A Report On The Albuquerque Police Department - 1502 Words

The Albuquerque Police Department has shot twice as many people as the police departments in cities of similar size (Kim). Police officials claim that Albuquerque has a high number dangerous situations and that firing their weapons is necessary, which hasn’t been proven. Many individuals argue that shooting dangerous suspects is necessary for the police to do their jobs adequately and to protect themselves, which isn’t the case in every situation. Some departments within the Albuquerque Police Department are in need of reform to prevent the number of fatal police shootings within the city.The Albuquerque Police Department would highly benefit from reforms geared toward their officers’ training. It’s clear that there is a problem within the department because of the high number of shootings perpetrated by police. Compared to other cities around the nation, it becomes evident that the number of fatal shootings is highly abnormal, and that reform is necessary to prevent that number from rising even higher. Another factor that proves reform is necessary is that many of the fatally shot were mentally ill, and not criminals. If police were trained on how to deescalate situations instead of shoot, it could prevent unnecessary deaths. Police learning to differentiate between situations when shooting a suspect is required or not could also save the city money. If reform doesn’t happen quickly, it invites more problems. Officers may see that their colleagues aren’t being punishedShow MoreRelatedReducing Police Shootings: A Look at Albuquerque Police Department Shootings974 Words   |  4 PagesAre the police warranted in self-defense or are the police using excessive force and how does this ratio of shootings in Albuquerque compare to other cities in similar size and population? The fallout shows the sides of two groups of people who believe they are in the right. The activists against police involved shootings believe that the officers of Albuquerque react to situations with deadly force too often and necessitate changes. The supporters of the police force believe that the shootingsRead MoreThe Effect Of Body Cameras On Police Work1722 Words   |  7 Pagescity with positive results from the use of body-cameras. In Rialto, police began wearing body-cameras a little less than three years ago. As a result of officers wearing body-cameras, citizens’ complaints against police officers dropped 88 percent and use of force by police officers dropped 60 percent from the previous 12 month period when body-cameras were not in use. Rialto’s police chief said, â€Å"When you put a camera on a police officer, they tend to behave a little better, follow the rules a littleRead MoreThe Problem Of New Mexico868 Words   |  4 Pagesspecific strikes where the city police and court will be able to take an action against those repeat criminals for their crimes. Five specific strikes where the court or p olice can take action are Kidnapping, shooting, criminal sexual penetration, murder, and armed robbery. However, if there were more crimes were added to the New Mexico strikes then there would have been so many less crimes that would have taken place on the streets. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, â€Å"Prisoners in 2013†Read MoreCommunity Based Corrections Essay example1108 Words   |  5 Pagesthat promote education, healthy lifestyles and positives choices for youth and their families. (Youth Services Center) In a publication I found a research on Evidence- Bases Adult Corrections Program – What Works and What Does Not. In this report, the outcome is to determine the reduction of crime reduction in offenders. There research question is straight forward: â€Å"What works, if anything to lower the recidivism rates of adult offenders?† They applied methodology in this study and theirRead MoreSchool Uniforms And The Success Of Public Schools1099 Words   |  5 Pageswith violence, failing school districts, and attendance policies (U.S Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences) and uniform policies have been proven to benefit such schools. Many schools implement a school uniform to combat violence and gang related activities. Gangs present a growing challenge for schools, particularly those within an urban setting. A report by the US Department of Education and the Department of Justice (2014) found that 16% of schools reported gang related activitiesRead MoreAggravating Factors that Lead to Excessive Force by Police Force1972 Words   |  8 Pagesarticles used in this review needed to be current (published within the last 20 years). The articles moreover needed to include a suitable designed study and/or a suitable designed literature review in relevance to excessive force and the abuse of police authority. The reviewed literature included a thorough evaluation from an analysis of secondary data consisting of information gathered from criminal justice peer reviewed journal articles of when excessive force occurs the most and how force canRead MoreRace Based Hostility And Bias1042 Words   |  5 Pages Who Polices The Police? â€Å"I can’t breathe,† imagine having to hear your father, son, or brother desperately gasp for air while murmuring those words, â€Å"I can’t breathe.† It’s heart wrenching, but now visualize him being viscously choked from behind by a police officer. The predicament is startling and unseen. Your loved one has surrendered but the officer has no intention of relinquishing his grip, restricting the airway, making it incredibly difficult to breathe. Suddenly, the police officer forcesRead MoreCriminal Justice As An Adjunct Professor At The Nevada Air National Guard Essay1196 Words   |  5 PagesSUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: Thirty-five years of policing experience in a large metropolitan police department with a tourist based economy. Retired in 2009 as the Assistant Chief of Police. Operational and Senior command experience in Administration, Patrol and Detective Divisions. Recognized internationally for training, presentations and publications in Community and Problem Oriented Policing and a wide-range of other policing topics. Retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nevada Air NationalRead MorePolice Brutality And The United