Toothbrush with Unique Double-lock Mechanism Case Study

Toothbrush with Unique Double-lock Mechanism - Case Study Example Thomas also believed that by replacing toothbrushes regularly, patients could save more money in dental work and would then decrease their chances of needing dentures, and that improved oral hygiene could increase a person's life expectancy to four years, as his studies showed. Thus, Butler and Thomas then agreed that a market existed for a toothbrush that could attend to these issues and decided to follow through with their idea. Butler and Thomas wanted to produce a toothbrush, which was similar to the safety razor, which was at the time, very widely used. They wanted it to have two separate sections: a re-usable handle, and a disposable head. The disposable heads would be in multi-unit packages to encourage customers to frequently change the toothbrush and to lower the costs of packaging as well, since they have discovered that the packaging costs were around 50 percent of the total toothbrush price. Butler and Thomas also felt that the retainable handle would then elevate the concept of toothbrushing to something of a higher value personal possession instead of just the regular disposable one. Thus, they came up with the idea that the handles could be personalized using a variety of materials like plastic, brass, or stainless steel. It could also have floss holders, mirrors, interproximal brushes, or gum massagers. In addition to this, they thought of marketing bathrrom holders or travel cases. However, Butler and Thomas then discovered that there were already a number of toothbrushes out in the market that catered to the needs they wanted to attack. But they found out that these toothbrushes had disadvantages when it comes to the locking of the head to the handle. As a result, they concentrated their efforts on developing a better locking mechanism. Butler tried a lot of approaches but they all posed different disadvatages: they were either too weak, too difficult to attach, or too expensive. But in May 1987, while travelling with Julie McBride, Butler suddenly thought of the idea of the double-locking mechanism, which consisted of two locking mechanisms that would make the head stick to the handle safely. This design also enabled the consumers to constantly check if the lock was in place. Butler then took his rough sketch of the design to an engineering firm in London, which then produced a prototype for him. Addressing Issues Despite his success in coming up with the double-lock mechanism idea, he was confronted with several issues that he needed to address. With regards to the feasibility of manufacturing the product, they had to consider the following: product style, types of models required, engineering specifications, collapsibility, and tolerances in tool requirements, and aesthetic appeal of the product to the consumers. These were the aspects of the concept of the product that they have yet to resolve. The Process Butler knew that after the prototype has been made, that there were still a lot of steps for him to do, to ensure that the

Organizing relationships traditional and emerging perspectives on workplace relationships Essay Example for Free

Organizing relationships traditional and emerging perspectives on workplace relationships Essay Business ethics Introduction                   One of the issues that have raised concerns in business nowadays is the relationship between senior employees, and the junior employees of the opposite sex. For years, senior employees such as managers and directors have been accused of sexually or emotionally abusing the junior employees working under them. Some are even accused of threatening to dismiss the employees who decline their request for sexual favors from them. Though this may be seen as sexual harassment, the case might be something different from that. Simply because the relationship is between senior and a junior employee, it may not be right to rush to a conclusion that the boss is sexually or emotionally exploiting their subject. It may be a relationship that has developed naturally due to the level of intimacy of the two employees of the opposite gender.                   The controversial nature of this issue is clearly portrayed in the mail online article of November 13th, 2013. The article explains that the report of a study carried out by business week has shown that most of these relationships between employees have nothing to do with harassment. During the survey, it was found out that most of the people working in the offices would be up to a sexual relationship with someone from their office if they got the chance. Of the 2500 respondents interviewed during the survey, 85 percent said it was right for employees within the company to be allowed to have sexual relationships. Some even confessed of sexually admiring their coworkers. After all this, why does the Human Resource department discourage intimate relationships between their employees of opposite gender? The answer is that they conclude that one of the parties in the relationship is sexually harassed, especially if one of the parties is the boss of the other .                   Some people may accuse me of supporting the behavior of the bosses to engage in sexual relationships with their colleagues. But if we consider some working conditions in some organizations, we see that the relations originate absolutely from intimacy and not harassment. Consider the case of a male manager, who works with a lady as the personal secretary. It is very possible for the two to engage in an affair due to the intimacy created by the working conditions. The two attend meetings together, go for lunch together, spend time together in the office, sometimes they go together to attend meetings far from their place of work, and many other closely spent times. From all these close relation, is it not against the laws of nature for something more than boss-secretary relationship to happen? Ironically, when a relationship develops between the manager and his secretary, the manager will be accused of sexually harassing the secretary! In my opinion, the bo ss would be emotionally harassing the secretary if he chose to ignore the feelings that develop after been together almost all the time.                   It may also be arguable that boss-subject relationships may adversely affect the performance of the employees. Employees may be reluctant in their work simply because the boss, who is supposed to supervise their work, can not condemn them because of the existing bond. This may be the idea behind the fight by the human resource department against sexual relationships at the workplace. However, this may not always be the case. This relationship may boost the performance of an employee who will always be trying to be the best to impress the boss. The article workplace relationships on Wikipedia explain of a theory, Workplace Relationship Quality and information Experiences, which originated from a study conducted by Patricia Sias. The theory states the most productive employees are the ones with high access to information about their workplace. It is obvious that the employees with a relationship more than the ordinary workplace relationship have a higher a ccess to business information. I may, therefore, be right to say that the boss-subject relationships can play an important part in boosting the productivity of the employees. The article further describes relationships at the workplace as â€Å"workplace romance†. It explains that though these relationships may not make the workplace so comfortable for other employees; it plays a very important part in the working of the parties involved in the affair. It increases performance due to high motivation and overall job satisfaction.                   Even though some senior employees in some business organization sexually exploit their junior colleagues, let us not mistake every relationship for sexual exploitation or harassment. It is good to appreciate that these bosses and their subjects are just ordinary people and what makes their difference is only the working position and titles. When there is a relationship between two junior employees of opposite gender, this is taken to be an ordinary love relationship. Why then do we have to treat the seniors differently? Aren’t they the same as the juniors? What marks the difference is only job level. It is, therefore, necessary to analyze the situation before concluding that a boss is sexually harassing a junior workmate. References Sias, P. M. (2009). Organizing relationships traditional and emerging perspectives on workplace relationships. Los Angeles: SAGE. (https://www.goodreads.com/user/new?remember=true) Sias, P. M. (2008). Organizing Relationships Traditional and Emerging Perspectives on Workplace Relationships.. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. (http://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Relationships-Traditional-Perspectives-Workplace/dp/1412957974) Source document

The Pros and Cons of Gene Alteration Essay -- Exploratory Essays Resea

The Pros and Cons of Gene Alteration Abstract A new epidemic in human reproduction is slowly sweeping the earth, and it is known as human gene alteration. It gives parents the ability to decide their babies' sex, hair color, or even eye color. Creating these so called "designer babies" seems like the perfect way to have the child you have always dreamed of. But is this a moral way to go about reproduction? Is it fair to these children to mess with their genes just for your own satisfaction of having the perfect baby? Gene alteration can also be used in other more beneficial ways. One being to prevent and weed out disease that effects an unborn child. Gene alteration can be very beneficial, but only if used in the right way such as preventing and controlling disease. Myths of Reproduction For centuries, people have been trying to choose their babies sex through home remedies. Some of these home remedies include: diet, temperature, and the phases of the moon. For diet, researchers believe if the mother eats veggies, sweets and an excess amount of calcium she will have a girl. It is also believed that if men avoid hot tubs and wear loose clothes they will have boys. The phases of the moon are also thought to be a factor. If a baby is conceived during a full moon, it is most likely going to be a girl. If a baby is conceived on a quarter moon, it will probably be a boy (Kantrowitz, 2001, p. 51). There are thousands of these home remedies that people actually swear by. The truth about these home remedies, is that they probably don't work. If they did then every one would have their desired baby. With the advancement in today's technology, however people will no longer have to engage in these silly myths. Definition .. ... Retrieved March 11, 2004, from https://web.lexisnexis.com/universe/document?_m=8f14991eb35bb87abff7d11a7daf2b98&_docunum=1&wchp=dGLbVtzzSkVb&_md5=17984652323d3c0d8bb44c1f7e551007 Lee, Ellie (2003 April). Debating designer babies. Retrieved on March 14, 2004, from http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000006DD57.htm Marsh, Beezy (2003 December). Mother loses designer baby planned to save her son. Retrieved March 13, 2004, from https://web.lexisnexis.com/universe/document?_m=8f14991eb35bb87abff7d11a7daf2b98 &_docunum=3&wchp=dGLbVtz-zSkVb&_md5=623f346923e2f9b4d3d84c4afa17e5cd Robertson, John (1994). Children of choice. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Sofer, William (1991). Genetic engineering. Massacusettes: Butterworth-Heinemann. What is germ line therapy? (n.d.). Retrieved on March 24, 2004, from http://www.dhgp.de/info/FAQ/faqtext3_3.html

