknowledged as the â€Å"true Afghans†. Pashtuns are separated into numerous tribes and sub-tribes, followed an ancient code of conduct called as Pashtunwali. The second most populated group is the Tajik, who were also come from the Caucasian origin (see â€Å"Afghanistan†. New Standard Encyclopedia. Volume 1, Pp. A-91, A-93, 94). The intent of this paper is to describe the different cultures in Afghanistan. II. Discussion As I have mentioned earlier, there are two ethnic groups who dwelt in Afghanistan. These groups practiced different cultures. Moreover, different cultures are practiced in Afghanistan because there are numerous ethnic groups that are smaller in number who are scattered throughout the country. Nuristanis is another ethnic group of Afghnistan. They dwell in the secluded mountains of the northeast of Kabul, near the Pakistan border. The Nuristanis claimed that they are the descendants of Alexander the Great. Before they were converted into Islam, Nuristanis had statue of wooden idols and ancestral images sculpted by them and these are well-preserved in the Kabul Museum. Several of these were possibly used to venerate dead ancestors and used in healing rituals or ceremonials (see â€Å"Other Minority Ethnic Groups in Afghanistan†. 2002). Moreover, life in the Afghan home is upholding high values because they really defined the roles of the men and women. These roles are very different from any culture around the world. The women’s lives only revolve in their home and to their children; thus, this practice is in line with their Muslim beliefs. Starting from late 1950s, the urban women who belonged in a well-off family were allowed to find their work far from their homeland and had opportunity to study on higher education. But these privileges were not enjoyed by all women because women who dwelt in the rural areas or amongst nomadic tribes are not given these opportunities. Everyday, Afghan women supply their families with two meals, together with snacks. Their traditional meals are pilau which has meat or vegetables, poultry or wild game kebabas, mutton, yogurt, hot soup and nan which a flat bread. In addition, Afghan has different ways when they engage in marriage. A man and a woman are united in marriage through an agreement made by both parents by settling financial commitments or also called as the â€Å"marketplace† or â€Å"dowry†. In their culture, marriage is considered as a deal between families not just by individuals and it includes financial commitments on both families. The groom will give a dowry to the family of the bride. The dowry comprises of decorative and functional items that are necessary for establishing a household. It comprises goods like beddings, utensils, clothing, jewelry, fans and hangings. The men who attend the weddings are given presents like embroidered handkerchiefs or turban caps. The process in assembling a dowry involves a long period of time and much effort and it is usually started while the girl is still young. The relatives of the females help in the wedding preparations (see â€Å"Afghanistan†). III. Conclusion Truly, the cultures in Afghanistan are one of a kind. Afghan women are just like precious stones because they are well taken care by their parents. During in their younger years, parents set an arrange marriage for their daughter and ask for a dowry to the male’s side. References 1. â€Å"Afghanistan†. New Standard Encyclopedia. Volume 1, Pp. A-91, A-93, 94. 2. â€Å"Other Minority Ethnic Groups in Afghanistan†. 2002. http://www. afghan- network. net/Ethnic-Groups/other-groups. html 3. â€Å"Afghanistan†. http://146. 186. 95. 23/mat_mus/Tour/t_afghan. htm 4. â€Å"Afghanistan†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. November 15, 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Afghanistan#_note-4