States Essay1408 Words   |  6 PagesPolice brutality in the United States has escalated in recent times. To develop a peaceful environment amongst human beings, one of the main topics to look at is human rights. While more often than not, police brutality violates the concept of human rights it is still a very important task to discuss the topic and create possible solutions to such a concerning and threatening issues in the United States. In this case, statistics is a very important factor that is required to display how serious ofRead MorePolice Brutality On The American Public2006 Words   |  9 PagesAbdarahmane Toure English II Dr. Hollins Ph.D Solution Problem Thesis Police Brutality It is never a bad time to discuss matters of police brutality since at any given time some American gets pulled over or chased down the streets. When the police get hold of him, they probably will use excessive force in getting him to the ground and cuffing him, they might beat him a little bit in the process, just at the scene or maybe later at the station

American Education The Afflicted System - 1210 Words

Children are the unbridled hopes and dreams of society. They embody power, ambition, and innocence. Children are the untainted saviors of the future. They are full of energy and have minds developing at a rate that is perfect for being educated. They are the future of the world. Everyone wants to invest in the future for whatever personal vendetta they may have. With the amount of emphasis on children and education it is not surprising that the processes by which the next generation is being taught has become scrutinized on many occasions. American public education has been a major issue for almost as long as it has been around. Many movements and people have tried solutions that they believe will solve the problems with the education system. Some solutions had good intentions but were not implemented well. Other solutions had little to no benefits on the system. Education has taken the back seat and allowed standardized testing to drive. American education has become a deformed and twisted system with many flaws that are in desperate need of repair. The Beginnings of American Public Education Early British colonist established the first schools in America. The schools in the Northern states closely resembled those used in Great Britain. Most children attended school to learn the basics of arithmetic, reading, and writing. White males of higher-level socioeconomic families would then receive higher education and possibly attend college. The schools were community basedShow MoreRelatedCase Study : Become Involved With The American Lyme Disease Foundation835 Words   |  4 PagesMeghan Pratt COM 101 Professor Miller Proposition of Policy: Become involved with the American Lyme Disease Foundation. Introduction: Imagine, as a 12 year old, not being able to move. Every part of your body feels like lead and you’re barely able to lift your head up. You have no energy, sleeping all day and hardly able to perform mundane, everyday activities. Headaches and stomach pains are a normal part of your life. You stop hanging out with your friends and become isolated in your room becauseRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Society1637 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen living in American culture for a considerable amount of time noticing the ups and downs of different parties and groups as individuals, it is easily negotiable and understating that the region is not following the concepts of communism anymore and instead, the business reform and foundation is based on the power and strength that different corporations have on the world networks. It was because of the business makers and other ruling measurements and formations that American began to move awayRead MoreExorcism And Harijan Possession Du ring Modern Society1206 Words   |  5 Pagesproblems for both groups of people and mirrors other issues within their respective societies. In the modern Harijan caste, possession rituals happen more frequently than Catholic exorcisms. This is not because Harijan society is less modernized than American society, although it may be less science-oriented and rigorous, but both societies are attempting to deal with or in some ways unconsciously hide the same types of issues with the use of rituals. To understand how these societies are using theseRead MoreEssay about The Struggles Facing LD Students1306 Words   |  6 Pageseducational system and they always will be. These students have a single goal in mind, but their disability and social barriers keep them from it. On the other hand, educators have pledged to teach all students, but some fail to teach LD students. This represents an ethical, moral, and legal breakdown of their responsibilities. Educators need to be properly trained and aware of how to meet the needs of these students. The lack of such leads to failure. Students fail because they are afflicted by a disa bilityRead MoreThe Civil War Era Was A Period Of Major Medical Advancement Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pagesresults of the battles and the war as a whole. Advancements in medical procedures, sanitation, infection control, field hospitals and triage, nursing techniques, and the development of the American Red Cross all greatly impacted the mortality rates of soldiers in both the Union and the Confederate armies during the American Civil War in both positive and negative ways. Amputations were the most effective and renowned surgical technique during this time period. Amputations were wildly taboo procedures thatRead MoreOverview of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 20001361 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Importance of United Cerebral Palsys Assistance to Developmentally Disabled Adults and the Health Care System as a Whole Introduction Children born today have a fifty-fifty chance to live to be one hundred years old or more, and the quality of their lives will be affected by the research and empirical data that is being generated by organizations dedicated to helping developmentally disabled adults live more meaningful lives. These programs also serve as a benchmark in the battle againstRead MoreGovernment and Nursing Organization Influencing Nursing