Kfc’s Explosive Growth in China Essay

Kentucky fried Chicken (KFC) has achieved another milestone in delivery. The explosive growth in Asian region most particularly in their current trends in China that KFC fried chicken, burger and fries is gaining its way to superstardom. In China, Yum! Brands is opening a KFC store every day. But this is not the KFC you know in America. A recent case study written by professor David Bell and Agribusiness Program director Mary Shelman reveals how the chicken giant adapted its famous fast-food formula for the local market. Key concepts include: – In China, KFC’s strategy was to be part of the local community, not be seen as a foreign presence. (Su, 2011) – China division chairman and CEO Sam Su combined the best ideas from the US fast-food model and adapted them to serve the needs of the Chinese consumer. – Only a small number of menu items would be familiar to Western visitors—the Chinese KFC offerings include fried dough sticks, egg tarts, and foods tailored to the tastes of specific regions within the country. – To counter concerns about fast food and obesity, Su offered a healthier menu and supports exercise and youth events. The traditional strategy is the involvement of their culture has largely influence the family ties to consider their food. According to Bell (2011) one key issue the case examines is â€Å"how to implement the rollout of a fast-food chain involving so many stores across such a vast—and regionally different—country.† (Stravish, 2011) When their customers walked into their restaurant they see Chinese customer service. Chinese food and Chinese employees welcome customers and that’s why it becomes easy for them to initiate interaction. Su’s strategy was that KFC â€Å"would not be seen as a foreign presence but as part of the local community â€Å"There is no room for ego,† (Su, 2011) â€Å"China doesn’t have the same culture of individualism that is present in the United States.† (Su, 2011) Along with being smart, driven and great entrepreneur, Su hired the right people. For Su, this meant employees who read and spoke the language , who understood the restaurant business and Chinese consumer, and also experience on doing business in the Western way. Trained labor is a very valuable asset even in a land of 1.3 billion-plus people. (Stravish, 2011) The large conflicting crowd should have one idea about the taste and preference as much as possible they have outperformed the number one fast food chain, which is McDonald. Sam Su also consider diversification of food items so that they can cater to a wider customer range especially those  people who are healthy conscious about their body, they offer fat free food and vegetables menu to their customers that attract and re-invent even more heterogeneous customer demand. The wide variety of choices can help the customers to make healthy options and balance diet, their strategy also involve presenting their choices. They have also practice sponsorship and promotion about healthy living in 2010 that has become another successful endeavor on their part that various exercises has been promoted inside the stores and customers are free to join, they have gathered at least 260,000 customer participants in 438 key cities. Their promotion has been very successful that makes their store even more popular. (Starvish, 2011) KFC and China has become a Yum Republic. It is certain that globalization not only helps KFC profits, but it’s international, which benefits China and the consumers. Additionally some of their popular food sisters company includes Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver and A&W All American Food. I believe globalization happens to be great for the country and the overall market economy because it promotes prosperity to participating countries. All that we need to do is educate people on multiculturalism and diversity within the work place, as well as the sensitivity of culture within participating countries. Opportunity costs, trade terms, balance trades, comparative advantages, changes in consumption and production, and how much cheaper it is to purchase than to produce are some benefits to globalization. The greater interdependence that globalization is causing means an increasingly freer flow of goods, services, money, people, and idea across national borders. (Wild&Wild, 6th ed, pg 6) Su has done a great job on hiring employees that know the language, understand the business and Chinese customers, and also having experience on doing business the Western way. Because of technological changes, continuous development and research, the market economy remains to be dynamic. Reference: Starvish. (2011). KFC’s Explosive Growth in China. HBS Cases. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6704.html Wild&Wild. International business: the challenges of globalization/ John J. Wild, Kenneth L. Wild- 6th ed.

Long Report Essay

INTRODUCTION Background This report was created to present the findings of a study aimed to curve the impact of the large number of workers we employ on local traffic. Many city and county transportation officials are interested in exploring ways to solve the traffic issues. The research in this report analyzes the commuting patterns of our 43,500 employees. Traffic is a daily battle for many commuters and has become a problem in our area. Problem For many people, the commute to work is disastrous. It is not uncommon to hear of people leaving hours early for work simply because of traffic. Although traffic can be found mostly everywhere, the area surrounding our company is unbearable. We are known as the largest private employer in this area, employing over 43,000 people. This fact, combined with normal traffic patterns, creates much more traffic in other areas and problems with commuting. Purpose The purpose of this report is to alleviate the problems with traffic due to the high number of people we employ. The first step in this process is analyzing the workforce’s transportation habits and attitudes. Scope This report will focus mainly on the transportation habits of the workforce, as well as their opinion on possible changes. DISCUSSION Employee Carpool Habits One simple way to help reduce traffic problems is the use of carpooling. The idea of employee carpooling is simple-employees who live in close relation to each other commute to work together, using only one car. Four people carpooling together takes three cars off the road that would have been there had they not carpooled. Carpooling is also mutually beneficial to the employees. Many save a large sum of money and they are  no longer required to physically drive to and from work every day. An added benefit is the 85 million gallons of gas saved every year by carpoolers. The results of the research are displayed in Figure 1. Based on the research done at our company, 23% of employee’s carpool to work every day and 10% report that they are carpooling on certain days of the week. A small percentage (2%) showed that these workers randomly carpool. The majority of the employees reported that they never carpool. Currently, 64% of our employees are not carpooling at all. Increasing the amount of carpooling being done from just one-third of the employee population to half or more will result in great change. As stated before, carpooling is a very easy and convenient way to get many cars off the roads with little change and has much benefit for both the individuals’ carpooling and the function of these populated areas. Employee Use of Public Transportation Public transportation provides a convenient and inexpensive alternative to regular commuting. There are many types of public transportation including buses, trains, subways and ferries. These provide commuters with a range of options to decide what one works best for their commute. Results for a survey on the frequency of public  transportation used by the employees at this company are displayed in figure 2. Currently just over half (54%) of the workforce uses public transportation every day of the week and just 28% of employees never use it. This shows that public transportation is possible for the workers. Because of the high number of employees that use public transportation, it can be concluded that the increase in use of public transportation is a possible solution. To generate ideas on how to increase the use of public transportation, a survey was completed that asked the employees to select as many of the seven ways provided to increase frequency that they saw relevant. The results are depicted in a column graph in figure 3. The graph shows that the results of the study found that the majority of people selected that nothing could encourage them to take public transportation. Although lower fares and improved safety were selected as the most desired option, over 8,000 employees would not use public transportation no matter  the change. It appears that people’s use and opinions of public transportation are difficult to change and there is no one solution that would increase the amount of people using it significantly enough for it to be worthy of doing. Transportation Distance Traveled to/from Work A potential solution to the issue of traffic patterns is the increase in employees walking or riding their bikes, scooters etc. This is a low-cost solution that like carpooling, has mutual benefits for the employee. Because we can not ask people to move closer to work so they can walk or bike, there are no ways to change the option to make it more appealing as done with public transportation. To determine if this is a possible solution to the problem a survey was completed that asked the participant to report the distance traveled one way to work. If the majority of the employees live in close proximity to the company, using other modes of transportation could be viable. The results of this study are shown in figure 4. The majority (53%) of the workforce lives within 4-10 miles and the second largest percentage chosen was 11-20 miles. Unfortunately, that is too far of a distance and it would be difficult to get employees to do. If the majority had fallen in the 1-3 mile  range, thi s solution could have been a potential solution but only 16% of the employees chose this option. Therefore, the idea of commuting on foot or bike as a solution to this problem would not be effective. Telecommuting An option that could impact the traffic patterns of this area is an increase in telecommuting. Telecommuting is when you are able to conduct your business from your home, thus cancelling out the issue of a commute altogether. A survey was done to inquire about the amount of workers whose jobs allow them to work from home. With this information, we can better predict if telecommuting is a realistic option. The results are displayed in figure 5. Based on these results, only 28% of employee’s jobs would allow them to work from home and the majority (43%) of the workers reported that their jobs do not allow them to work from home. Telecommuting is an intriguing option because it is the only one that removes the commute entirely. The problem with telecommuting is that many jobs are not suited  for a home office, and require many other things besides a computer. The way that the company is established now, telecommuting does not seem like a viable option. However, if the company w ere willing to change  some things and make the company more flexible, telecommuting could be a great way to solve this issue. CONCLUSION Through the use of surveying and analysis, it is apparent that changing the commuting patterns and improving traffic around the company will be difficult. There are a large number of employees and with a large group, comes wide variety. The ideas to increase carpooling and telecommuting appear to be the most realistic options and the ones that would produce the most results. Public Transportation appears to not work for many, no matter  the circumstance changes making this not an option. Lastly, the potential to increase the frequency of employees walking and biking to class is not a solution because the majority of employees live outside walking distance. RECCOMENDATION Based on the results found in the surveys, I am recommending that the best option for changing traffic patterns is an increase in carpooling. An incentive for employees to carpool would be a good start to moving towards this. By running an incentive type  program for employees who have never carpooled before would allow those employees to see the benefits of carpooling. Ideally, the employees would see that carpooling is a great solution to this problem.