Human Growth and Development Essay

Human development is marked by different stages and milestones over the lifespan. It is expressed over three domains: physical, cognitive and socio/emotional. While human physical and cognitive development is universal, socio/emotional definitions and development vary from culture to culture. Gaining a basic knowledge of human lifespan development will lead to a better understanding of the appearance, perceptions and behaviors of the self and others. Adolescence is a demanding and critical period in life. Failure to meet certain developmental milestones can have serious short- and long-term implications for the individual and society at large. Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development generally occurring during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (age of majority). The period of adolescence is most closely associated with the teenage years, although its physical, psychological and cultural expressions can begin earlier and end later. For example, although puberty has been historically associated with the onset of adolescent development, it now typically begins prior to the teenage years and there have been a normative shift of it occurring in preadolescence, particularly in females. Physical growth, as distinct from puberty (particularly in males), and cognitive development generally seen in adolescence, can also extend into the early twenties. Thus chronological age provides only a rough marker of adolescence, and scholars have found it difficult to agree upon a precise definition of adolescence. A thorough understanding of adolescence in society depends on information from various perspectives, most importantly from the areas of psychology, biology, history, sociology, education, and anthropology. Within all of these perspectives, adolescence is viewed as a transitional period between childhood and adulthood whose cultural purpose is the preparation of children for adult roles. Stages of Human Development The various stages of human development include the prenatal period, infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. Each stage is marked by milestones in physical, cognitive, and socio/emotional development. 1. Physical Development Physical development has to do with the way that the human body develops over a lifespan. The most rapid and complex human development occurs during the prenatal period. From infancy to early childhood, the physical milestones include developing motor skills like learning to control body movements, walk, talk, speak, use tools like spoons and forks and use the rest room. From infancy to early childhood, humans grow in height, weight and mass and get their first set of teeth. Middle childhood has only a few physical milestones, such as continued growth at a much slower rate and the gain of permanent teeth. Adolescence is the second most rapid and complex time of human development and is when the sexual maturation process begins. Females begin to grow breasts, their hips expand and they grow pubic hair and begin menstruation, which marks their physical ability to procreate. They may grow a few inches more in height. Males have significant growth spurts and develop facial and pubic hair, their voices deepen and they begin to have sperm-producing ejaculations, signifying their ability to procreate. Young adulthood is when humans are at the prime of their physical development. All of the systems are functioning optimally, making this the best time for reproduction. Middle adulthood brings the beginning of physical deterioration, such as the end of fertility in women, or menopause. The decrease in physical abilities and health for both sexes continues through late adulthood . 2. Cognitive Development Cognitive development has to do with the way humans perceive and experience the world and deals with issues like memory, thinking and decision-making processes and concept comprehension. During the prenatal period, cognitive development is highly enveloped in physical development as the primary tool for cognition; the brain is still being developed. During infancy and early childhood, milestones like speaking, comprehension and object differentiation occur. Thoughts about the world are simplistic, and judgments are made in an either/or framework. Middle childhood brings the beginning of concrete and logical thinking, and adolescence brings about a phase where cognitive judgments are often overridden by feelings and impulses because of the body’s rapidly changing physical and biological climate. Young adulthood is the human cognitive prime, as the capacity for rapid and accurate memory, thought processing and information analysis function at peak levels. Perceptions of the world, judgment and morality become more sophisticated and complex. During middle adulthood, humans are experts at problem solving, although they begin to experience some signs of decline with speed in processing and recall. Late adulthood signifies the continued deterioration of cognitive abilities. Theoretical perspectives There are two perspectives on adolescent thinking. One is the constructivist view of cognitive development. Based on the work of Piaget, it takes a quantitative, state-theory approach, hypothesizing that adolescents’ cognitive improvement is relatively sudden and drastic. The second is the information-processing perspective, which derives from the study of artificial intelligence and attempts to explain cognitive development in terms of the growth of specific components of the thinking process. Improvements in cognitive ability By the time individuals have reached age 15 or so, their basic thinking abilities are comparable to those of adults. These improvements occur in five areas during adolescence: 1. Attention. Improvements are seen in selective attention, the process by which one focuses on one stimulus while tuning out another. Divided attention, the ability to pay attention to two or more stimuli at the same time, also improves. 2. Memory. Improvements are seen in both working memory and long-term memory. 3. Processing speed. Adolescents think more quickly than children. Processing speed improves sharply between age five and middle adolescence; it then begins to level off at age 15 and does not appear to change between late adolescence and adulthood. 4. Organization. Adolescents are more aware of their own thought processes and can use mnemonic devices and other strategies to think more efficiently. 5. Meta-cognition – It often involves monitoring one’s own cognitive activity during the thinking process. Adolescents’ improvements in knowledge of their own thinking patterns lead to better self-control and more effective studying. 3. Socio/Emotional Development Socio/emotional development has to do with how an individual is able to handle emotions, relationships, social situations, and the various roles demanded of them by society. Some aspect of Socio/Emotional standards, such as social expectations, relationships, and roles vary from culture to culture. During infancy and early childhood, the primary relationships are with the parents and based on attachment. Environmental exploration, impulsivity, differentiation of self (from others) and the basics of social interaction are learnt. In early childhood, impulsivity begins to give way to control, and awareness of consequences significantly affects behavioral choices. Middle childhood begins the transition from family orientation to peer orientation, which carries on into adolescence. Issues of identify, sexuality and sexual expression, conflict and resolution and internal stability prevail. By young adulthood, the focus shifts from peers to career, social role, building external stability, finding a mate and starting a family. Middle adulthood is met with the psychological and emotional challenges of facing the mid-life crisis, and a life analysis and inventory is taken. Late adulthood marks the transition from the mid-life crisis. Life reflection, acceptance of death, and legacy building or making social contributions also occur at this phase. I. Identity development Among the most common beliefs about adolescence is that it is the time when teenagers form their personal identities. Egocentrism is being performed by adolescents who then form self-consciousness of wanting to feel important in their peer groups and having social acceptance of fitting into the group. Empirical studies suggest that this process might be more accurately described as identity development, rather than formation, but confirms a normative process of change in both content and structure of one’s thoughts about the self. Researchers have used three general approaches to understanding identity development: self-concept, sense of identity, and self-esteem. The years of adolescence create a more conscientious group of young adults. Adolescents pay close attention and give more time and effort to their appearance as their body goes through changes. Unlike children, teens put forth an effort to look presentable (1991). The environment in which an adolescent grows up also plays an important role in their identity development. II. Self Concept Early in adolescence, cognitive developments result in greater self-awareness, greater awareness of others and their thoughts and judgments, the ability to think about abstract, future possibilities, and the ability to consider multiple possibilities at once. As a result, adolescents experience a significant shift from the simple, concrete, and global self-descriptions typical of young children; as children, they defined themselves with physical traits whereas as adolescents, they define themselves based on their values, thoughts and opinions. III. Sense of identity Unlike the conflicting aspects of self-concept, identity represents a coherent sense of self stable across circumstances and including past experiences and future goals. Everyone has a self-concept, whereas Erik Erikson argued that not everyone fully achieves identity. Erikson’s theory of stages of development includes the identity crisis in which adolescents must explore different possibilities and integrate different parts of themselves before committing to their beliefs. He described the resolution of this process as a stage of â€Å"identity achievement† but also stressed that the identity challenge â€Å"is never fully resolved once and for all at one point in time†. Adolescents begin by defining themselves based on their crowd membership. â€Å"Clothes help teens explore new identities, separate from parents, and bond with peers.† Fashion has played a major role when it comes to teenagers â€Å"finding their selves†; Fashion is always evolving , which corresponds with the evolution of change in the personality of teenagers. IV. Environment and identity An adolescent’s environment plays a huge role in their identity development. While most adolescent studies are conducted on white, middle class children, studies have shown that the more privileged upbringing one has the more successful they will be in the development of their identity. The forming of an adolescent’s identity is a crucial time in their life. It has been recently found that demographic patterns suggest that the transition to adulthood is now occurring over a longer span of years than was the case during the middle of the 20th century. Accordingly, youth, a period that spans late adolescence and early adulthood, has become a more prominent stage of the life course. This therefore has caused various factors to become important during this development. So many factors contribute to the developing social identity of an adolescent from commitment, to coping devices, to social media. All of these factors are affected by the environment an adolescent grows up i n. A child from a more privileged upbringing will be exposed to more opportunities as well as better situations in general. An adolescent from an inner city or a crime driven neighborhood is more likely to be exposed to an environment that can be detrimental to their development. Adolescence is a very sensitive period in the development process of one’s life and exposure to the wrong things at that time can have a major affect on decisions someone will make. While children that grow up in nice suburban communities are not exposed to bad environments they are more likely to participate in activities that can benefit their identity and contribute to a more successful identity development. V. Sexual orientation and identity Sexual orientation has been defined as â€Å"an erotic inclination toward people of one or more genders, most often described as sexual or erotic attractions†. In recent years, psychologists have sought to understand how sexual orientation develops during adolescence. Some theorists believe that there are many different possible developmental paths one could take, and that the specific path an individual follows may be determined by their sex, orientation, and when they reached the onset of puberty. VI. Self-esteem The final major aspect of identity formation is self-esteem, one’s thoughts and feelings about one’s self-concept and identity. Contrary to popular belief, there is no empirical evidence for a significant drop in self-esteem over the course of adolescence. â€Å"Barometric self-esteem† fluctuates rapidly and can cause severe distress and anxiety, but baseline self-esteem remains highly stable across adolescence. Girls are most likely to enjoy high self-esteem when engaged in supportive relationships with friends; the most important function of friendship to them is having someone who can provide social and moral support. When they fail to win friends’ approval or couldn’t find someone with whom to share common activities and common interests, in these cases, girls will suffer from low self-esteem. In contrast, boys are more concerned with establishing and asserting their independence and defining their relation to authority. As such, they are more likely to derive high self-esteem from their ability to successfully influence their friends; on the other hand, the lack of romantic competence, for example, failure to win or maintain the affection of the opposite or same-sex (depending on sexual orientation), is the major contributor to low self-esteem in adolescent boys. ECONOMIC CRISES CAN HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Financial crises, at both the global and the national level, are ubiquitous. This raises concern about the human impacts of crises, especially among more vulnerable populations in developing countries. This is particularly true during childhood and youth, when the brain is developing rapidly, and when socio-emotional and behavioral developments are at their peak. Given the cumulative nature of human development, shortfalls or setbacks at any stage of the life course—from the antenatal environment through adolescence—are often difficult to reverse later in life and may have severe consequences for individual development as well as for the growth and development of successful communities. Thus, it is essential to protect and promote human development in the face of adversity. Three interrelated concepts provide the foundation for understanding the potential impacts of shocks on children and youth. a) Timing: Human development is characterized by critical periods of life during which certain investments must be made to facilitate the achievement of specific milestones in development, or stage salient developmental tasks. These age-related expectations for the mastery of particular tasks provide benchmarks for the abilities that an individual should ideally master by different ages, and that are correlated with successful development and transition to subsequent stages in life. Economic crises can disrupt a young person’s â€Å"normal† development by preventing or delaying the mastery of these developmental tasks at specific stages, which—if uncorrected—can have potential long term consequences. b) Context: Development in childhood and youth is influenced by diverse contexts or settings (family, peers, schools, communities, socio-cultural belief systems, policy regimes, and the economy). The relative importance of these settings changes during the life course. Interactions among these settings determine both the transmission of shocks such as a financial crisis to the young person’s immediate environment and the impact of the shock on her development. As development is partly a function of a person’s repeated interactions with her immediate environment (the proximal processes of human development), shocks can disrupt the contexts in which these processes occur, and hinder a young person’s ability to develop successfully. c) Transmission mechanisms: There are numerous pathways through which a crisis can affect the well-being and development of a young person. Crises may be experienced directly at the individual level (through e.g. a change in aspirations and identity), or indirectly through the family, school, or other settings (through e.g. increased parental stress, parental job loss, a reduction in publicly-provided services). The developing person will experience crises through the loss in income, but also through other channels, such as psychological distress. The relevance of each particular transmission mechanism varies depending on the life stage of the person as well as on the context. Different settings may provide protective factors that prevent, mitigate or attenuate negative impacts; these factors can be a source of resilience, facilitating positive adaptive behavior on the part of the developing person. Effects of economic crises on adolescents Adolescence is a crucial stage in a person’s development. Adolescence is marked by profound physical, emotional, and social transitions; the brain undergoes significant neurological development, and cognitive and socio-emotional abilities take shape. While social expectations of the precise timing of certain transitions vary across countries and cultures, all adolescents are eventually expected to make the transition to adulthood, including entering work, becoming financially independent, and starting a family. Adapting to these new roles and successfully managing this transition requires the mastery of three interrelated stage-salient tasks: 3 a. Autonomy and relatedness: As young people mature, they renegotiate their relationships with parents, peers, teachers, and other adults. Settings outside the family, such as the workplace, become increasingly important. Young people must achieve greater personal and financial independence while maintaining positive relationships with parents and other adults. b. Identity: The process of growing more autonomous and defining one’s role in society requires that adolescents establish personal and vocational preferences and aspirations. c. Goal setting and achievement: The ability to define goals and plan and act strategically provides the foundation for subsequent growth and development. ECONOMIC CRISES CAN IMPAIR HEALTHY ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT Crises affect the opportunities and support structures available to adolescents to develop the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral competencies needed to master the stage-salient tasks. In particular, crises can lead to: i) Limited and unpredictable employment opportunities: Youth employment tends to be more vulnerable to economic crises than adult employment. Young people are often engaged in temporary and unprotected work—such as seasonal, temporary, and part-time jobs—or in sectors particularly vulnerable to economic fluctuations, such as construction. By constraining employment opportunities, as well as the availability of other entry points into the labor market, such as internships and apprenticeships, economic shocks affect the process of acquiring necessary skills, work experience, and achieving financial autonomy. Worsening labor market conditions can also affect adolescents’ expectations, vocational identity, and personal goals, as the context and perceived likelihood of achieving them may change dramatically. ii) Loss of parental employment and income, and deterioration of family dynamics: The threat or realization of losing income or assets can lead to anxiety among parents, which is then transmitted to adolescents throug h parents’ emotions and behaviors. For example, the quality of parenting can be negatively affected, impairing the development of adolescents’ autonomy and ability to form relationships. Impaired family dynamics are linked to mental health problems and heightened incidence of risky behaviors. Research also shows that adolescents who perceive economic stress within their families have lower self-expectations for the future. iii) Changes in the availability of adult role models outside the family: Crises may not only affect intra family dynamics, but also the availability of and interactions with positive role models in the school or community. Lower public expenditure can adversely affect the quality as well as quantity of schooling, while supervised extracurricular activities and out-of-school programs are often discontinued. These reduce the availability of positive adult mentoring relationships, restricting the support and guidance available to adolescents in mastering their developmental tasks. In addition to these disruptions in their immediate environment, adolescents are more aware than younger children of the impact of shocks on socioeconomic status, and they may perceive economic pressures and stigma more directly. This can lead to additional difficulties with psychosocial adjustment, and influence their self-esteem, identity, future orientation, and efficacy beliefs. THE FAILURE TO MASTER CRITICAL TASKS CAN HAVE NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT. Failure to achieve stage-salient developmental tasks can jeopardize other life outcomes. Although there is considerable heterogeneity across individuals, crises can have particularly negative consequences in the following areas: a) Schooling & Employment: Contrary to the experience of idiosyncratic shocks, such as parental job loss, there is no compelling evidence that young people leave school during aggregate crises to work and support the household. Young people have fewer job opportunities in a crisis; this decreases the perceived returns to entering the labor market relative to remaining in school. On the other hand, diminished opportunities for employment can severely affect those young people who do try to enter the labor market. Early un- and underemployment is known to have serious long-term effects on future employment and lifetime income, and these young people often fail to catch up when the economy rebounds. b) Mental health: By altering their relationships, identity, and goals for the future, unexpected life events can affect adolescents’ physical and mental health. Difficulty in the labor market may lead to hopelessness and lower self-esteem, especially for young people who are in the process of forming occupational identities. In fact, unemployment experienced at early ages is associated with stress, depression, and illness later in life. Mental health problems during youth can also lead to lower educational achievement, increased substance abuse, violence, and risky sexual behavior. c) Risky behavior: Economic adversity and its effects on the adolescent and her immediate environment may lead to greater risk taking, although this response is by no means universal. Crises can diminish the quality of parenting, which in turn may increase the likelihood for delinquency among youth. Similarly, stress and mental health problems have been associated with risky sexual activity. But while young people who experience severe stress are more prone to substance abuse, an income shock that decreases disposable income can decrease the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Significance Having some knowledge about human lifespan development is beneficial for many reasons. It increases self-awareness and understanding, which helps with life planning. If a female is aware of the stages of her physical development, for example, she will know that her natural childbearing years are limited. If she wants to have children, she can use family planning to make choices about her education, career and mate to support this goal. Additionally, this knowledge can be helpful for improving relationships and interpersonal communication and resolving conflicts. Conclusion Human development is marked by different stages and milestones over the lifespan. It is expressed over three domains: physical, cognitive and socio/emotional. While human physical and cognitive development is universal, socio/emotional definitions and development vary from culture to culture. Gaining a basic knowledge of human lifespan development will lead to a better understanding of the appearance, perceptions and behaviors of the self and others. Physical development has to do with the way that the human body develops over a lifespan. The most rapid and complex human development occurs during the prenatal period. From infancy to early childhood, the physical milestones include developing motor skills like learning to control body movements, walk, talk, speak, use tools like spoons and forks and use the rest room. From infancy to early childhood, humans grow in height, weight and mass and get their first set of teeth. Cognitive development has to do with the way humans perceive and experience the world and deals with issues like memory, thinking and decision-making processes and concept comprehension. During the prenatal period, cognitive development is highly enveloped in physical development as the primary tool for cognition; the brain is still being developed. Socio/emotional development has to do with how an individual is able to handle emotions, relationships, social situations, and the various roles demanded of them by society. Some aspect of Socio/Emotional standards, such as social expectations, relationships, and roles vary from culture to culture. REFERENCE 1. Human Development, Diane E. Papalia, 9th edition 2. Boyd, D., and Bee, H., (2006). Lifespan Development, Fourth Edition. Boston, MA. Pearson Education, Inc. 3. Chassin, L., A. Hussong, and A. Beltran. 2009. â€Å"Adolescent Substance Use.† In Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. 3rd ed., Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.; Lundberg, P. et al. 2011. â€Å"Poor Mental Health and Sexual Risk Behaviours in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.† BMC Public Health 11 (125): 1–10 4. Bell, D., and D. Blanchflower. 2010. â€Å"Young People and Recession: A Lost Generation?† Working Paper. Dartmouth College. 5. See for example Duryea, S., and M. Morales. 2011. â€Å"Effects of the Global Financial Crisis on Children’s School and Employment Outcomes in El Salvador.† Development 6. Policy Review 29 (5): 527–46.; Scarpetta, S., A. Sonnet, and T. Manfredi. 2010. â€Å"Rising Youth Unemployment during the Crisis: How to Prevent Negative 7. Long-Term Consequences on a Generation.† Social, Employme nt, and Migration Working Paper 106, OECD: Paris. 8. Carlson, N. R., & Heth, C. (2010). Psychology–the science of behaviour, fourth Canadian edition [by] Neil R. Carlson, C. Donald Heth. Toronto: Pearson. 9. Steinberg, L. (2008). Adolescence, 8th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 10. American Psychological Association (APA). United States Department of Health and Human Services. 11. Carlson, Neil R. (2010). Psychology: the science of behaviour. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada.