Education Comparison of Poland and China696 Words   |  3 Pages. In 1961, Beijing Second Medical College established a department of nursing to enroll working nurses for further education (Chen, 1996; Yu, Xu Zhang, 2000). Government and Nursing Organizations Influencing Nursing Education: Comparison of Poland and China Poland In Poland, various organizations have influenced the nurse education and training. In 1925, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) accepted the establishment and membership of the Polish Nursing Association of Professional NursesRead More The I-Function And Alzheimers Disease: Where is The Person?1243 Words   |  5 Pagesform of dementia that involves the destruction of brain cells, and ultimately leads to death (1). What makes AD such a frightening disease, for both the patient and their family members, is the loss of self associated with the dementia. Those afflicted with AD cant understand the changes going on within themselves. Family members are upset by the loss of the person they once knew. It is common for daughters (for example) to say that a mother in the later stages of AD is not their mom becauseRead MoreDifference Between Schooling And Education1277 Words   |  6 Pagesinstitutions: health, economics, politics, religion, family and education. These institutional structures function to carry out the work of societies. Throughout the history of the United States of America the educational institution has undergone many structural, functional and methodological renovations. Beginning with the introduction of compulsory schooling, the intentions of the original planners of the modern schooling system have been gradually, yet radically, misconstrued. It is the goalRead MoreThe Inclusion Of Education On Mental Illness1461 Words   |  6 PagesArguing For the Inclusion of Education on Mental Illness Mental illness affects millions of people around the world. What is surprising, however, is the lack of public information and education about mental illness. With the amount of undiagnosed mental illnesses and disorders as well as the number of suicide attempts that occur daily, it should become a priority for the education system to introduce public classes on mental illness for not just adults or teens but for younger children as well. Educating

Training and Development Environment for Team Work- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theTraining and Development Environment for Team Work. Answer: Introduction Training and retention of employees are the most significant aspects among the ten forces in training and development environment. It is undeniable that learning is continuous in most of the companies that have been successful and those that want to remain at the top of the ever-changing and competing market (Smith, 2017). In my workplace, as an operational manager in the Barista Information Technology Limited, that mainly deals in manufacturing mobile phones and other electronic devices, I have realized that the success of a company mostly depends on the team that works mutually to a common objective, and it is not an easy task to build such a team as supported by Ulrich (2017). Creating such a team always takes not less than six months and might proceed for years. It is, therefore, critical to a manager to have the capability of identifying the potential in every employee and help in nurturing them instead of letting them go unnecessarily according to Noe and Winker (2012). Technol ogical advancement is one of the industry consisting of diverse customers with ever-changing taste and needs that will never be satisfied at ones with one device, thus offers a space for development and competition in inevitability. The continuous technological change and development makes me as the operational manager to put more emphasis on it to ensure that the company remains in commanding the market through conducting proper strategic training and development on various skills such as customers services, innovation, teamwork and many others (Makikangas et al., 2016). Throughout the years, I have realized that practice also plays an essential role in retaining the best skills, since after training; the employees will always tend to feel that their contribution is significant to the company. According to Noe and Winker (2012), there are different forces that drive and determine the process of learning in a workplace, and among them improving team work skills is the most significant. Improving the teamwork skills Organizations success depends mostly on the employee's capability and collaboration with one another. As the company that consists of about 400 employees ranging from different ranks and performing different tasks that depend on one another to have the final products, the best team tends to enhance the individual ability and encourage all the partners to improve as an individual as well as a team (White, 2017). A mutually relating team always tends to do the best, beat other companies, and at the same time strive to remain at the top. To this company, the following areas need to be addressed to ensure that the Information Department is at the par with the global technological needs. To improve the skills in team, as the manager the following are very essential. Leadership Leadership tends to go beyond the management expectations of balancing budgets and schedules of an organization (Taplin et al., 2013). Therefore, to successfully offer leadership, the manager must be able to set goals and achieve them within the timeline with the help of the employees. Most of the leaders tend to have their way rather than incorporating employees ideas that might bring a breakthrough in the company. Such managers find it difficult to build a respective team members that can be retained and be able to retain it at the same time improving, leadership is a critical issue. Without proper team leadership, then the team members tend to go against or lose the organizations path. With such strays, the goals of the company tend to be difficult to achieve. Every leadership style tends to affect the commitment of the employees. Therefore, it is to my advantage to have and practice more participative leadership that will motivate the employees that their ideas count to the success of the company (Ulrich, 