Black Empowerment in America essays

Black Empowerment in America essays These two articles on the past and future of black empowerment in America. My topic is something of a fairly new nature and these two articles really touch on the essence of the point of my would be research paper. The first touches on the past of black empowerment and further extended my knowledge of significant events such as the civil rights movements and in particular the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The second hits on the current and future issues in black empowerment. For instance the need to not ignore the race card when it comes to political action, because its still very prevalent. The first article was titled The politics of black empowerment; the transformation of black activism in urban America, by James Jennings. The main point of his article was to illustrate how important the issue of race has played in voting in America. He gave the examples of the post reconstruction era in the early to mid 1900s and the civil rights movement. He analyzed the similar intimidation tactics used in both periods and how both periods were important for black empowerment. He also analyzed the impact of the Voting Rights Act of !965 and the ramifications of government intervention in the area of civil rights. He concluded that not only representation is necessary for black empowerment, but power to decide an individual destiny. The second article titled: The struggle for black empowerment in New York City; beyond the politics of pigmentation. It was written by Dale Rogers Marshall. He is trying to point out that although blacks have come a long way in terms of voting and political power, the fact of race cannot be ignored in the realm of politics. He isnt saying that race should be an important aspect of how one votes, but he points out several sets of election statistics that show that it is. He also points out in his analysis of racial lines playing a part in voting the 60s era; as d ...

buy custom The Impact of Education in Our Lives essay

buy custom The Impact of Education in Our Lives essay 1.0 Introduction In the recent past education has being considered as a basic necessity in molding both character and professionals in specific fields. Burbules and Torres (2000), note that the value of education has attracted global attention with most states heavily investing in educational facilities to enhance the quality of education. This is because the positive impact of education in peoples lifestyles is evident. Burbules (2000) further notes that the value of education in peoples lifestyles is what sets them apart from animals. The impact of education in peoples lifestyles is evident in from the manner they think, solve problems, and socialize with others and the character they exhibit. Education remains a key player in determining ones future success. These positive impacts of education in ones lifestyle are what interest me, because it gives hope to our future. It transforms both the economic and social status picture into something remarkable with positive results in ones lifestyles (Preece, 2006). Education has facilitated creativity and innovation al with the aim of improving our living conditions. Eaxleee (2008), observes that education is crucial in our lifestyles today. He notes that in addition to the above mentioned importance, education has the following impacts in our lives. It increases our wisdom Helps us adapt change It leads to an enriching life of self fulfillment Fosters change and development Reports in the conversations and literature with most adult students and professionals depict the fact that education is valued and has had great positive impacts on many individuals. Research carried out by Dr. West in 2009 indicate that most professionals attribute their success to their educational backgrounds such as early involvement in leadership, and the ability of education to widen their minds. This paper aims at establishing the positive impacts on education in our lives. The paper will also focus on the manner in which education changes ones way thinking and solving problems with special emphasis on the future impacts of education to our lifestyles. The paper will apply qualitative research method in attaining these objectives because it is easy to understand and cheap to apply. Therefore, the impacts of education in our lives will be appropriately depicted by the qualitative research method. 2.0 Method A qualitative research approach was applied in this study with the phenomenology theoretical perspective which is common in most qualitative research methods (West, 2009). The phenomenological approach was mainly applied in a quest o understand the underlying value of education to individuals as depicted by the societies they live in. In addition, the context proved to be crucial in interpretation of data collected because this method requires that the researcher be focused on the sense of meaning that others give to their own circumstances and not present his personal views. This method was found to be suitable in these circumstances mainly because it affirmed the importance of the interviewees perspectives and the manner in which they view this topic (West, 2009). Although questions as to the reliability and validity of this method have been raised, it still stands out as the methods which can allow a researcher to objectively carry out a study of the subjective a described by Dr. West, R. in 2009. The qualitative research method applied in this study involved a rigorous process of collecting, analyzing, and revising the conceptions and images of interviewees. My orientation in this research remained crcial to the success of this study and it remained a privilege to be an observer. My interviewees were composed of graduates who has just finished colleges were still green in the career fields and professionals with varsity experience in the field of law, medicine and engineering. This is because such people have experienced life and have knowledge on the positive impacts that education is likely to have on their lifestyles. These groups of interviewees are also likely to open up and say exactly what they feel about my research questions because they have gone through enough experiences in life. These interviewees were recruited from departmental offices within an oil company and a national hospital. The data I collected through this method included words, vocal and facial expressions, feelings, attitudes and other sort of behaviors involved. The data was stored inform of field notes from the observations I made and interview transcripts which helped facilitate the success of the rigorous analysis I did on my research question. The process I engaged throughout the study-included collection, analysis and coding of the study as depicted in most qualitative research methods (West, 2009). The blending of these the processes encouraged flexibility which proved to be an essential ingredient all through my study because it enabled me acquire more information and appropriately analyze the data that was relevant to my study. West (2009) asserts that many scholars have acknowledged the importance of qualitative methods in the fields of education and its impacts to our lifestyles. He notes Rubenson (1999) and Mezirow (1975) as some of these scholars. Apparently, there seems to exist a call for descriptive studies as to the importance of education in individual lifestyles. Rubenson (1999) acknowledged the importance of studying depth interviews to the emerging debate on the impact of education in our lifestyles. Mezirow (1975) stressed that qualitative studies capture the richness of living encompassed with the fullness of experience. He encouraged the application of qualitative analysis as a means of testing both theories and assumptions. These crucial perspectives provided by qualitative researchers created the foundation for my personal research methodology. 3.0 Research Procedures and Design Following the observations and assumptions made above, the qualitative study of the lifestyles of graduates and professionals was proposed which applied semi-structured interviews as the basic research approach. The research began with unstructured questions such as How has education changed your lifestyles? Often, there was only a n occasional question from me for the purposes of clarification. I managed to carry out 30 interviews scheduled that were scheduled between January 4th and April, 8th 2011. A total of 5 three interviews were carried each week with the last two weeks being used to analyze the obtained data so as to understand my research findings. All interviews carried out were tape recorded and accompanied by relevant hard copies of the interviews. The interviews were open-ended and followed a conversational style. It approximately took 45 minutes for each interview. I also took down field notes in relevance to the interviews and included the observations I made and my casual encounters with my interviewees. I also prepared memoranda of each particular taped interview. In addition to the interviews, I also acquired some data that include comments made teaching and administrative colleagues, papers and other secondary sources that gave me an ongoing literaature review about this particular topic. Finally, I entered all the taped interviews, field notes, and memoranda into computer files. I applied the Ethnographer, which is a software used in coding files into organized themes and topics to systematically arrange the files for easy future access and references. A scheme of letters and numbers was applied in designating major categories and subcategories to make the data more clear and easy to understand. I also ensured that hard copies were made available. I am optimistic that the data analyzed will continue being of great importance for future references. The script below shows part of the interview that I conducted with the Saudi Aramco Oil company field engineer called Qui Ching. Qtn. Why do you think education is important? Ans. Education shapes character and help model persons into reputable individuals in the society. It is therefore important. Qtn. How did your educational background shape you to who you are today? Ans. My educational background helped me get conversant with my societal norms and it helped mould my character to suit the society in which I live in. It made me conversant with my cultures and religions that are reflected in the moral values I uphold today. Qtn. Do you think education has greatly influenced your lifestyle? Ans. Apparently, it has. Education is what has seen me through my career. It gave me the basic life and professionals skills that I apply in my professional life today. Trough these skills am able to earn a living! Qtn. How has education affected your social life? Ans. The leadership skills I acquired throughout my study life have seen me through the corporate management ladder because they positively influence the manner in which I socialize with colleagues and address problems. 