Charles Martin in Uganda Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Charles Martin in Uganda - Case Study Example Or is it more appropriate to appoint another person in his place? We analyze the case and recommend that Green should retain Martin because of his knowledge of the local business conditions. He has developed a good network with key people in the Government. Besides he would be able to induct any new entrants who may be deputed by HG into the Ugandan project. However, we need to issue a cautionary note to Martin. He should be immediately asked to refrain from all unethical practices and he needs to report any unfair demands directly to Green so that the issues can be tackled with due regard to the cultural sensitivity. Additionally, Martin needs to develop the role of a functional manager who can cross fertilize ideas and transplant best practices from the host nation to the local country. Introduction The case discusses the cultural issues that Hydro Generation (HG) has faced in Uganda and the decision point faced by the vice-president Green. Martin as the liaison officer for HG has proved to be extremely capable and has completed all the tasks on time. At this juncture, Green ponders over some of the methods adopted by Martin. While some of them seem to go against the stronger views held by American companies, some of the approaches seem to be completely unethical and unfair. Under these circumstances, Green needs to decide on the next crucial phase of the project: should he continue to retain Martin as the chief liaison officer overseeing the entire project? Case Analysis Question 1 has to do with an understanding of cultural aspects of doing business in Uganda. We have insights from the case here. Uganda has largely been a developing nation thus far with the progress not percolating down to the lower strata of society. It has not had a stable government though Multinational companies and their operations are well encouraged. Some of the cultural aspects points to a backward, superstitious nature wherein tribal sacrifices and soothsayers seem to hold sway ove r cold logic and reasoning. Culture could be defined as a system of knowledge and standards adopted for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting (Allaire & Firsirotu, 1984). Culture is a system of socially transmitted patterns of behavior that helps people relate to their environment. It develops gradually over time and is often influenced by social and economic progress also. A simpler definition has been put forward by Hofstede (1984) who described it as a collective programming of the mind that helps distinguish one category of people from another. From the case, we also observe certain patterns of Ugandan society. They tend to favor nepotism and are largely driven by a commitment to their family and kin. A stronger bonding and accountability towards the social circle seems to take precedence over business commitments. Both attributes could affect the operations of a multinational company interested in doing business in Uganda. Firstly, superstitious beliefs could hamper usua l logical decisions that rely on business judgment and analytical outcomes. Obviously, multinational companies would be driven by logic and rationale. They would be offended if superstitious beliefs posed hurdles to business commitments and operations. Martin has however tried to blend in with the locals by adopting their cultural practices and participating in their rituals. This makes a strong point in his favor for he has understood the cultural diversity and sensitivity (Trompenaars,