2017). With such motivation, the members will be willing to go the extra mile in taking the risk to try new ideas that will result in innovation skills. Hire the right people Team building entails having the right people rather than the best. Employees are the backbone of every business and company, therefore having the right people will give me as the manager, comfortable time in nurturing them into the line of the company (Fajcikova Urbancova, 2017). To most of the managers, who tend to pick the most experienced and talented, always face a difficult time in dealing with the Know all notion of the employees hence nurturing and developing them continuously becomes a difficult task. During the hiring, I will take into account how each interviewee will contribute to the company and how will he or she collaborate with others to have a shared vision. Innovation Innovation is a critical skill for every technology company that strives to be successful and remain as the commander of the market. All the employees in Barista must all be flexible and creative to build both simple and sophisticated appliance that will satisfy the needs of various customers (Azzam, 2013). The creativity is achievable through the provision of the free-work environment that will allow my employees to have their experiments. The free-work environment is improvable also through constructing different working spaces to the best innovators to provide privacy to their work. Besides, these secure rooms will also allow them to work at their own time that they feel very productive. Learning culture As the team builder, every member should be able to know that learning is a process and never stops. With the culture of learning in the system, it is possible to continue training and developing all employees irrespective of the ranks and achievements (Yan et al., 2017). The culture will allow every person to try different things in different departments, such as allowing a graphic designer to be in the marketing department or act as a project manager for some time. As a result, there will be a development of brainstorming in issues that could not be identified by people working in those areas, eventually results in learning system and improvement. Such problems identified and addressed by team members from other departments, also help in creating a stronger bond within them. Project plan for improving the teamwork skills Conducting Needs Assessment -Proper training is achievable after identification of the needs that is done using the SWOT analysis, to determine the strength and weakness of every individual in the innovation and production department. The process will allow me to identify the gaps that hinder the company from making advancement in technological growth (Knapp Mujtaba, 2011). With the gaps, I will ensure that the employees understand the need for them to take training in the devices that are required. It is observable that most of the employees cannot adequately use the circuit board and the connections which are the basis of every mobile phone. Ensuring readiness for training and environment-After the identification of the need for training, which is to make all the employees be at the par with the mobile circuit board, as the operation manager, I will ensure that the employees are both mentally and physically ready for the training (Schneider et al., 2011). This is achievable through preparing them that learning is a process and it does not mean any form of dumbness. Both the environment and the trainees are well chosen, to offer free atmosphere. Ensuring transfer of training-On-site training is good since it offers them to interact with the equipment that they will use daily. However, off-job training offers that peaceful mind and creates some sense of seriousness. The trainer's pact should be well-known innovators from most trusted companies such as Samsung, Sonny, and many others. The method of training should ensure that it covers all the skills, and therefore, the appropriate methods that will conform with the objectives of the training include lecturing, use of both audio and visual equipment and simulation. Developing an evaluation plan-The evaluation plan is essential in the determination of the achievement of the objectives. The evaluation shall be done severally during the process, through various means to determine the level of skills acquirement. The evaluations methods will include small questions to the trainees, both practical and theory. During the evaluation, the trainers to enable proper adjustment to the plan note discrepancies down. Selecting training method-For the training, the off-job training method is the most significant one from the trainees. They will give the trainees ample time to concentrate on the objectives of the training since in the vestibule training they are capable of learning deeply on machines and other devices that are critical for the manufacturing of the mobile phones. Besides they are farther away from all the job and domestic issues. Training method will include both the traditional methods and the e-learning. Monitoring and evaluation of the program-The monitoring and evaluation of the training shall be done through job rotation, to ensure that the trainees are actually at the par with the training objectives of acquiring more knowledge and skills in the circuit board connections through conducting another SWOT analysis (Quan Ian, 2015). The achievements are observable on the companys production, the behavior of the participants and from the supervisor's reports. With the objectives achieved, the employees can be rotated creating easy time when a colleague is taking time-off, off-peak periods or even sickness periods. Summary Employee training and development is critical to the success of every business organization and is always a continuous process no matter how successful the company or the individual is. To have the best employees, team building need to focus on both the skills and bonding should be the key role of every leader of an organization that is capable of identifying the strengths and weakness of the company, as attributed by every employee. The best talented should be used to train and develop the weak during on-job training programs, and proper training and development should follow a specific process to ensure that the objective is achievable. References Azzam, A. (2013). As technology and generations in medical education change, what remains is the intersection between educator, learners, assessment and context. International Review Of Psychiatry, 25(3), 347-356. doi:10.3109/09540261.2013.787048 Chanhoo, S., Kwangseo Ryan, P., Seung-Wan, K. (2015). Servant Leadership And Team Performance: The Mediating Role Of Knowledge-Sharing Climate. Social Behavior Personality: An International Journal, 43(10), 1749-1760. doi:10.2224/sbp.2015.43.10.1749 Faj?kov, A., Urbancov, H. (2017). The Role Of Organizations In Lifelong Learning And Development. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 65(2), 621-630. doi:10.11118/actaun201765020621 Gokdas, I., Torun, F. (2017). Examining the Impact of Instructional Technology and Material Design Courses on Technopedagogical Education Competency Acquisition According to Different Variables. Educational Sciences: Theory Practice, 17(5), 1733-1758. doi:10.12738/estp.2017.5.0322 Knapp, P. R., Mujtaba, B. G. (2011). Strategies for the Design and Administration of Assessment Center Technology: A Case Study for the Selection and Development of Employees. Journal Of Business Studies Quarterly, 2(2), 154-171. Mkikangas, A., Aunola, K., Seppl, P., Hakanen, J. (2016). Work engagement-team performance relationship: shared job crafting as a moderator. Journal Of Occupational Organizational Psychology, 89(4), 772-790. doi:10.1111/joop.12154 Parmelee, D. X., Hudes, P. (2012). Team-based learning: A relevant strategy in health professionals' education. Medical Teacher, 34(5), 411-413. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2012.643267 Quan, L., Di, Y., Lan, L. (2015). Factors Influencing Knowledge-Sharing Behaviors And Learning Effect: A Multilevel Investigation. Social Behavior Personality: An International Journal, 43(10), 1683-1698. doi:10.2224/sbp.2015.43.10.1683 Schneider, V. I., Healy, A. F., Barshi, I., Kole, J. A. (2011). Following navigation instructions presented verbally or spatially: Effects on training, retention and transfer. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25(1), 53-67. doi:10.1002/acp.1642 Smith, S. P. (2017). Adult Learners: Effective Training Methods. Professional Safety, 62(12), 22-25. Taplin, S. H., Foster, M. K., Shortell, S. M. (2013). Organizational Leadership For Building Effective Health Care Teams. Annals Of Family Medicine, 11(3), 279-281. doi:10.1370/afm.1506 Ulrich, B. (2017). Using Teams to Improve and Performance. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 44(2), 141-152. White, A. (2017). Driving Business Retention, Expansion And Attraction Programs To A Higher Level Through Talent Pipeline Management. Economic Development Journal, 16(4), 28-36. Yan, R., Baiyin, Y., Lin, M. (2017). Leaders' Sense Of Power And Team Performance: A Moderated Mediation Model. Social Behavior Personality: An International Journal, 45(4), 641-656. Doi:10.2224/Sbp.5662

The Hand Is the Instrument of the Mind free essay sample

The human hand, so delicate and so complicated, not only allows the mind to reveal itself but it enables the whole being to enter into special relationships with its environment. We might even say that man â€Å"takes possession of his environment with his hands†. (Montessori M, The Secret of Childhood, 1972, p 81) Maria Montessori stated that our hands are what put us as humans above the rest of the animal species. This is because humans are the only species to use their hands separately to their legs, and humans use their hands to create and change their environment to suit their needs. Our hands are not simply used instinctively, but are guided by our minds. Our minds are also guided by the development activities of the hand! That is to say, when we are born we all have the same basic hands, but our minds are what determine what we do with them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hand Is the Instrument of the Mind or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The work of our hands reflects our skills or intelligence, as the paintings of an artist reflect his creative skill, or the music of a pianist reflects his musically developed mind. Also our hands’ experience helps us to learn and develop our minds. Sensorial materials focus very much on using the hand to build the child’s intelligence. While building the Pink Tower or Broad Stair he is exposed to concepts such as height, depth, length and breadth. When his fingers feel the ‘Touch Boards’ and ‘Touch Tablets’ he learns concepts like rough and smooth. Holding the Baric Tablets teach him what light and heavy means. As he places his palms on the Thermic Tablets he will discover the difference between hot and cold. Using his hands he will shake the sound cylinders and his mind will be exposed to louder and softer. Our minds or brain form an idea, instruction or thought, our hands put these ideas into action. The brain continues to correct and perfect the hands creation until satisfaction in the end product is achieved. i. e. the hand carries out the brains desire and wishes. Therefore, it is important for the activities of the hand to be development perfectly whereby movement of the hand is refined. â€Å"The more delicate the work, the more it needs the care and attention of an intelligent mind to guide it. † The sensorial materials are designed to develop or train the senses, and it is this material that does the teaching through the childs sensorial manipulation of it. The materials are appealing to the child and are designed to prepare the child for future work. Because of the graded, (strong contrasts to more delicate differences) sequential order (easier to more difficult skills that build on one another) of the materials, the child’s ability to perceive things in a more refined way and ordered way becomes apparent. Opportunity for repetition is encouraged as repetition is what builds and exercise the senses, and builds up the intellectual information in the brain. It is agreed then that Montessori in stating; â€Å"The whole business of the mind is to guide the business of the hand† implies that must movement and development of the hand through means of practical and concrete manipulation is needed for the intellect to develop.