4.0 Results and Discussions After analyzing the field data obtained, it was evident that education has played a crucial role in molding individual characters. As one of the interviewees put it when asked why education is important he explained, Educations plays an important role in shaping character Faure (2003), asserts that education is important in our daily lifestyles because it shapes character by widening ones mind, magnifying our wisdom and changing ones way of thinking and interpreting life problems. It was also seen that education greatly contributes into building successful careers that earn a way of living for many individuals. When an interviewee who was a lawyer was asked the question as to how his education background had shaped him to who he was today, he was quick to note that education equipped him with the necessary skills to make rational judgments and relevant decisions in life and this is reflected by his career as a lawyer. Many scholars have attributed the success of competent professionals to quality educational backgrounds (Preece, 2006). For instance, lawyers from universities such as Harvard are seen as competent enough compared to their colleagues from Brooks law school. From the research, education was also seen as being pivotal to economic development and social restructuring. This was reflected by the answers given by most interviewees when they were asked what they thought was the importance of education to an individuals future success. Most of them were of the pinion that quality education trigger development in a nation. This is also attributed in the works of Preece (20006) that associates quality education with the Americas economic success. Buy custom The Impact of Education in Our Lives essay buy custom The Impact of Education in Our Lives essay 1.0 Introduction In the recent past education has being considered as a basic necessity in molding both character and professionals in specific fields. Burbules and Torres (2000), note that the value of education has attracted global attention with most states heavily investing in educational facilities to enhance the quality of education. This is because the positive impact of education in peoples lifestyles is evident. Burbules (2000) further notes that the value of education in peoples lifestyles is what sets them apart from animals. The impact of education in peoples lifestyles is evident in from the manner they think, solve problems, and socialize with others and the character they exhibit. Education remains a key player in determining ones future success. These positive impacts of education in ones lifestyle are what interest me, because it gives hope to our future. It transforms both the economic and social status picture into something remarkable with positive results in ones lifestyles (Preece, 2006). Education has facilitated creativity and innovation al with the aim of improving our living conditions. Eaxleee (2008), observes that education is crucial in our lifestyles today. He notes that in addition to the above mentioned importance, education has the following impacts in our lives. It increases our wisdom Helps us adapt change It leads to an enriching life of self fulfillment Fosters change and development Reports in the conversations and literature with most adult students and professionals depict the fact that education is valued and has had great positive impacts on many individuals. Research carried out by Dr. West in 2009 indicate that most professionals attribute their success to their educational backgrounds such as early involvement in leadership, and the ability of education to widen their minds. This paper aims at establishing the positive impacts on education in our lives. The paper will also focus on the manner in which education changes ones way thinking and solving problems with special emphasis on the future impacts of education to our lifestyles. The paper will apply qualitative research method in attaining these objectives because it is easy to understand and cheap to apply. Therefore, the impacts of education in our lives will be appropriately depicted by the qualitative research method. 2.0 Method A qualitative research approach was applied in this study with the phenomenology theoretical perspective which is common in most qualitative research methods (West, 2009). The phenomenological approach was mainly applied in a quest o understand the underlying value of education to individuals as depicted by the societies they live in. In addition, the context proved to be crucial in interpretation of data collected because this method requires that the researcher be focused on the sense of meaning that others give to their own circumstances and not present his personal views. This method was found to be suitable in these circumstances mainly because it affirmed the importance of the interviewees perspectives and the manner in which they view this topic (West, 2009). Although questions as to the reliability and validity of this method have been raised, it still stands out as the methods which can allow a researcher to objectively carry out a study of the subjective a described by Dr. West, R. in 2009. The qualitative research method applied in this study involved a rigorous process of collecting, analyzing, and revising the conceptions and images of interviewees. My orientation in thi research remained crucial to the success of this study and it remained a privilege to be an observer. My interviewees were composed of graduates who has just finished colleges were still green in the career fields and professionals with varsity experience in the field of law, medicine and engineering. This is because such people have experienced life and have knowledge on the positive impacts that education is likely to have on their lifestyles. These groups of interviewees are also likely to open up and say exactly what they feel about my research questions because they have gone through enough experiences in life. These interviewees were recruited from departmental offices within an oil company and a national hospital. The data I collected through this method included words, vocal and facial expressions, feelings, attitudes and other sort of behaviors involved. The data was stored inform of field notes from the observations I made and interview transcripts which helped facilitate the success of the rigorous analysis I did on my research question. The process I engaged throughout the study-included collection, analysis and coding of the study as depicted in most qualitative research methods (West, 2009). The blending of these the processes encouraged flexibility which proved to be an essential ingredient all through my study because it enabled me acquire more information and appropriately analyze the data that was relevant to my study. West (2009) asserts that many scholars have acknowledged the importance of qualitative methods in the fields of education and its impacts to our lifestyles. He notes Rubenson (1999) and Mezirow (1975) as some of these scholars. Apparently, there seems to exist a call for descriptive studies as to the importance of education in individual lifestyles. Rubenson (1999) acknowledged the importance of studying depth interviews to the emerging debate on the impact of education in our lifestyles. Mezirow (1975) stressed that qualitative studies capture the richness of living encompassed with the fullness of experience. He encouraged the application of qualitative analysis as a means of testing both theories and assumptions. These crucial perspectives provided by qualitative researchers created the foundation for my personal research methodology. 3.0 Research Procedures and Design Following the observations and assumptions made above, the qualitative study of the lifestyles of graduates and professionals was proposed which applied semi-structured interviews as the basic research approach. The research began with unstructured questions such as How has education changed your lifestyles? Often, there was only a n occasional question from me for the purposes of clarification. I managed to carry out 30 interviews scheduled that were scheduled between January 4th and April, 8th 2011. A total of 5 three interviews were carried each week with the last two weeks being used to analyze the obtained data so as to understand my research findings. All interviews carried out were tape recorded and accompanied by relevant hard copies of the interviews. The interviews were open-ended and followed a conversational style. It approximately took 45 minutes for each interview. I also took down field notes in relevance to the interviews and included the observations I made and my casual encounters with my interviewees. I also prepared memoranda of each particular taped interview. In addition to the interviews, I also acquired some data that include comments made teaching and administrative colleagues, papers and other secondary sources that gave me an ongoing literature review about this particular topic. Finally, I entered all the taped interviews, field notes, and memoranda into computer files. I applied the Ethnographer, which is a software used in coding files into organized themes and topics to systematically arrange the files for easy future access and references. A scheme of letters and numbers was applied in designating major categories and subcategories to make the data more clear and easy to understand. I also ensured that hard copies were made available. I am optimistic that the data analyzed will continue being of great importance for future references. The script below shows part of the interview that I conducted with the Saudi Aramco Oil company field engineer called Qui Ching. Qtn. Why do you think education is important? Ans. Education shapes character and help model persons into reputable individuals in the society. It is therefore important. Qtn. How did your educational background shape you to who you are today? Ans. My educational background helped me get conversant with my societal norms and it helped mould my character to suit the society in which I live in. It made me conversant with my cultures and religions that are reflected in the moral values I uphold today. Qtn. Do you think education has greatly influenced your lifestyle? Ans. Apparently, it has. Education is what has seen me through my career. It gave me the basic life and professionals skills that I apply in my professional life today. Trough these skills am able to earn a living! Qtn. How has education affected your social life? Ans. The leadership skills I acquired throughout my study life have seen me through the corporate management ladder because they positively influence the manner in which I socialize with colleagues and address problems. 4.0 Results and Discussions After analyzing the field data obtained, it was evident that education has played a crucial role in molding individual characters. As one of the interviewees put it when asked why education is important he explained, Educations plays an important role in shaping character Faure (2003), asserts that education is important in our daily lifestyles because it shapes character by widening ones mind, magnifying our wisdom and changing ones way of thinking and interpreting life problems. It was also seen that education greatly contributes into building successful careers that earn a way of living for many individuals. When an interviewee who was a lawyer was asked the question as to how his education background had shaped him to who he was today, he was quick to note that education equipped him with the necessary skills to make rational judgments and relevant decisions in life and this is reflected by his career as a lawyer. Many scholars have attributed the success of competent professionals to quality educational backgrounds (Preece, 2006). For instance, lawyers from universities such as Harvard are seen as competent enough compared to their colleagues from Brooks law school. From the research, education was also seen as being pivotal to economic development and social restructuring. This was reflected by the answers given by most interviewees when they were asked what they thought was the importance of education to an individuals future success. Most of them were of the pinion that quality education trigger development in a nation. This is also attributed in the works of Preece (20006) that associates quality education with the Americas economic success. Buy custom The Impact of Education in Our Lives essay