Globalization Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalization - Coursework Example This leads to major liberalization in 19th century which was termed as globalization. The rising extent of globalization can be identified with a number of trends started after World War II. It includes global movement of commodities, money, information, innovation and also people. Global development of technology, legal systems, organizations and infrastructure are the key drivers for this movement. Developed, developing and also underdeveloped nations have been enjoying many benefits through internationalization of leading businesses of many countries. International trade has been increased through multinational organizations at a faster rate overall growth in world economy. Global flow of capital has increased through foreign direct investment especially of the leading firms of developed and developing countries. International organization has developed like WTO, IMF, WIPO, World Bank etc for monitoring international transaction of goods and services. Outsourcing of different serv ices has increased dramatically in first decade of 2000 century and it has benefited the MNCs by reducing cost of business operation (Kox, 2001, p.90). Businesses’ engagement in CSR Increasing extent of globalization is nearly proportionate to internationalization of leading firms of many countries. Development in infrastructure, income level of people mainly disposable income and technology advancement is the key motivational factors for internationalisation of firms. There are many entry strategies that the leading firms have identified. Corporate social responsibilities of firms in domestic countries enhance the reputation and goodwill in... This essay stresses that it has been observed that the China has been grown rapidly in last two decade. This is due to Foreign Direct Investment inflow to China has increased in major extent. It has become one of the leading business hubs in the continent of Asia to the leading MNCs in the world especially the MNCs of developed markets. At the same time, outward foreign direct investment is also substantial contributor in economic development of this nation. Generally, economic growth of a country is quantitatively measured by gross domestic production of the country. China holds huge resources for businesses including natural resources like agriculture base products, infrastructure, technology and obviously availability of manpower for all level of work. This paper makes a conclusion that the liberalization of some of the developing countries has not translated into qualitative gains. The gains from trade in less developed countries are still not sufficient. The costs of globalization driven by trade may be unsustainable and therefore the inequalities will tend to rise further which is indeed a matter of concern. As a result the countries are becoming prone to external shocks. In order to benefit from globalization a sustainable environment is needed to be created in the context of differentiated trade policy and development landscape. The international trading system has witnessed several changes under the globally recognized challenges. The trading system has recognized the structural as well as the economic challenges that are faced by the developing countries.

Gender and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender and Culture - Essay Example All throughout my college life, I always used to depend on others view and advise to make any decision. Everything changed once I entered the organization. My boss always believed that people should make their own decisions and work on them. He expected the same from us. He made sure that I attended all the meetings with the clients and handled them single handedly. After the meetings, I was asked for opinion on the client. Initially I found it difficult and felt that my Boss was testing my performance. As days went on, I found that I started making my own decisions. This affected me personally as well as professionally. I was given the real freedom to make my choice. I transformed from being a dependent person to an independent person. I did not wait for approval from others and I enjoyed the responsibility which was placed on me. This effort by the people of the organization helped me a lot to make my own decisions and stand by them. It has influenced me in a positive way both in m y professional and personal life. Gaining Confidence During my college days, I feared to express myself, my views and ideas to everyone. The confidence in me was missing. My organization gave me more responsibilities which helped me increase my confidence level. People around me always told me that I was very talented and can do better than what I was doing. I was asked to lead a group of talented individuals for an important proposal. The outcome was that our organization won that proposal and I gained confidence on myself. Now I am willing to be defeated by the world since I have the confidence that I can win in any situation. Their way of teaching and giving me responsibilities is betterment for me and helped me a lot. This was one of the most important phases of my life since confidence and belief in my abilities helped me in my work. Sign of transformation from a Boy to Man. Facing my Fears People in my organization always believed in taking risks to succeed. For a person who a lways used to hide from fears, this thinking was never in synchronization with me. I always had doubts on my ability and was feared whether I could face the people and world around me. My organization conducted the â€Å"Innovative idea† session every three months where everyone had to present a new idea which would help the business grow. Initially I feared and did not perform well. Looking at this, my colleagues spoke to me and made me rehearse the presentation every time before I made the presentation. After few days, I was asked to do a similar presentation ad I fearless like never before. This technique by the people in my organization helped me in a long way. I now have a habit of taking risk to succeed without fearing what the outcome could be. This has changed compared to my college days where I feared my failures and never expressed my ideas. My organization has helped me in a way where I have transformed from a Boy to a Man. Controlling emotions These sequences also helped me to control my emotions. I learnt that no matter what happens, one should keep their emotions in check. Happiness and sorrow are the two faces of life and one should meet both equally without fear. People in my organization played a huge role in developing me. From being a feared, low on confidence and dependent person, my organization’s values have made me a confident and independent person. With the ever increasing competition to succeed, this transformation is important for everybody. They need to be strong if they are

IKEA Analysis Report (Operations management)1 Assignment

IKEA Analysis Report (Operations management)1 - Assignment Example For example, in last 60 years the company has penetrated in almost 35 countries by establishing more than 300 retail outlets with the help of joint ventures, foreign direct investment, merger-acquisition, franchising etc. Euromonitor International (2009) has reported that, IKEA has the capacity to earn more than â‚ ¬20 billion annually from its retail operation. When it comes to value delivery, the company delivers value to customers in the form of readymade furniture, functional home furnishing items and tailor made home furnishing solutions. Low price and Scandinavian stylish design can be treated as unique selling proposition (USP) for IKEA (IKEA PS, 2012). Value proposition of IKEA is not limited to its ability differentiate its product offering through innovation but also includes its ability to position itself as a unique brand among its target segment. For example, IKEA targets customers who are ready to engage with the brand and participate in the selling process. These cu stomers are ready to self transport and self assemble the furniture parts in order to get quality furniture products at affordable price. IKEA designs its product for customers after conducting detailed market research for understanding the needs and wants of customers. In some cases, the company establishes strategic partnership with local players in order to understand desired value proposition for local customers. For example, IKEA has established partnership with Ikano Group in order to penetrate in Malaysian and Singaporean furniture market (Ikano Group, 2008). The strategic partnership has helped the Swedish furniture retailer to deliver value to Malaysian and Singaporean which can satisfy their needs and wants. Value Chain Von Krogh & Cusumano (2001) and Nickerson & Zenger (2005) have stated that IKEA uses different sources in order to deliver value to customers. For example, the company has established more than 45 purchasing centers and trading offices in order to collect r esources from suppliers (Tarnovskaya, Ghauri & Elg, 2006). Suppliers of different parts of furniture has to sign a contract with IKEA which is states that, all suppliers are expect to adhere all the legal norms, environment act, ethical norms of their respective country while sourcing the supplies. For example, in Russia, supply managers of the IKEA check all the shops of potential entrepreneurs or suppliers in order to find the right suppliers (Tarnovskaya, Ghauri & Elg, 2006). Throughout the supply chain the Swedish furniture retailing giant tries to ensure that their suppliers behave in socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner. For example, in Poland, IKEA has opened its purchasing offices and supplier base that are capable of sourcing supplies in 20% cheaper rates in comparison to their European counterparts while the IKEA has also forced its supplier base in Scandinavian region to reduce carbon emission in the supplying process. Overall, it can be surmised tha t IKEA is successful in maintaining the three verticals of value delivery process, 1- delivering affordable products to customers (economic), 2- delivering product which can satisfy the social and cultural dimension of customers and 3- decreasing carbon footprint throughout the value chain in order to offer environment friendly products to customers. Intangible Products Core values of IKEA can be classified as biggest intangible

The Effects of Reading Skills on Elementary School Students With Research Proposal