Cold War Essays (1954 words) - International Relations,

Cold War Cold War My first inclination would be to answer the first question with a clear "YES". But come to think of it, the causes of war really have not changed at all, or at least very little. Rather than changes, there has been a shift in the causes. The cause of war which has dominated the last 50 years was the cause of ideology. However, due to the recent end of the Cold War, this cause of war, has significantly declined and is almost trivial. The causes of war have shifted from mainly ideological ones to economic, ethnic and others. Although these reasons have always played a role as causes of war throughout history, they were in the last 50 years overshadowed by the cause of ideology. Now, with ideology not on top of the agenda anymore, these causes have regained their importance. After the second World War the world was dominated by two superpowers; the USA and the USSR. The Cold War was a result of this division of power and of the important policy of spheres of influence. In the post WWII-era the Americans thought that the Russians were aiming to incorporate Western Europe (the US British sphere of influence) into their sphere of influence (Eastern Europe) by supporting the communists in these countries. Their fears were enforced when a "coup substituted communist for coalition rule in Prague." (Calvocoressi, p.15)(even though this is an Eastern European Country, the fact that a coup was staged against a democratic government is reason enough to raise their fears). In this ideologically hostile environment the Cold War began. It was characterised by the arms race between the two superpowers who were eager to preserve their spheres of influence. Both developed such powerful weapons which were too dangerous to be used in practice, but which contributed to the feeling of security, because they acted as deterrent. (These weapons could be used "politically"[as deterrent] but not "militarily"[since they would bring complete annihilation].) "Each side armed itself to win a war which it expected the other to begin but for which it had no stomach and no plans." (Calvocoressi p.4) Europe was a very stable area in the post-WWII era. All the conflicts between the superpowers, were never directly between US and Soviet troops, but in these conflicts one superpower supported one side and the other one the other side. These were staged in the Middle-East, Africa, and Asia. These Wars were "proxy" wars, which almost always began because one superpower saw its (often ideological) interests threatened. Thus they begun to support one side; for example in Korea and Vietnam, where the US feared a communist government to take over instead of a "democratic" one. On one occasion, the whole World held its breath, as everyone thought that now the Cold War would turn "hot"; the Cuban missile crises. The stationing of Russian missiles on Cuba was seen as an atrocious provocation by the US, since it was in what the Americans had always considered as their "backyard", and they had no defence (weapons) facing that way(actually, the fact that Castro was in power was sufficient reason for them to be enraged, and they tried several times to assassinate or overthrow him). Ever since that incident, there has been an era of dtente, but only in terms of arms, not in terms of ideology. When, during the 1980s, Gorbachev was in power, he signed several arms treaties and introduced reforms into the Soviet Union. Critics argued however, that the reforms were to radical, and they said that they were introduced too quickly. As a result to this, and of the re-unification of Germany on the 3rd of October 1989, the whole eastern bloc could be seen to move into a more liberal direction; the Soviet Union started to disintegrate. Several states declared their independence from mother Russia, for example the Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova and Georgia. Due to the reforms Russia fell into economic chaos. Inflation rose to four figures, and prices for the bare necessities of life, e.g. Bread, soared up. People could not just buy bread when they wanted, which was not just due to the high prices, but also because there were shortages in supply. There still is more or less economic chaos in Russia; inflation is still high, and because of the economic chaos, crime rates have soared up. Still, it looks like if it finally is going to change for the better; last year the stock prices of Russian Companies rose by 300%. Since the end of the Cold War a "new World order" has established itself. The main cause

Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons

Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons The ability to read is one of the most powerful tools teachers and parents can give students. Literacy is strongly correlated with future economic  and professional success. Illiteracy, on the other hand, exacts a steep price.  The National Center for Education Statistics notes that 43 percent  of adults with the lowest reading levels live in poverty, and according to the National Institute for Literacy, 70  percent of people on welfare have extremely low literacy. Furthermore, 72  percent of children of parents with low literacy will themselves have low literacy, and are more likely  to perform poorly in school and drop out.   