Optimal Kitchen Upper Cabinet Height

Optimal Kitchen Upper Cabinet Height Although not stipulated by building codes, standard construction practices set ergonomic standards for both the dimensions of kitchen cabinets and their installation heights. These measurements are based on studies suggesting the optimal dimensions that create the most comfortable working spaces for users. They are sometimes altered for special needssuch as a kitchen customized for users with physical limitationsbut in the vast majority of kitchens, these dimensions will be followed closely.   Standards for Upper Cabinets in Kitchens The upper wall cabinets in kitchens almost always are installed so the bottom edge of the cabinet is 54 inches above the floor. The reason for this is that 18 inches of clearance between base cabinets and uppers are regarded as the optimal working space, and with base cabinets generally 36 inches high (with countertop included) and 24 inches deep, upper cabinets beginning at 54 inches provides the desired 18-inch clearance.   These distances are shown to be ergonomically practical for anyone over 4 feet tall, and optimal for an average user 5 ft. 8 inches in height. With the standard upper cabinet 30 inches tall and 12 inches deep, a 5 ft. The 8-inch user will be able to reach all shelves without a step stool. Anyone shorter may need a step stoolor the assistance of a taller family memberto easily access upper shelves.   There are, of course, some exceptions to these standards. The specialty wall cabinets that fit above a refrigerator or range will be installed higher than other upper cabinets, and may also be deeper than the standard 12 inches.   Varying the Installation Heights These installation standards can be varied slightly to match the needs of users, although this is limited by the dimensions of stock cabinets. A family with members 5 ft. 5 inches or shorter might, for example, install base cabinets at 35 inches above the floor, then leave a 15-inch working space and install the upper cabinets starting at 50 inches above the floor rather than the normal 54 inches. A family with very tall members might install cabinets slightly higher for convenience. These small variations are within the accepted range, and will not dramatically affect sale potential of your home. However, you should be cautious about more glaring variations to normal design standards when customizing a kitchen, as it may make your house hard to sell in the future.   Handicap Accessible Kitchens More dramatic variation in height standards can be necessary for homes or apartments used by those with physical disabilities, such as people confined to wheelchairs. Special base cabinets may be purchased or built that are 34 inches or lower in height, and upper cabinets can be installed on the wall much lower than normal in order to allow wheelchair users to reach them easily A newer innovation is electrically operated cabinetry that raises and lowers the upper wall cabinets, making them easy to use for both physically challenged and physically able family members.