The Effects of Reading Skills on Elementary School Students With Program Development - Research Proposal Example This essay stresses that disorders in reading skills are a common problem for students, specifically because of the curricula that are expected to continue to be used by teachers. The persistence of the problem is linked to psychological, behavioral, emotional and developmental associations, making it difficult for students to increase their skills. The teacher responses are also often limited because of expectations with meeting specific standards, pressures associated with the classroom format and links to the expectations with the curricula that are used. The examination of disorders that are specific to reading skills is one which holds specific attributes. This paper makes a conclusion that Tte problem which is associated with reading skills and disorders is based on the gap from teachers and administrators with meeting the need of children. Currently, policies and standards have been put into place that is based on the needs and development of those interested in creating reading skills. This is combined with the need to have more resources and tools for teachers while finding ways to fill the gaps with students who are suffering from reading disorders. The lack of information available, difficulties with those who are working with the policies and the associations that are created from the development which is expected is the main way in which the problem arises with those who are suffering from disabilities with reading. ... This is furthered with the diverse needs which are associated with learning disabilities. This particular study will look at the gaps as well as opportunities that are associated with specific reading disabilities among students. With this study, teachers will be able to develop more opportunities for students to have capacities to learn to read, even with learning disorders. Definition of Terms Reading Disorder: Difficulty in reading based on neurological alterations in the mind. Dyslexia: Decoding of words which is not created in order. Developmental impairments: Psychological factors which link directly to the reading abilities of students, such as ADD or ADHD. Literature Review The examination of disorders that are specific to reading skills is one which holds specific attributes. General learning disorders are now divided according to ways in which individuals react and the associations which are created toward the disorders. When looking at the standards and expectations, it is noted that there are common reading disorders that many children are now focused on. This relates to cognitive and psychological dysfunctions that hinder the learning process. The problem with the disorders furthers with the teacher and administrative standards and expectations as well as the inability to continue to change the curriculum because of these standards. This is furthered with the classification differences for the learning disorders and the expected intervention programs which often don’t have the correct link to solving the disorders. Developing the needed alterations with the learning disorders and understanding how this is continuing to develop creates a firm basis to finding improved solutions to help

Terms and Definitions Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terms and Definitions Worksheet - Essay Example It believes that diversity is important for nature and the environment to survive. The branch of philosophy that speaks of mans excessive importance to material wealth. In this belief, all other ethics and behavior take a low priority and man and the society is interested only money and wealth and other things that money can buy. This is the branch of philosophy that deals with items out of the reach of the five physical senses. It would attempt to explain the nature of forces that cannot be seen or felt and that are outside the natural world. The concept of philosophy that believes in extending a moral standing to all living things including plants and animals. While the traditional concept is that murder of human beings is wrong, in this branch, even killing of cats, dogs and other living things is considered as immoral. The practice of philosophy in which there is respect for diversity of religion, race, ethnicity, social and culture background. In this type, people from different races or religions and languages are encouraged to participate. In this philosophy, all phenomena and occurrence are explained as due to natural laws and causes. It is assumed that everything operates in the universe as per the laws defined by nature, there is nothing such as miracles, and all occurrences can be examined with scientific studies. The belief that everything such as truth is not absolute but changes with time and per perceptions of different people. All beliefs, morals and behavior from history need to be judged as per the social standards of those times. The belief that an action is valued only by understanding how useful it is. It refers to more the practical use of ideas, objects and inventions rather than a theosophical expectation of what a thing would

Lila Abu- Lughod Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society Speech or Presentation

Lila Abu- Lughod Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society - Speech or Presentation Example According to Abu- Lughod (17), Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society is one of the best ethnographies. He argues that the author has the ability to see past the stereotypes and catch-phrases that surround women in veils. In this book, Abu-Lughod has attempted to express the feelings of Islamic women who are viewed as voiceless. She has tried to show features of silence and veiling as expressions of cultural distinctions and identity, and how the western culture has influenced and managed to increase the isolation of veiled women in society. Moreover, Abu-Lughob studied the significance of honor with its association with the hierarchy and autonomy in the society. Thus, this book gives a clear answer to people who view Islamic women as voiceless. In this book, Abu-Lughob analyses that concepts of propriety, honor, and autonomy in the Bedouin society. The first half of the books talks about Awlad ‘Ali i.e. a tribe of Bedouin, finds expressions of attachment, longing and dependence , as well as affection and concern to the unsuitable and un-Bedouin-like (Abu- Lughod 38). Additionally, Abu-Lughob speaks of how sexuality is said to be highly dangerous because of its ability to induce improper emotions and disrupt the right hierarchies and relationships between the old and young, man and woman, and kin and non-kin. The rest of the book is quite emotional since it talks about how the Bedouins use poetry to express themselves and say what they cannot to say. They also use little songs called ghinawas to express longing or loss of something so that a person cannot be accused of breaching social protocol, and destroying the closely held honor code. In this section, Abu-Lughob analyses the significant role of poetry in the society that holds itself and follows strict codes of honor, as well as behavior standards (Abu- Lughod 67). Abu-Lughod did not carry out her field work from a superior position; rather she sympathized with her subjects and worked with them as equal human beings and not as specimens in a research. Her intelligence and attitude, along with her excellent analytical skills enabled her to develop proper understanding and insight of this intriguing culture. Her research involved mainly females from the Muslim community, although she was also able to access the male sphere during her observations of how men and women interacted. She reports that one of the main problems she encountered was when she had to play the role of an adopted daughter so as to participate, and interact with her subjects in research. Her duties included daily chores among other responsibilities as a female kinsperson; hence, she was able to evaluate gender roles in social studies (Abu- Lughod 80). This book has several reviews in which many people claim that it is one of the best ethnographies they have ever come across. The reviewers praised Abu-Lughob ability to see past the stereotypes that surround veiled women and her insights, which many social scientist s and modern anthropologists are yet to discover. Additionally, the reviewers were astounded by Abu-Lughob's ability to give a direct answer to people who view Islamic women as voiceless by attempting to show aspects of veiling and silence as expressions of cultural distinctions and identity. Further studies in this research could include the submissiveness of women and not only in the Muslim

Cooking Is My Hobby Essay Example for Free

Cooking Is My Hobby Essay I enjoy cooking because it keeps me happy in my life. Whenever I feel sad or upset, cooking ease that for me in a big way. I started cooking when I was 6, but it was as simple as putting ham and cheese between 2 slices of bread and used my favorite condiment of maynaise and let it heat up for about 30 seconds. When I grew older, my knowledge of food grew to new depths when I learned how to cook American food on the grill when I was 13 and my dad was the sole reason why I got better since he explained to me how to use temperature control. The 1st dish I made on my own without any kind of assistance was Alaskan Cod with Lemon Pepper which I enjoyed very much when it was baked in an oven. Now, in my college years, I evolved into making cursine in many cultures such as tacos from Mexico, crepes from France, peking duck from China, and pizza from Italy using my ingredients I purchased from HEB, Fiesta, or Chinatown in my hometown. Cooking is the only thing in which I know how to do best and I usually cook for my family, relatives, friends, or people whom I do not know. Sometimes, I cook multiple of one thing for homeless people and disturbute them across the city. My least favorite thing to cook is vegetables since I do not like them, but if someone requests them on their plate, I will not be unwilling to cook them. Instead, I would embrace their desires and make it for them. I have invested hours of my time per day to be more knowlegable about different cooking methods from various chefs instead of just one in order to be prepared for different styles of cooking and perferences from guests. My signature dish is pork and leek dumplings with either soy sauce or vinegar or my orange chicken with basil and coconut broth so if you are ever in my area, I will be willing to cook for you.