Early and elementary education offers  a key opportunity to break this cycle of economic hardship. And while the mechanics of reading and writing are essential building blocks, reading comprehension allows students to move beyond decoding and into understanding and enjoyment. Understanding Reading Comprehension The easiest way to explain reading comprehension is to put a reader in the position of someone who is deciphering letters and words rather than comprehending (attaching meaning to) them. Try reading this: Fà ¦der ureà °u à °e eart on heofenumsi à °in nama gehalgodto-becume à °in ricegeweorà ¾e à °in willa on eorà °an swa swa on heofenum.Urne ge dà ¦ghwamlican hlaf syle us to-deagand forgyf us ure gyltasswa swa we forgifaà ¾ urum gyltendumane ne gelà ¦de à °u us on costnungeac alys us of yfle. Using your knowledge base of phonetic sounds, you might be able to â€Å"read† the text, but you would not understand what you’d just read. You most certainly would not recognize it as The Lord’s Prayer. What about the following sentence? Fox grape grey shoe on land title base. You may know each word and its meaning, but that doesnt give the sentence meaning. Reading comprehension involves three distinct components: processing text (sounding out the syllables to decode the words), understanding what was read, and making connections between the text and what you already know. Vocabulary Knowledge vs. Text Comprehension Vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension are two vital elements of reading comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge refers to understanding individual words. If a reader doesn’t understand the words he is reading, he won’t understand the text as a whole. Because vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading comprehension, children should  be exposed to a rich vocabulary and should always be learning new words. Parents and teachers can help by defining potentially unfamiliar words that students will encounter in texts and teaching students to use contextual clues to understand the meaning of new words. Text comprehension builds on vocabulary knowledge by allowing the reader to combine the meanings of the individual words to understand the overall text. If you’ve ever read a complicated legal document, a challenging book, or the previous example of a nonsensical sentence, you can understand the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension. Understanding the meaning of most of the words does not necessarily translate into understanding the text as a whole. Text comprehension relies on the reader making connections with what hes reading. Reading Comprehension Example Most standardized tests include sections that assess reading comprehension. These assessments focus on identifying the main idea of a passage, understanding vocabulary in context, making inferences, and identifying the author’s purpose. A student might read a passage such as the following about dolphins. Dolphins are aquatic mammals (not fish) well-known for their intellect, gregarious nature, and acrobatic abilities. Like other mammals, they are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, feed their babies milk, and breathe air through their lungs. Dolphins have a streamlined body, a pronounced beak, and a blowhole. They swim by moving their tail up and down to propel themselves forward.A female dolphin is called a cow, a male is a bull, and the babies are calves. Dolphins are carnivores that eat marine life such as fish and squid. They have great eyesight and use this along with echolocation to move about in the ocean and locate and identify objects around them.Dolphins communicate with clicks and whistles. They develop their own personal whistle, which is distinct from other dolphins. Mother dolphins whistle to their babies frequently after birth so that the calves learn to recognize their mothers whistle. After reading the passage, students are asked to answer questions based on what they read to demonstrate their understanding of the passage. Young students might be expected to understand from the text that dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean. They eat fish and communicate with clicks and whistles. Older students might be asked to apply information gleaned from the passage to facts they already know. They could be asked to infer the meaning of the term carnivore from the text, identify what dolphins and cattle have in common (being identified as a cow, bull, or calf) or how a dolphin’s whistle is similar to a human fingerprint (each is distinct to the individual). Methods of Assessing Reading Comprehension There are several ways to evaluate a student’s reading comprehension skills. One method is to use a formal assessment, like the example above,  with reading passages followed by questions about the passage. Another method is to use informal assessments. Ask students to tell you about what they read or retell the story or event in their own words. Put students in discussion groups and listen to what they have to say about the book,  watching for areas of confusion and  students who are not participating. Ask students for a written response to the text, such as journaling, identifying their favorite scene, or listing the top 3 to 5 facts they learned from the text. Signs That a Student Is Not Able to Comprehend What Hes Reading One indicator that a student is struggling with reading comprehension is difficulty reading aloud. If a student struggles to recognize or sound out words when he’s reading orally, he’s likely encountering the same struggles when reading silently. Weak vocabulary is another indicator