Sexuality and Breast Cancer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexuality and Breast Cancer - Assignment Example Particularly among women more than 50 years of age, breast cancer is one of the major causes of deaths throughout the United Kingdom. Each year, approximately more than 10,000 or 26 out of 100,000 women die due to untreated breast cancer (Office for National Statistics, 2011b). Several studies revealed that there is a close link between sexuality and breast cancer in the sense that most women who has been diagnosed or has received breast cancer treatment experience a decreased sexual performance due to the psychological impact of body image disturbances (Fobair & Spiegel, 2009; Sheppard & Ely, 2008; Burwell et al., 2006; Fobair et al., 2006; Pelusi, 2006). The focus of this annotated bibliography is to examine and identify the link between sexuality and breast cancer. Aside from determining strategic ways that will enable specialist breast care nurses deliver a holistic care to the patients, information gathered in this study will be useful in terms of educating men and women about the psychological impact of having breast cancer on sexuality. This article increases the readers’ knowledge with regards to effective ways in controlling symptoms related to breast cancer treatment. It also emphasized the importance of increasing the nurses’ knowledge concerning the physiological and psychological impact of breast cancer. Aside from considering the cultural background of each patient when treating breast cancer, the author explained how the use of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, and mastectomy could create negative effects in patients’ sexual responses, sexual relationship with their partners and disturbance in body image. The author conducted a literature review as a way of examining the impact of breast cancer and breast cancer treatments on body image, sexual roles and relationships, and cultural differences of each patient. In general, qualitative approach in research design examines the relationship between the nature of the subject being examined in its natural setting (Maykut & Mor ehouse, 1994, p. 68). Through the use of this approach in research design, the researcher can freely describe and interpret the personal opinion of the research respondents with regards to the research questions (Patton, 2002). However, information gathered from pure qualitative research study is highly dependent on the researcher’s analysis and interpretation. Therefore, it would have been better in case the author decided to combine the use of qualitative with quantitative approach in research study design. Aside from the negative psychological impact of mastectomy, aging could make women unhappy about their physical appearance. Therefore, health teaching should be a part of the nurses’ responsibility when delivering holistic care to the patients. To encourage the patients’ partner in giving emotional support to the patient, nurses should communicate and educate the patients’ partner that the side effects of cancer therapies includes hormonal changes, s leep and appetite disturbances, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, malaise, and apathy. In response to

A Study of Aristotelian tragedy in Oedipus Essay

A Study of Aristotelian tragedy in Oedipus - Essay Example One of Aristotle’s most influential works concerning literary theory is his Poetics. In it he articulates with eloquence and clarity various facets of good theatre. Tragedy is acknowledged as a powerful genre of drama. Aristotle goes on to set out various rules of thumb for making aesthetically and emotionally satisfying tragedies. His concise definition of tragedy is that it is â€Å"an imitation of an action that is serious ... with incidents arousing pity and fear, in order to accomplish the catharsis of such emotions." (Botton 20) He was in opposition to Plato’s critical and disparaging view of theater. Plato had earlier set the debate rolling in The Republic, stating that poets and other artists should be banned from civil society because they induced excessive emotional responses in audiences which countered calm reasoning. Aristotle rebutted this assertion in Poetics, stating that â€Å"although watching tragedies raised emotions, it also purged them. An audien ce would come away from Oedipus humbled, keen to be better and wiser.† (Botton 20) In many ways, Oedipus satisfies the Aristotelian conception of the tragic hero. For example, the tragic hero is someone who feels responsible for his actions and is conscious of ethical merits and demerits associated with them. In Sophocles’ Oedipus, we see that the author does not contemplate either the acknowledgement of guilt or the blinding. Instead, â€Å"awareness and blinding will be present in Aeschylus because his Oedipus must not see both 'what he suffered and the bad he did'. According to the author, the individual responsibility celebrated by tragedy is the expression of a people who do not tell history any more, but are aware of making it: a process that Plato could not-or did not want to-recognize, claiming to read tragedy like the continuation of old myths and of old stories, rather than like a new way to tell them again, to involve oneself and to involve us with them in a different way.† ... ould not-or did not want to-recognize, claiming to read tragedy like the continuation of old myths and of old stories, rather than like a new way to tell them again, to involve oneself and to involve us with them in a different way.† (Goretti 1305) What we also witness in Oedipus is a dimension of the tragic hero engaged in praxis. In Aristotle’s conception of tragedy there is an underlying conflict between ‘absolute necessity’ and ‘freedom’. This is amply evident in crucial life events of Oedipus, who, as the story progresses, is compelled to implement his own demise. For Aristotle, tragedy allows Greeks â€Å"to bear the unbearable contradiction that for thought would remain incomprehensible: 'the attestation, even in the loss of freedom, of this same freedom'†. (Goretti 1306)Though we do not find direct mention of concepts such as ‘will’ and ‘responsibility’ in the Poetics, â€Å"when Aristotle must indicate the ones who act the tragic action, for him 'hoi prattonese' is not sufficient, but he adds 'kai drontes'. The problem of freedom involves the problem of evil: the evil one does, the evil one suffers or the evil that is anyway committed.† (Goretti 1306) In the case of Oedipus, he is clearly aware of how evil forces are acting upon his life – some of which is caused by his own agency. To the coryphaeus who questions him on what a horrible action he has committed and on which god has induced him, Oedipus answers, â€Å"'It was Apollo', and then, a little afterwards, 'It was me, miserable, who did it'.† (Jones 45) According to Aristotle, a sense of foreboding and inevitability makes for effective tragedy. Throughout the story, there are numerous crucial decisions taken by Oedipus, which led up to his inevitable demise. Oedipus is not himself

Case #3 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

#3 - Case Study Example Innovation is forming new ideas and coming up with solutions for the problems which arise in the future. It is a tool which the entrepreneurs use as an opportunity to acquire sustainability in the business and differentiating the product from that of the competitors. Through the use of innovation, competitive advantage can be acquired and this enables the businesses in acquiring a dominant position within the industry (Muller, Và ¤likangas, & Merlyn, 2005). Innovation is integral for the organizations in the modern day business environment. Innovations allow businesses to manage operations successfully and allow to come up with new ideas which support the business. The change in the locality is one of the biggest factor which impacts on innovation. Culture of the economies assists in the way organizations operate and propose methods through which the competitive advantage can be acquired. The culture of the society, success factors in the past, productivity in the area, efforts applied and management practices are dominant factors which aid the process of innovation. In the entrepreneurial setup, the factors such as knowledge sharing, development of competencies, quality control, culture of the organization, research & development and availability of funds can be considered as major contributors of the process. All these factors which prevail in the culture determine the study and performance of the firms. Allocation of funds and planning appropriate methods for utilizing the funds are extremely important for the business. During the planning and implementation phase the entrepreneurs need to adapt appropriately to the process (Zayas, & Garcà ­a, 2008). The small business entrepreneurs need to focus on the business operations. This is another important factor apart from innovation and breakthrough ideas. Strong management skills and catering exactly what the customers need are important for managing the business (Fenwick, 2003). From the research, it

Online shopping Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Online shopping - Research Paper Example mer premise, a major characteristic of online shopping provides a possibility of the transfer of customers shopping travels to a more effective products transportation that at the end has the possibility of producing constructive results on sustainability, use of land as well as mode of travel choices. The fact that online shopping is more popular in big towns and cities means that it will thus act as an incentive for the required changes in these cities that face the most obstacles for logistics (Cairns, 2005). There is a lot of controversy regarding the effects of online shopping on road use and the overall changes in consumers travel habits and the impacts of the changes. Some studies indicate good or desirable effects on road use while others indicate negative results with a final group indicating net neutral results. However, a good number of this research indicate that with the increasing popularity and expansion of online shopping, coupled with the adoption of the necessary changes required then online shopping is going to be the solution for most of the transport challenges we experience in our towns and cities (Cairns, 2005). In spite of transportation policy and regulations, online shopping continues to expand as more and more people accepts the system. Despite the fact that, business to business section dominates online shopping in terms of money value of all the completed transactions, the business to consumer section remains very vital for the possible effects on travel habits, patterns of land use, logistics in cities as well as the effects on sustainability. The highest level of efficiency in the use of roads and other transportation facilities is achievable through restructuring and reorganizing the transportation activities linked to business transactions (Hu and Saleh, 2005). There is the need to find out how the changes in the manner of conducting online shopping will influence the efficiency and the overall contribution towards a more

Mark Twain essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mark Twain essays - Essay Example He starts a newspaper, introduces coins, manufactured bicycles, set up telephone networks, and established power generation plants. He brought the sixth century civilization to the 20th century level in the course of a few years. When the king and the Boss were sold as slaves and were about to be executed, it was a long and picturesque of 500 mailed and belted knights on bicycles that came to the rescue. Finally when the church and the knights were out to destroy the new civilization, the strategy employed was to build a wire fence around, charged with electricity. A knight would come and touch the wire with his sword and he would be dead at once apparently for no reason. Some one else would come and touch his shoulder to ask why he was silent, and he would be killed too! Killed by a dead friend in fact! 25000 brainless knights perished like this, and the Boss and his handful of smart boys won owing to their strategy. David Wilson also had a scientific bent of mind, though of a different kind. He was a scotch national in America to seek his fortunes. He came as a young post graduate in law, though he did not handle cases in courts. It was he who developed the science of finger prints, that wonderful science for the establishment of people’s identity. He was too much of a scientist that ordinary people could not understand him and this resulted in his being nicknamed Pudd’nhead Wilson. It was he who solved the mystery surrounding Tom. Body: Hank introduces various improvements such as the newspaper, telephone net- works, bicycle factories, power generation plants etc. He uses these occasions to create spectacular effects. He is not for using them quietly without publicity or excitement. To use his own words, â€Å"I always use that high style when I am climaxing an effect† ( p. 23) This trait is seen in all his actions. In the course of the dinner at Dowley’s place, he indifferently tosses $4, a huge amount then, on to the