A Moment that Lasts Forever Essay Example for Free

A Moment that Lasts Forever Essay I turn around to see the audience cheering their lungs out for me. Even though I’ve been through so many competitions before, none of the competitions could even compare to the contrasting feelings I was having at the moment. Although at the time, I still did not know who won in the finals of one of the biggest competitions in California, nor did I know what the judges thought of me, I knew that I had successfully completed a memory that would have a big impact on my life. I knew that I had worked hard and tried my best, and even if I ended up not even winning a place, I would have earned something from this extreme event. My teacher had been trying to decide what piece to give me for my next competition: MTAC, the Music Teacher’s Association of California. What does that mean? It means that I will be competing in one of the biggest, and hardest competition in California again. It would be the 3rd time in this competition for me, after failing the first time, and barely achieving ‘Honorable Mention’ the second time. I knew that this was my chance, my chance to finally show all the critics, all the people that believed I was just a talentless girl with extremely well-known teachers, that I actually was able to play the piano. â€Å"Oh! How about this piece?† my mentor suggested.   I looked up to see my teacher, a young boy stuck in a old man’s body, look at me, so happy and excited about something that he was almost bouncing off the floor. I see him holding a green book, and I see as he opens the book to the 5th page, the words â€Å"Abegg Variations† by Schumann. I nearly fainted right there and then. â€Å"How did this teacher expect me to play this super hard piece that even Lang Lang made mistakes in when he played, when I couldn’t even play my Mendelssohn well?† I thought to myself, â€Å"but I probably can’t do anything about it, especially not with my mom looking like a dog that just managed to get its owner to give it a thousand bones, also.† The first big obstacle came quick enough. My mom announced that I was going to play at her student’s recital, only a few months after I first got the piece. I nearly fainted after all the screaming, crying, yelling I did. â€Å"It would be a good experience and excellent practice for your competition† she said. â€Å"But I’m not ready!† I replied back trying to use imploring eyes to achieve a change of mind. â€Å"You are playing, and that’s final!† she answered. Read more:  My Proudest Moment Essay I knew there was absolutely no point in arguing anymore, and that all I could do was practice. Turns out, I was completely right about one fact: I was not ready for this recital at all. I messed up, and I didn’t mess up small, I messed up humongous, huge, extreme, terrifyingly big. As I disembarked from the stage, I could just see how much practicing I would have to do to prepare for my second obstacle: my piano teacher’s recital. Apparently, all the practicing I did before this next recital was not enough, because I managed to embarrass myself at my piano teacher’s recital also. My fate was inevitable, and I knew by then that I was going to be practicing like crazy now, if I didn’t before. I also knew how furious my mom was going to be at me. My prediction was completely correct, as I was told to practice so much that my fingers were about to fall off. To be exact, I practiced sixty times for each variation, and Abegg Variations has multiple variations. T hough it took more than 4 hours every day, I stayed persistent, and slowly and steadily I improved. As I was about to go into a room for the first round of the competition, all I could think was†¦ â€Å"What if I mess up, what if I mess up†¦ I’m going to mess up, I’m going to mess up, I’M GOING TO MESS UP!!! GAHH~~!!!† The door holder called out, â€Å"Anna Yang†, and it was my turn. I went in, and was surprised to find three judges, different from the previous year. My face literally turned as bright as the sun when I did not see the judge that absolutely detests my teacher, *a*c* *e*s*n (for privacy reasons, I will exclude her name from this essay). I turned as hyper as a kid could become, and I was about to scream from happiness right then. Every single time I am in a competition, and she’s a judge, she always marks me down. Luckily, she was not here this time, and instead, sitting in her place, was a nice, friendly looking old lady, a not very skinny lady who’s facial expressions seemed a bit like the evil stepmother from Cinderella, and a Jasmine look-a-like lady who’s only difference from Jasmine was that she looked like she was about to poison me with a poisonous apple. As I bowed to them, I became more relaxed at the smile of the nice, friendly looking old lady. Although I was still frightened at the prospect of messing up, I was shaking a considerably less amount than I was before. I made a mistake, but I was lucky. Right when I made the mistake, the nice, friendly looking judge dropped her cushion from her chair, and everyone rushed to help her pick it up. My mistake had gone by unnoticed by the crowd. By that time, I was so ecstatic that my smile was about to reach the sky. The results of the first round came out soon enough. As I went on the MTAC website on my phone, I could hear both my mom’s heartbeat, and also my heartbeat beating as fast as a hare would beat while being chased by a extremely furious tiger. The page finally finished loading, and I scrolled down to see: Grand Prize: Anna Yang. I celebrated for about 2 minutes thinking about how all that practice had actually been beneficial, and then I realized what that meant†¦ I was going to have to compete one more time, this time against the winner of the Southern California group. I scrolled down to see who exactly I had to compete against during the final, and I went ballistic when I saw. Sherry Tang was the winner of Southern California. I was going to play against THE Sherry Tang, the girl who was on From the Top and won against college kids. The girl who won a national competition. By that time, I was already dead cast against the fact that I would never win, but my mom calmed me down with her comforting words, telling me that I should not give up, even if there is almost no chance of winning. I did not give up. I continued playing and practicing every day, and I ended up not regretting it. A few months later, a judge called out Sherry’s name before they called my name. As I heard the words â€Å"1st place, Anna Yang†, I walked towards the auditorium stage. As I walked on stage, I did not cry. I could only smile. Who wouldn’t? Why would you be unhappy about the fact that you had just won one of the biggest competitions in California? Though I do not practice as much anymore, I still always have a certain self-confidence while playing piano. I also learned that as long as I put in effort and I have fun, the audience and judges will also have fun, and they will feel the effort I have put in.