Online shopping Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Online shopping - Research Paper Example mer premise, a major characteristic of online shopping provides a possibility of the transfer of customers shopping travels to a more effective products transportation that at the end has the possibility of producing constructive results on sustainability, use of land as well as mode of travel choices. The fact that online shopping is more popular in big towns and cities means that it will thus act as an incentive for the required changes in these cities that face the most obstacles for logistics (Cairns, 2005). There is a lot of controversy regarding the effects of online shopping on road use and the overall changes in consumers travel habits and the impacts of the changes. Some studies indicate good or desirable effects on road use while others indicate negative results with a final group indicating net neutral results. However, a good number of this research indicate that with the increasing popularity and expansion of online shopping, coupled with the adoption of the necessary changes required then online shopping is going to be the solution for most of the transport challenges we experience in our towns and cities (Cairns, 2005). In spite of transportation policy and regulations, online shopping continues to expand as more and more people accepts the system. Despite the fact that, business to business section dominates online shopping in terms of money value of all the completed transactions, the business to consumer section remains very vital for the possible effects on travel habits, patterns of land use, logistics in cities as well as the effects on sustainability. The highest level of efficiency in the use of roads and other transportation facilities is achievable through restructuring and reorganizing the transportation activities linked to business transactions (Hu and Saleh, 2005). There is the need to find out how the changes in the manner of conducting online shopping will influence the efficiency and the overall contribution towards a more

Gangrene in the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gangrene in the United States - Research Paper Example Serious injuries, diabetes, and long-term smoking can cause this disease. Physicians believe that blood vessel diseases like arteriosclerosis increase an individual’s risk for gangrene. In addition, surgeries and suppressed immune system resulting from issues like HIV or chemotherapy may lead to the development of gangrene in individuals. Clostridium perifringens is a gangrene causing bacteria. Finally, trauma is also a potential cause of this disease. The symptoms of gangrene may vary in accordance with the location and cause of the disease. If the affected area is close to the skin, the symptoms may be foul-smelling discharge and loss of feeling sensation in that particular area. In addition, discoloration is another major symptom of gangrene. The affected region will be turned black or blue if the skin is affected whereas it will become red or bronze in color if the affected location is beneath the skin. Symptoms like fever, low BP, severe pain, confusion, and generally ill feeling may appear if the gangrene affected location is inside the body. In severe cases, amputation of the affected body part is the only treatment for gangrene. Sometimes, emergency operations are performed to increase blood supply to the affected area and to locate and remove dead tissues. In some other cases, antibiotics can treat the disease. Gangrene is more common in an old population as they are prone to health problems like diabetes and blood vessel diseases. A Medical News Today report indicates that in the US, the gangrene victims’ average age was 72 years in 2003; and in addition, 56 percent of an affected individual were men in the same year. This disease is found all over the world despite socio-economic differences. The geographic distribution of gangrene causing bacteria (Clostridium perifringens) is worldwide.  

Pathways to College Essay Example for Free

Pathways to College Essay Pathâ€Å"Less than 17% of African-American and Latino students will finish high school and graduate from college. † (Landy, 2013) Less than 70% of students in Milwaukee graduate from high school. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) Only a little over 25% of the people in Wisconsin hold a four-year college degree. (O’Connell, 2014) This educational disparity leads to economic disparity which affects the entire state, not just the urban areas with a higher achievement gap since most jobs with an annual salary over $30,000 will require a four-year degree. (Winters, 2014) There is a program called Pathways to College that is working hard to change these shocking statistics. We are here tonight to show you that Pathways to College is a cause worthy of your and your organization’s time, talent, and treasure. The problem is that not enough people know about Pathways to College. We would like to take a few minutes of your time to introduce you to this exceptional program. According to Pathways director Kelly Ramirez, Pathways to College was the vision of past WLC president Tim Kriewall and the program accepted its first students in 2007. Although located on the WLC campus, Pathways to College is a non-profit organization independent from WLC. With the mission â€Å"to create a belief that college is an option for everyone (Pathways pamphlet),† the program assists lower-income college prospects who are â€Å"first-generation† students (neither of their parents have graduated from college) and have the potential to succeed in college. In this program, students develop academically, socially, and spiritually for college. The program also assists them in finding the financial resources to attend college. The ultimate goal is to increase â€Å"the number of lower income and minority students pursuing and completing a post high school education. † (Pathways pamphlet) The Pathways to College program consists of four components. First is Pathways Prospects in which families visit the WLC campus to become familiar with a college environment and prepare for the Pathways program. (Pathways pamphlet) Next is the precollege component, which is the center of the program. Students in grades 6-12 participate in the after school prep center at least once a week and also once a month on Saturday mornings. They study, receive tutoring and mentoring, attend life skills workshops, and participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy programs. In addition, the program sponsors a summer academy for grades 6-11 which focuses on academics, sports, and fine arts such as art, dance, drama, and music. (Pathways pamphlet) Director Ramirez said that in addition, high school seniors are able to broaden their educational horizons every summer on an international trip. (This year they are going to Puerto Rico!) Freshman, sophomores, and juniors take a Civil Rights tour in the Southern states, visit colleges in California, and colleges on the East Coast on alternating years. For the first time in the coming 2014-2015 school year, Pathways to College will be privileged to implement the final component, the college program, as the first graduating class of Pathways begins college next fall! Ramirez said the directors of the program will continue to encourage and mentor these college students. They will keep tabs on the students’ grades and attendance. In addition, financial support, workshops over school breaks, and internship as well as job and career assistance will also be offered. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) Finally there is the parental program. Parents also attend workshops throughout the school year. These regular meetings offer help with life skills and support for guiding their child toward college. (Pathways pamphlet) It takes a special student to be accepted into the Pathways program. Ramirez informed us that at present there are 17 Pathways partner schools. Teachers at these schools identify students that they feel meet the program qualifications of a low-income, first-generation student with a minimum â€Å"C† grade average and minimum behavior problems at school. Once accepted into the program, students must sign the Pathways to College Covenant. Here they promise attend at least 80% of the activities offered, exhibit Christ-like behavior at all times, keep up schoolwork and grades, and keep an open communication with their parents and with the Pathways program. Parents must also sign the covenant and agree to attend at least 80% of the parent programs, support and encourage their son or daughter in his/her academic career, and do everything to promote a loving Christian household. As long as these commitments are maintained, the child is welcomed and encouraged to stay in the program. (Pathways to College Covenant) Besides the above commitments, there is no monetary cost to the parents or the students who are selected for the program. This is not to say that the program itself comes without a price tag, however. Pathways director Kelly Ramirez said that the annual budget for Pathways is a half million dollars. This budget is totally dependent on grants, private donors, foundation contributions, and fund raisers. She also said that even though the directors have pulled the $500,000 budget together for this year, this just covers the basic program for its 240 students. A larger staff and a more reliable long-range financial picture are needed to lighten present workloads, add a kindergarten-4th grade component, and expand this program to its maximum capacity of 700 students. We feel this is a great program, which we ourselves promote and support. We don’t want you to just take our word for it, however. We’d like you to hear from families that have already benefited from the Pathways to College program. (YouTube testimonial) (Attention Era, 2013) Better yet, come see for yourself. If you can come early to class some Monday afternoon, stop by and visit with some of the volunteers and students in the program. Drop in and talk with Director Kelly Ramirez or Executive Director Milton Cockroft in their offices in the administration building. Now you are aware of the Pathways to College program. You have seen for yourself the great work that Pathways to College is doing with these young people. That’s all well and good, but you figure, â€Å"Well, this is all far removed from me and my family and my business. I know there’s a sales pitch coming, but it really has nothing to do with me. † It has everything to do with you, your family, and the community. Successful college graduates of this program will produce dedicated, responsible, skilled workers with whom you will be working and that will be working for the companies that you own or manage. This can only mean success for you and your business! In addition, these young people won’t need help from the government and other agencies but will have great potential for a productive future. First of all there will be decreased need for WIA funding. (â€Å"U. S. Department,† 2014) As young people with STEM training at Pathways, they have excellent prospects for good paying jobs since â€Å"47% of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM occupations earn more than PhDs in non-STEM occupations. † (â€Å"The case for,† 2013) Over a lifetime, a college graduate will earn $1,000,000 more than someone who only earned a high school degree. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) As you can see from the following chart (Youth Indicators, 2011), it does take education to get out of poverty. Every graduate will be one more person to contribute his/her talents and skills to society. Every graduate will help and encourage the next generation of friends and family to also go to college, which will have a positive ripple effect on the community. (Some Pathways parents themselves have already been inspired to enroll in college!! ) Best of all, you will know that you had enough love and foresight to take a part in enriching the lives of these deserving young people and the lives of those they touch. Now you are convinced that Pathways is certainly a great program and worthy of your support. However, you are thinking, â€Å"Jeepers, I’m going to college. I have a family to support. You’re barking up the wrong tree, ladies. I don’t have any extra money! † Don’t you? Let’s put Pathway’s half million dollar budget into perspective. Ramirez says that it costs about $3000 a year for each child that goes through the program. If we in this room would adopt a child and split that amount up among us, and then divide that by the weeks in a year, it would cost each of us no more per week than the price we’d pay for a latte at Starbucks! If you own or manage a business there are other things you can do. Visit your company’s HR department to see what type of donation your company could make. Perhaps you could have your company or PTA make Pathways the beneficiary of its next fund raiser. There are other things Pathways can use that are just as valuable as money/treasure. Pathways can use your time and talents. If you are great at math or grammar, for example, think about tutoring a struggling student. Maybe you don’t have time to come in to tutor once a week. As a sales manager, you could lead a once-a-year workshop instructing students how to write a resume. As the assistant manager of a bank, you could offer your financial expertise by teaching a workshop on money management. As a cook and cafeteria manager you could give a nutrition workshop. These are just a few suggestions to get you started. You have seen for yourself the great work Pathways is doing for these young people! You know that the program is worthy of support in the form of your time, talents, and treasure. You are aware of Pathways to College. Please spread the word and help us make others aware! References Attention Era. (2013, March 10). Pathways to College-the story [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/results? search_query=Pathways%20to%20Collegesm=12. The case for STEM education as a national priority: good jobs and American competitiveness. (2013, June). Retrieved from http://www. stemedcoalition. org/wp-content/uploads/2013/ 10/Fact-Sheet-STEM-Education-Good-Jobs-and-AmericanCompetiveness-June-2013. pdf Landy, B. (June 13, 2013). Graph: U. S. college graduation rates are rising, but the rest of the world is catching up [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://tcf. org/blog/detail/graph-u. s. college-graduation-rates-are-rising-but-the-rest-of-the-world-is O’Connell, M. (2014, February 11). The role of education in the state of the economy. Paper presented at the Wisconsin ACT Organization 2014 Annual Conference, Middleton, WI. Pathways to College. (n. d. ). [Information pamphlet] Pathways to College. (n. d. ). Pathways to College covenant [Organization contract] Pathways to College. (2013). What path are you on? [PowerPoint] Ramirez, K. (2014, February 19 and March 3). Interview by C. Ristow and R. Flagg. What are Needs of Pathways to College? U. S. department of labor employment and training administration notice of availability of funds  and solicitation for grant applications for Youth Build. (2014, February 18). Retrieved from http://www. doleta. gov/grants/pdf/YouthBuild SGA-DFA-PY-13-04. pdf Winters, D. (2014, February 11). The brutal facts about the changing labor market and the need for an educated workforce. Paper presented at the Wisconsin ACT Organization 2014 Annual Conference, Middleton, WI. Youth indicators 2011 America’s youth: Transitions to adulthood youth indicators 2011America’s youth. (2011, December 26). Retrieved from http://nces. ed. gov/pubs2012/ 2012026/figures/figure_32a. asp.

Effect Of Media On The Childhood

Effect Of Media On The Childhood Childhood representations are derived from media as well as policies and laws, the two being interrelated. Media images produce influential perceptions about children that may be translated into ideologies and through the same laws and policies influence childrens well being and material needs. Media also highlights that the identity of childhood as a social construction is very different to adulthood. It is depicted as marginalised and incapable. With the introduction of many forms of technology in the past 20 years it is not surprising that media now plays an even greater integral role in shaping childhoods, mine being no exception. All this power exerted by media calls for some form of analysis. In other instances, the childhood figure is overlapped with that of animals, which is evident in the film, LEnfant Sauvage (1969), where Victoire, the wild boy, adapted himself to an uncivilised situation (Mills, 2000). The notion of innocence of children is commonly portrayed in childrens books and films such as Little Lord Fauntleroy, where Cedric symbolises innocence and beauty. Children are deemed to be protected from secret knowledges, namely sexuality and death. In fact, until recently, girls were portrayed as asexual and ignorant of sex (Humphries, Mack Perks, 1988). In contrast, the premature exhibition and sexualisation of young girls and the need of protection of their innocence is highlighted in the film Painted Babies (1993), a film about young girls in beauty pageants (Robinson Davies, 2008). The notion children as vulnerable and in need of protection, is outlined in Dickens Oliver Twist, where Nancy saves Oliver from Bill Sykes physical abuse. The abduction and consequent murder of the young James Bulger is another shocking example vulnerability of children. On the other hand, children are also characterised as being autonomous. In Harry Potter, Harry epitomises this perception in literature in his fight against evil. The feisty independent character Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables is another example. Girl power was more related to popular music with phenomena such as the Spice Girls who promoted this neo-liberal feminist identity in teenage girls in the 90s. The novel Coral Island depicts children as apprentices where they develop skills, realise their dreams, and move on to adulthood. However, contemporary Prose fiction works portray children as a distinct group from adults. These works are realistic, sometimes dark, and child-centred exemplified by by Roald Dahls Matilda and Anne Finnes Madame Doubtfire. The images of children presented by the media are multi-faceted and sometimes contrasting, evident in the film Leon, where Mathilda, is portrayed as mature and independent but still perceived as a vulnerable child in need of protection in Leons eyes (ICS, 2010). It should be questioned as to how accurate cultural artefacts actually are. In childrens literature, Hunt implies that authors depict childhood as they perceive it, and therefore not a true reflection. Childrens books are therefore likely to portray attitudes to childhood rather than any individual or culturally agreed childhood (Hunt, 2009). Its power was in the image it left behind, imitated by some children in real life. Nowadays, children are not as influenced by contemporary literature. They have become more knowledgeable and sceptical, the so-called active reader. Texts for these children have lost their power (Hunt, 2009). Readers and viewers may interpret messages in different ways according to their identities and divisions such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. Globalization of media brings about a certain degree of standardization whereby children in different parts of the world are being exposed to the same stimulus and subsequently start showing some common tra its. Moreover, media itself exercises a degree of control on how messages it delivers are interpreted. This is called the hypodermic syringe model. Messages are not only delivered but new meanings are produced bringing about the double hermeneutic phenomenon. Representational practices play a crucial role in influencing the material lives of children. Prominent music artists have used media to promote the awareness of different races, The most well-known event was Live Aid in 1985 highlighting the plight of starving children in Africa. Media can be a strong influence on health issues in children, evident in the recent significant increase of the illness anorexia nervosa in girls may have been as a result of T.V. and magazines portraying a very slim figure to be the accepted image as well as the explosion of obesity in children. It is estimated that 20 % of children in UK are overweight (James James, 2004). Consequently there is now a drive from all concerned to promote more healthy-eating programme such as Jamie Olivers T.V. series. The film scum by Alan Clarice 1979 portrays how a borstal in UK further brutalises young offenders. Its huge cultural impact was a contributory factor in the 1982 reform that replaced borstals to youth custody centres This is an example how the media can influence the institutions of the State (Mills, 2000). Todays children are more independent, inquisitive, creative, and can use media effectively, forming part of the net generation of childhood. In fact Katz (1997) regards these children able to create their own cultures and communities (Buckingham, 2009: 126). The use of internet is invaluable for these children in the field of education and research. Also, through the introduction of social networks, they are able to communicate freely with one another. There are also some concerns, as children are at risk of exposure to pornography, violence and cyber-stalking. Also, it is argued that they tend to spend more time confined to their room resulting in less family integration. A study between childrens everyday activities and the media showed that among media, television was the prime mover in families lives. This was done through quantitative and qualitative methods using questionnaires, interviews, as well as new methods (Tufte, 2003). Media technology is also influenced by gender and class identities. This is highlighted by the fact that the majority of computer games are played by boys and also that, middle class children have more access to computers than their working class peers. Over the years, different media has shaped my childhood, such as television programmes, magazines, music, the internet, pamphlets, books and billboards. As a young child, Care Bears and Barney, were amongst my favourite programmes. These were education and instilled in me the values of caring and tolerance. Other films include Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, by providing images of princesses and happy endings which have caused me to dream as a child. Another character worth quoting is Miss Honey in the book Matilda by Roald Dahl who presented as a role model. In fact, at seventeen years of age, I decided to become a teacher, and have always strived to be kind and gentle just like Miss Honey. A Maltese media campaign to keep the environment clean, symbolised by a small hedgehog, Xummiemu, was set up, when I was growing up. These billboards, posters and magazines influenced me in respecting the environment. Messages on billboards such as the advert Smoking kills, on our main roads, had put me off smoking completely and never smoked a single cigarette in my life. As a teenager, the internet was used as a useful source of information in my school assignments. Through MSN Messenger and Skype, I have stayed in touch with my friends and relatives who live abroad. The internet is unique in that it is an interactive form of media allowing childrens global communication and the promotion of their creativity and spontaneity. I feel close to this culture which is critical of what media portrays even when the same media seems to have taken over our lives. Word count: 1,347 References Buckingham, D. (2009). New media, new childhoods? Childrens changing cultural environment in the age of digital technology in M. J. Kehily (Ed.), An introduction to Childhood Studies (2nd Edition) (pp. 124-138). Berkshire: Open University Press. Humphries, S., Mack, J. Perks, R. (1988). A Century of Childhood, London: Sidgwick Jackson. Hunt, P. (2009). Childrens literature and childhood in M. J. Kehily (Ed.), An introduction to Childhood Studies (2nd Edition) (pp. 50-69). Berkshire: Open University Press. ICS (2010). Sociology of Childhood, Study Guide 1. Glasgow: ICS. James, A. James, A. L. (2004). Constructing Childhood: Theory, Policy and Social Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Katz, J. (1997). Virtuous Reality: How America Surrendered Discussion of Moral Values to Opportunists, Nitwits and Blockheads like William Bennett. New York: Random House. Mills, J. Mills, R. (2000) Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood, Routledge, New York. Mills, R. (2000). Perspectives of Childhood in J. Mills R. Mills (Eds.), Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood (pp. 7-37). London: Routledge. Robinson, K. H. Davies, C. (2008). SHES KICKIN ASS, THATS WHAT SHES DOING! Deconstructing Childhood Innocence in Media Representations. Australian Feminist Studies, 23, 343- 358. Tufte, B. (2003). Children, media and consumption. Advertising Marketing to Children, October-December, 69-76. Discuss the role family plays in shaping childhood. Give examples of cultures within a family structure and reflect on your own culture. There is general consensus that family does shape childhood from the first minute its parent(s) start to interact with it in the context of a wider culture. (Gittens, 2009: 36). The family is the foundation of social stability and the primary means of social reproduction. This institution moulds the child through education, morals, values beliefs (James James, 2004). Family besides the traditional nuclear family also includes lone parent, gay/lesbian, extended families, and cohabitation. Indeed, the family is instrumental in shaping the child to become an integral part of society (ICS, 2010b). Childhoods are dependent on the identities and positions of the childs family, as these will have different structures, resulting in different experiences (ICS, 2010a). In recent years delayed child bearing means that children are less likely to share the companionship of siblings or wider kin. Single parent families are the second highest risk factor, after unemployment, for children to live in poverty (Clarke, 1996). Lower social class, unemployment, alcoholism, and drug abuse have serious consequences on childrens well-being in the shape of poverty, poor social conditions, mental health problems and physical abuse. Children from minor ethnic families may be disadvantaged as a result of poorer housing conditions and lower pay as well as an increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as rickets and T.B (James James, 2004). Also, parents lifestyles may affect childrens lives directly. Smoking in families is detrimental to childrens health, significantly increasing asthma in their children. Nowadays, most parents work leaving less time to prepare meals, which may result in children eating more junk food. Armstrong, Hill and Secker (2000) argue the beneficial effects of parental affection on the childs well-being. In comparison family breakdowns, increasing in number, are a cause of stress and mental problems in children (James James, 2004; Armstrong et al., 2000). Childrens identity is seen as a passive experience of being parented. Children possess a Double Status; the kinship status as the child and the age-based status as the minor. The link between womanhood and childhood is focused on childrens needs discourses (Lawler, 2000). According to research, the function of the family is specific to the fulfilment of gender-based roles, where females are a source of care and expression, and males the main source of income (ICS, 2010a: 15; MacNaughton Smith, 2009). Parents act as role models by setting examples which are crucial in shaping childhood. Children also learn gender roles from the family. For example, if cooking is done only by the mother they might associate it exclusively with females (MacNaughton Smith, 2009). State laws and policies use the family to implement and control children. The state also uses the family as an ally in the battle for social control (James James, 2004: 191)) and increasingly regulates childrens lives (James James, 2004). Development of family friendly employment practice through social benefits, results in more stable families, better support of children during their education, and reduced levels of delinquency (James James, 2004). The child is regarded as the object of legal rulings with childrens rights generally overruled by their parents claiming to act in the best interest of the child, thus their agency being denied (James James, 2004: 201). The effective voice of children in family proceedings is well documented, both in the Children Act and the UNCRC. However, the implementation to date is another matter, even welfare professionals view children both as carefree and powerless (ICS, 2010b: 45). In fact, family law in England and Wales classifies a child as a person with a disability (James James, 2004: 200). In every culture lies marriage, residence, family size and composition, family status and role, family power and authority, family communication that are quite universal. These elements of family structure in vary from one society to another (Uddin, 2009: 438). The representation of the family structure in Western culture is usually portrayed as a nuclear family composed of two siblings. This model is still portrayed as ideal according to mainstream parents websites such as bounty.com. Media has always portrayed an image of the Western family. Nowadays, it brings us a variety of different family structures including gay couples and single parents. In Muslim cultures, there are clearer gender demarcations where all family affairs are decided by the senior male member, leaving other family members fully dependent on their decisions without any say (Uddin, 2009). The male is usually the bread winner whilst women take on the emotional role such as child rearing and household chores (Uddin, 2007). Another feature of this community is the large family size, thus an extended family structure is adopted to ensure adequate family support. Family structures in Muslim Western communities vary from those in more traditional societies as the former face lifestyle choices which are not available to the latter. Middle-class, though not working-class, Muslims have expectations and a level of education comparable to non-Muslims (Abbas, 2003; Ahmad, 2001). Muslims regard their Islamic faith as fundamental to their identity. However, Sikhs and Hindus consider education to be their main priority, allowing greater occupational opportunities, class mobility, integration and acceptance (Abbas, 2003). On a more personal note, I grew up in a traditional Maltese Roman Catholic nuclear family consisting of four members; my parents, my older sister and myself. This is the most common structure in Malta. My father is a doctor and my mother is a housewife who gave up her job as a secretary to raise us. My parents raised us striking a balance between being open to change but holding onto the strong values of Maltese culture and Roman Catholic beliefs. These beliefs form an integral role in our way of life and shape our views on family. Family authority has always been shared between my parents. However, they have always valued our opinions, even as children. This has created an open communicative relationship between us. The family has influenced many aspects of my life. Due to my large extended family, I grew up surrounded by younger children, playing with and teaching them. This sparked my interest in teaching Early Years. The short distances facilitated the formation of strong family bonds. We live in a typical neighbourhood where people lend a helping hand when needed, though can be nosy. Despite Malta being a small island, we are not insular as we are influenced by other cultures, namely British and Italian. We are multi-lingual and have a Western outlook. We are also influenced by foreign family ties, my grandmother being British. Our culture motivates us to maximise our potential by pursuing a higher education, particularly a University degree. Opportunities are few and competition is high. Ambition is instilled from an early age, and expectations are high. I form part of a very close- knit family which is dependable and supportive. We consider this to be our role and responsibility to each ot her. I enjoy the security and stability of our family whilst still enjoying my independence and autonomy. All the aforementioned aspects are crucial as the resources and environment of the family have a direct influence on how children and adolescents deal with emotions, relationships as well as their potential for future success (Wen, 2008). Nonetheless, it is fundamental to perceive the child as an individual actor whose needs must be considered in the context of their own childhood and not merely as an extension of the needs of all of those who share the status of being children. Word count: 1,241

The Enlightenment Period and Napoleons Rule Essay -- European History

The time of the Enlightenment was a time of great change, reform, and the emergence of great minds such as Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and even Copernicus. These men cleared the path to thinking in a new way and brought about the change necessary for the Scientific Revolution. The Enlightenment allowed people to think more critically and even was the time in which the â€Å"Experimental Method† was consolidated by Galileo Galilei (1564-1642, Buckler, J., Crowston, p.592 para. 6). It allowed people to begin to think â€Å"out of the box† if you will. Monarchies and the power of the king before this time ruled over the general population unthreatened and very rarely did opposition come to stand. Quite often if opposition did stand it was shortly met with a quick disbanding, or even the death of the â€Å"heretic† that created the uprising. Napoleon was a good example; he did not stand for freedom of speech and quite often worked to regulate publ ic opinion. However, with the Enlightenment around the corner, it helped to pave the way and prepare the country of France for the French Revolution. Commoners, as well as the clergy, and nobility began to stand up more against monarchical rule, and voiced their opinions on controversial subjects. With the emergence of Napoleon Bonaparte the future of France seemed to be a dictatorship under his rule inevitably. The French Revolution was a time also of great change. The hopes of the people were moving from an absolutist monarchy to a hopeful constitutional rule by the peoples, with the help of the Estates General which had not been called upon since 1614 (Buckler, J., Crowston. P.689, para. 3). In July, of 1788 King Louis XVI listened to his people and called a spring sessions of the est... ...lution by commanding the states as emperor. Although he did solve many economic crises, won many victories in strategic battles, and helped progress equal rights among citizens, he did not uphold the most important ideal of the French Revolution which was to be more about a people governed constitution not a dictatorship under Napoleon. In Conclusion, Napoleon was a very charismatic leader, and did many great things for France. As an emperor he was more than well liked and was probably one of the most intriguing individuals of his time, he was a brilliant strategic thinker, and got what he aimed at done generally. However, his over ambitious thoughts led to his downfall at the battle of Waterloo in which the allies of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Britain defeated him and imprisoned him on the island of St. Helena far off the western coast of Africa.