What Is The Procurement Method Construction Essay

What Is The Procurement Method Construction Essay Procurement is a term which describes the activities of the client or employer who brought about the construction or renovation of buildings. It is a mechanism that provides a solution to the problem: How can I build my project? (The Joint Contracts Tribunal, 2012) In most projects, the client (usually through their consultants or design team) will start the procurement process through the development of the project strategy. The strategy weighting opportunity, risks, and budget constraints of a project to determine the project is suitable to use which procurement method. (The Joint Contracts Tribunal, 2012) For each project, client will very care about the quality of the project, how long the project can be complete, the performance of consultants and the design of the project. Select an appropriate method of procurement is very important for client. Different client need different method of procurement because different policies, resources, organizational structure, the preferred contractual arrangements. Understanding of risk is essential because each procurement method has to follow a set of rules and procedures to select different particular route and risk. How a procurement can successful is depend on whether the construction project parties has comply with their obligations or not, how they identifying the risk of the project and how they deal with the risk of the project. There are four main procurements in construction which are designed by JCTs contracts. The four main procurement methods are: Procurement using Traditional methods Procurement using Design and Build methods Procurement using Management methods Procurement using Integrated or Partnering methods 2.0 a) Procurement using Traditional Procurement Method 2.1 Introduction of Traditional Procurement Method: In the traditional approach, the client must engage consultants such as Architect, Engineers and Quantity Surveyor to design the project. Those consultants design must meet the clients budget and satisfied by client. Once it is not meet clients budget the Architect and Engineers need to redesign the project and the Quantity Surveyor must recalculate the cost of the project. After the designed was satisfied by client and met clients budget, client, Architect or Quantity Surveyor will call tender to give contractors to price and bid for the tender. Client will base on the most suitable price that priced by contractors to make decision, which contractor will be the successful tenderer for the project. The price is not always the lowest but is the most suitable price for the project. Factors to choose a successful tenderer other than price, the contractor must have reputation, pass projects, good financial strength, skills and the contractor cannot have too many projects in hand. The successful contractor must follow the contract drawings and specifications to start the construction work. Contractor also must responsible for his workmanship and material, including work by sub-contractors and suppliers. Any defects, design errors or generated misuse, the contractor has to use his own money to repair or settle the problems. Contractors responsibility Client Consultants responsibility Figure : The Linear or Sequential Process of the Traditional Procurement System (Rosli, A.R, 2006) There are some types of contract will be use in traditional procurement method. These contracts are: Lump sum contract Measurement contract Cost reimbursement contract 2.1.1 Lump sum contract: Before construction project start, the contract sum of this contract is already determined and the amount of project is fixed in the agreement. The contractor must base on the fixed contract sum to construct a building. This contract is not subject to recalculate due to the contract sum is fixed. Once the construction work started, client not allow make any variation. But the contract sum can have a limited change in cost of material, labour and plant if the changes of amount is determined by checking vouchers, a formula, invoice etc. (Frederick University Cyprus, 2007) There are 2 types of lump sum contract: with quantities without quantities Lump sum contracts with quantities, client are based on drawings and bills of quantities to pay to the contractor. It means that any increase in the quantity of material, the contractor cannot claim with client. But contract can claim under provisional sum due to items are not accurately quantified. (Frederick University Cyprus, 2007) Lump sum contracts without quantities, client are based on drawings and contract document to pay to the contractor. It means that contractor can claim if there is any variation about the quantity of material. When the lump sum is total the material price, the work which done by contractor must described in the Schedule of Work. (Frederick University Cyprus, 2007) 2.1.2 Measurement contracts: Sometimes are called as remeasurement contract or schedule of rate contract. In this contract, contractor will pay base on the unit prices in the agreement after he complete the works. All the items needed for the construction work is stated in the contract document and bill of quantities. The contractor has to fill in the unit rate for each item and multiple with the quantities that calculate by Quantity surveyor to get the amount. (Frederick University Cyprus, 2007) 2.1.3 Cost reimbursement contracts: Sometimes is called as cost plus contracts. The contractor in order to construct the building and he will be pay based on the actual cost of materials, labour and plant plus certain percentage profit and overheads. The profit and overheads normally will be 10% of the total cost of materials, labour and plant. (Frederick University Cyprus, 2007) There are three types of fee in cost reimbursement contracts: Cost plus percentage fee Cost plush fixed fee Cost reimbursement based on a target cost 2.2 The cost, time and quality of via using Traditional Procurement Method: 2.2.1 Cost In the early stage of this system, client may require more money to pay those consultants which helped client design the project. But this giving client a guarantee to get the good price to complete the project due to all the design, drawings, and specifications is fully developed and described in detail before contractors start to bidding for the tender. Since client can control everything via using this traditional method, contractor no chances to adjust the project price become higher than normal price. Logically, this procurement system is very fair for client to get lower cost because all the competitors (contractors) must apply price to the project base on the bill of quantity that calculate by Quantity Surveyor. This system also can control over the variation cost but only for small amount of variation. (Rosli, A.R, 2006) 2.2.2 Time Compare with other procurement system, traditional system take longer time than other system to complete the project due to the design and budget must meet and satisfy by client. Although it takes longer time to produce but it considered is the best approach because client can clearly know actual cost to construct his project, can get better design from consultants and get better quality control of the project. Client can use this longer time to make decision and check the project design with consultant team before start construction. (Rosli, A.R, 2006) 2.2.3 Quality Traditional procurement method can come out with a construction project which is high quality controlled compare with other method. This method gives a lot advantage to client to compare the consultants design, decide which design suit his budget, management the project, protected by consultants due to giving professional advice and construction expertise between consultants and contractor. Using this method can give more time for client and consultants to check and develop the design, drawings, and specifications to create a better tender document. But this method do not give any advantages for contractor, contractor no power to design the project because contractor will engage after client and consultants decided the design of project. (Rosli, A.R, 2006) 2.3 Advantages Disadvantages of Traditional Procurement Method 2.3.1 Advantages of Traditional Procurement Method Client can controls the consultant team (design team) Client will have better control over the quality of works Client can obtain the best price through competitive tendering Can easily accommodate any variation of the works as required by the Client Clients interest is protected by the Consultants who serve as advisors and independent certifiers in the building contract Provided that the design has been fully developed and uncertainties eliminated before tenders are invited 2.3.2 Disadvantages of Traditional Procurement Method Client need to face many organisation due to many consultants The project need take long time to complete because many time is required in the early stage to design the building May be too cumbersome for the Client to coordinate with the various consultants the performance of consultants is very important because can directly affect the progress of the works 3.0 b) Procurement using Design and Build Method 3.1 Introduction of Design and Build Method: In the construction world there have four type of main procurement which is Procurement using Traditional methods, Procurement using Design and Build method, Procurement using Management methods and Procurement using Integrated or Partnering methods. In Procurement using Design and build method there is a method that to carry a task in which the design and construction services are contracted by a single entity, it is known as the  design-builder  or  design-build contractor. From the history, Design and Build is similar as master builders or master masons by the Ictinus and Callicrates when they built Parthenon in Athens. In Roman around 40 B.C, describing existing practice in the designed and construction of building was written by Vitruvius. (Timothy N. Toler Toler Hanrahan LLC Atlanta, Georgia) 3.2 Facts: Design and build is one of the procurement that using in building construction industry, following is the definition, method use and forms of contract. 3.2.1 Definition Design and build is a team consisting of general contractor, architect, and engineer. They are build-up to provide an owner with a one source point of contact for the design and construction of their proposed project. Design and build is known as a package deal and it has been use in the building industry for a long period ago. (Jack W E Masterman, 2002) Beside, Design and build combines into a single role the design responsibility of the project A/E and the building function of the prime contractor. 3.2.2 all in As known package deal is one of the all in contracting and it is a type of procurement method where a contractor is given the responsibility for the whole thing that is required and necessary for the design, construction and delivery of the project. Beside, under this package deal system the service of the contractor will be include the preparation of project brief, sketch and final working drawings getting all the approval from authorities, project financing, construction, furnishing and commissioning of all equipments and accessories and handing over the project to the client. Turnkey contract is one of the American term for the all in or package contract. Under this system, a contractor is entrusting to undertake the responsibilities for every necessary and required thing for the construction, completion, commissioning and hand over the project. The word turnkey means that, upon completion, the client is given the key and he can then enter the project by turning the key. The contractor had to do the whole thing from preparing project brief, getting approval, designing, financing, construction, furnishing and decorating to commissioning and handing over completed, cleaned and ready for use project. Develop and construct is also one of the integrated procurement which is much similar to design and build. In this case, the contractor is still given the responsibility for both the design and construction of the project. The difference is that, under Develop and Construct method the design consultants of client will prepare the concept of sketches or designs and passed them to the contractor and develop them and produced the detailed working drawings. The contractor will construct and complete the project based on what it has developed and produced. 3.2.3 Method Use / basis of procurement As known that there have four type of procurement in building industry. Design and Build is one of the procurement that using in the construction industry. Main contractor in Design and Build procurement is responsible for undertaking both the design and construction work on a project, for an agreed lump-sum price. Design and Build project can be different depending on the contractors design responsibility and the initial design in the employers requirements. However, for the Design and Build the contractors design responsibility is much greater than traditional contract with a contractor designed portion. Beside, sufficient time is needed for the contractor to prepare the employers requirements (usually employer will appoint consultants to facilitate this). The sufficient time is needed for the contractor to prepare their proposal and the tender price. By the way, proposal that been prepared by the contractor must matches all of the employers requirements before any of the contract are entered into. Furthermore, normally employer has power to control over the design elements of the project according to their requirements. But once the contract is passes the responsibility to the contractor, so the employer has no direct control over the contractor detailed design. 3.2.4 Forms of contract In the Design and Build procurement there have some of the contract documents which is formal agreement, conditions of contract, employers requirements, contractor proposals and schedule of rates. 3.3 Roles / responsibilities of each party involved Party involved in the Design and Build procurement is contractor and the client / employer. The responsibility of the contractor in the Design and Build procurement is concept design, tender and contracting, construction with detail design and the construction and hand over. Beside, the responsibility of the client and consultants is project brief, feasibility study and tender document. Client and Consultant responsibility Construction and hand over Detail design Construction Tender and contracting Concept design Tender Document Feasibility study Project brief Contractor responsibility Figure : The Integrated Process of Project Designing and Construction in the Design and Build Procurement System (Rosli, A.R, 2006) 3.4 The cost, time and quality of via using Design and Build Method: 3.4.1 Cost Cost for one project of building is very important. In each of the procurement it has their special way to price the cost of a building. In case of design and build, cost is fixed at the tender stage and is subject to design changes, normally it is often higher than the traditional contracting system. Comparison between the design build procurement and traditional procurement, traditional procurement design will be completed during tender stage and it will set up a high level of price certainty except for the fluctuations in the cost of labor and materials. The reason often is higher than the traditional contracting system is because once the tender is accepted, the tender price will be the final contract sum. It is not subject to change, unless there are variations required or instructed by the client. Such additional cost also cannot be avoided because under this procurement system the contractor will to take much of the financial risk. 3.4.2 Time In design and build procurement also know fast-tracking orbuild-it-fast project. So that it is suitable for the private clients, who want quick return on their investment, especially for commercial projects. The projects can be procured by negotiation rather than competition. This is because the design and build procurement save a lot of time depends on traditional procurement. By the way, traditional methods are most suitable for both public and private clients who want to control the stipulated overall time for the construction projects. All the operations are subject to considerable scrutiny and governed by fairly strict procedures especially in government funded development agencies. 3.4.3 Quality In Design and Build procurement the whole construction process (pre and post contract works) is undertaken by only one party which will slightly affect the quality level of the construction project. Design and build method is also suitable to the projects that need early completion, so the quality of the work will be affected. Its compared to the traditional method, traditional method It produce the highest quality of work. The project is usually competitively tendered to a contractor before work starts on a lump sum basis. The design will be done before the commencement of construction and thus, the quality of work will be higher. Each process of construction is undertaken by different parties having varied expertise in the building team. 3.5 Advantages Disadvantages of Design and Build Method: In case of advantage of design and build procurement in construction industry, the advantage is it is suitable for all clients, including inexpert clients and those requiring distance from the project. By the way It is also cost certainty and faster track. Beside the disadvantage is it is not suitable for complex buildings and uncertain or developing client brief. 4.0 d) Procurement using Integrated or Partnering Method 4.1 Introduction of Integrated or Partnering Method: Integrated or Partnering methods of procurement also can know as collaborative procurement. What is an Integrated and Partnering method? It is a form of procurement suited to large projects and a long term commitment between two or more organisations for the purpose of achieving specific business objectives by maximising the effectiveness of each participants resources. (Jack W E Masterman, 2002) Besides that, it also is about working as a team, regardless of organisation or location to achieve and to meet a clients needs. In construction industry, the Integrated or Partnering methods is intended to focus the participants of a project is attentive to delivering a project on time, to budget and to quality. (Jack W E Masterman, 2002) This procurement methods will enables team building and measurement and improvement of team performance on a project to project basis. Other than that, it also knows as a parallel or single responsibility procurement system where the client will only need to deal with a single organisation for both the designing and constructing the proposed project. In addition, the method is also to ensure that the contractors and consultants fully involve into the Integrated and Partnering process. Furthermore, the general approach that using procurement using Integrated or Partnering methods is for the client organisation, consultants, contractors and selected sub-contractors to sign a partnering agreement and can be a legal contractual agreement or regular contracts can be in place with the partnering objectives set down in a separate charter. In this situation, the role of contractor will have to engage and be responsible for design and construction teams for the clients project. Under this method, the clients consultants will prepare a tender or bidding document that include the project brief and clients requirements by information giving by client. After that, the consultant will start invite a number of contractor to bid for the project. For submitting tenders, the invited contractor will produce their own design, construction and cost proposal. Usually the contractor that successful in bidding will into a contract based on lump sum price and a period of time that already fixed. 4.2 The cost, time and quality of via using Integrated or Partnering Method: 4.2.1 Cost The Integrated or Partnering methods will help to reduce the cost of projects of the client. Although these are difficult to quantify accurately as there is a very wide range of percentage savings reported worldwide. Besides that, additional costs are incurred by all partners as a result of the need to hold workshops and to train stuff and also as a result of the expenditure on extra management time. There is little doubt, however, that Integrated or Partnering method will produce greater reductions over cost than other procurement methods. 4.2.2 Time The period of construction and design are reduced and sometime are shortened because the there are good relationship between consultant, contractor and client and with a good briefing about project by client and consultant and contractor can calculate the amount of the project needed and design a projects due to client requirements. Using this method can save a lot of time and select the most 4.2.3 Quality Using the Integrated or Partnering methods, the quality of the final product is improved and safety standards are heightened. This is because mutually beneficial total quality management scheme can be jointly implemented which mean they are good in coordinate their work due to their specialist and can deliver the projects well and quality of the project will increase due to their efficiency. 4.3 Advantages Disadvantages of Integrated or Partnering method: 4.3.1 Advantages of Integrated or Partnering method Conflict among all of the members of the project team, and particularly between client and contractor and contractor and subcontractor or supplier, is reduced, as the number of disputes and claim. Communication between all members of the project team is improved, and the establishment of mutual objectives ensures that the clients needs and objective are known and understood by all of those involved. The achievement of more efficient working and greater productivity that has been recorded as a result of the principle of continuous improvement will benefit all participants in their general activities as well as the specific projects with which they are involved. When involved in Integrated or Partnering methods, the participants should benefit from the increased amount of innovative thinking and research and development that can be carried out as a result of sharing ideas and pooling resources. Contractors, when involved in Integrated or Partnering methods, are able to rely on proportion of their annual workload being assured for at least the duration of the partnering programmed, and the costs normally associated with tendering for the amount of work in the programmed will not be incurred. 4.3.2 Disadvantages of Integrated or Partnering method There is always the possibility that the client will not be able, or may not wish, to honour the arrangement to provide as much work as was originally envisaged, leaving the other partners with voids in their order books which they may find difficult to fill. The relationships built up during the partnered projects can lead to cosy associations which do not encourage new ideas or a dynamic approach to the management of the project. Team members, when returning to their parent organisations, may find that there has been a hiatus in their career progression and that they have difficulty in acclimatising to the different culture. Confidentiality can be compromised as a result of the opening up of information that is normally restricted to the organisations from which it originated. Maintaining the commitment of staff, and particularly senior management, especially during the early stages of a project or programme when the benefits of partnering have not yet become evident, can be problematic and may even prove to be impossible. Difficulties can arise as a result of conflicts that may occur between the partnering charter or framework, which usually are not intended to have any legal standing, and the terms and conditions of the formal contracts between the various parties involved in the projects.

Romeo And Juliet- Fate Essay example -- essays research papers

The events of Romeo and Juliet are heavily influenced by fate, as oppose to the actions of the characters. To be precise, occurrences in the play are not always as a result of conscience choices that characters make. Rather, chance occurrences (or predestination, depending on one’s opinion) cause events to take place; these events seriously alter the course of the play. Fate affects us all every single day, but the sheer number of occurrences related to fate, as well as the powerful affect these events have on the plot creates a specific connection between the play of Romeo and Juliet and fate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare makes it very clear to us that Romeo and Juliet are subject to fate. Before the play even begins, Shakespeare outlines the play for us in the prologue. The prologue summarizes the plot, this seems odd, but this was because Shakespeare’s audience was already familiar with the story and the play was a portrayal of the well-known story. Importantly, Shakespeare establishes immediately within the prologue that Romeo and Juliet’s plot includes heavy elements of fate. â€Å"A pair of star-crossed take their life.† (Shakespeare, Act 1 Prologue L.6) Shakespeare refers to Romeo and Juliet as â€Å"star-crossed†, referring to the belief of predestination (fate) and its connection with the constellations. Additionally, the prologue indicates a second time that the plot is influenced by fate; â€Å"The fearful passage of their death-marked love.† (Act 1 Prologue L.9) The love of Romeo and Juliet is â€Å"death-marked†, mea ning that it is destined to result in death. This evidence suggests that the tragedy occurs as a result of predestination instead of chance, but nonetheless, this is fate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fate has such a large roll in Romeo and Juliet that it influences not only the overall story, but also nearly every character in the play. Romeo is affected greatly by fate, arguably more so than any other character. Instances of Romeo being affected by fate abound in the play, from initial coincidences all the way up to his final dramatically ironic death. Romeo’s involvement with Juliet in the first place is based on fate. â€Å"God gi’ go-den. I pray, sir, can you read?† (Act 1 Sc.2 L.58) The illiterate servant that Romeo stumbles upon gives Romeo the opportunity to attend the Capulet party, if this incredibly unusual event had not taken place... ...nd Juliet happened as a result of their sin, â€Å"passion†. This opinion is also a valid interpretation of Shakespeare’s instances of fate in Romeo and Juliet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Encyclopedia Britannica’s section on Shakespeare comments on this issue, backing up one of the opinions, â€Å"There has been some debate among modern historians as to Shakespeare’s religious affiliation, but it is widely accepted that he did not recognize as Calvinist and did not accept predestination. Divine reward and punishment explains Shakespeare’s infatuation with what seems like destiny in his plays. Romeo and Juliet’s tragic demise was due to their transgression, their ‘passion’.† (Encyclopedia Britannica, â€Å"Shakespeare†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However one accepts fate to be taking place in Romeo and Juliet, it is clear that certain events are taking place, and they aren’t as a result of direct conscience decisions by characters. These events of fate have immeasurable affect on the characters and story. Among the lessons of love and hate in this play, this message, that we are not always in control of what happens to us, is very important and relevant.

LL Bean :: essays research papers

LL Bean: A Strategy For The Future Leon Leonwood Bean, known as L.L., was born in the small township of Greenwood, Maine, in 1872. He was raised on a set of simple yet powerful principles†¦ Nature was something to be revered. Family ties were a priority. Being neighborly was a matter of course. And "do unto others" was more than just a saying; it was a way of life. When L.L. launched his company with the first Maine Hunting Shoe in 1912, he believed so strongly in the Golden Rule that he made it the foundation of his business. This rule "Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they will always come back for more" became the foundation of the company. For the next fifty years, Bean forged a business, selling clothing and related gear tailored specifically for people who enjoyed the outdoors. Products including boots, clothing, canoes, fly reels, tents and camping gear became the cornerstone of the company. Bean stated, †I attribute our success to the fact that, to the best of my judgment, every article we offer for sale is practical for the purpose for which we recommend it.† (1)The company sold products through both the store in Maine, and through a growing store catalog. Bean retained active control over his company until he died in 1967 at the age of 94. Leon Gorman took over the business after Bean’s passing in 1967. Although he sited his grandfather as being happy with the size of the company, Gorman was ready for growth. He accomplished this by incorporating technology wherever he could, and expanding product lines, introducing new catalogs for specific markets, and entering foreign markets. Even with this extensive growth, Gorman remained true to the founders values of high quality products, superior customer service, and the company guarantee to replace or refund on any purchase that a customer found unsatisfactory. Gorman realized that building on the L.L. Bean brand would be critical to the success to the company. The company’s goal was to associate the brand name with the image of â€Å"Maine’s natural beauty†, along with the legend of the company’s founder. These efforts led the company thirty years of 20% annual growth. Most impressive is the fact that the company was able to finance this growth internally, ad remain privately held by family members. When Gorman took the position of Chairman in 2001, Chris McCormick became the first non-family member to run the company, taking over the role of President and CEO.