of poor reading comprehension. This is because students who struggle with text comprehension may have difficulting learning and incorporating new vocabulary. Finally, poor spelling and weak writing skills may be a signal that a student isn’t able to comprehend what he’s reading. Difficulty spelling may indicate problems remembering letter sounds, which means that the student is likely also having trouble processing text. How to Teach Effective Reading Comprehension It might seem as though reading comprehension skills develop naturally, but that’s because students gradually begin to internalize the techniques. Effective reading comprehension skills must be taught, but it’s not difficult to do. There are simple strategies to improve reading comprehension that parents and teachers can employ. The most important step is to ask questions before, during, and after reading. Ask students what they think the story is going to be about based on the title or cover. As you’re reading, ask students to summarize what they’ve read so far or predict what they think will happen next. After reading, ask students to summarize the story, identify the main idea, or highlight the most important facts or events. Next, help children make connections between what they’ve read and their experiences. Ask them what they would have done if they had been in the main character’s situation or if they’ve had a similar experience. Consider reading challenging texts aloud. Ideally, students will have their own copy of the book so that they can follow along. Reading aloud models good reading techniques and allows students to hear new vocabulary in context without disrupting the flow of the story. How Students Can Improve Reading Comprehension Skills There are also steps that students can take to improve their reading comprehension skills. The first, most basic step is to improve overall reading skills. Help students select books about topics that interest them and encourage them to  read at least 20 minutes each day. It’s okay if they want to start with books below their reading level. Doing so can help students focus on what they’re reading, rather than on decoding more challenging text, and improve their confidence. Next, encourage students to stop every so often and summarize what they’ve read, either mentally or aloud with a reading buddy. They may want to make notes or use a graphic organizer to  record their thoughts. Remind students to get  an overview of what they’ll be reading by first reading chapter titles and subheadings. Conversely, students can also benefit from skimming over the material after they’ve read it. Students should also take steps to improve their vocabulary. One way to do so without disrupting the flow of reading is to jot down unfamiliar words and look them up after they’ve finished their reading time.

Movie review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Movie review - Essay Example The archival footage and McNamara’s interview highlight the lessons learnt from the wars and provide insights into the international relations and security issues of America. When we saw the movie, we draw some very sound conclusions regarding McNamara’s body language. We see a man admitting his sheer blunders regarding the important political decisions whose repercussions ranged from Vietnam to Japan, causing thousands of deaths and saved the world from annihilation of nuclear war by sheer luck not because of intelligence information. The people would definitely agree that the crimes he committed are completely unforgiving and unforgettable. His decisions regarding life and death are themselves a depiction of painful humility for him as depicted in the documentary. Although McNamara admits that he has been terribly wrong with reference to Vietnam War and could have done more to redirect the decision of president’s office, but he does not say sorry although Morris tried to prompt him. This shows his stubborn and pride in himself. On one side, he seems to be regretful but on the other side; he is justifying the decisions which caused mammoth human loss. The movie comes up with eleven lessons learnt from the life of McNamara. But the one lesson seems to be very inappropriate i.e. in order to do something good, you may have to engage in evil. This statement comes up as the justification from McNamara for his horrendous decisions in the cruise missile conflict, Vietnam and Japan wars but history vehemently reveals that nothing good came out after engaging in the evil in case of McNamara. In the movie, many times it appears that Morris as director is trying to symbolize one life of McNamara to illustrate the other as an active and passive actor of the history where he has participated in the war as a witness and an actor too. Morris has tried to illustrate the

Hospitality and Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hospitality and Tourism - Essay Example is evident that the business world comes with many uncertainties and therefore, gaining knowledge and information is a way of creating a competitive advantage. In this way, an important feature in the modern hospitality and tourism industry is the understanding of new techniques and procedures through staff training. Training and orientation is the work of the Human Resource Management (HRM) as a way of enhancing employee performance, while putting their expertise to good use as well as specialization in their job. It is therefore, important to understand the significant of personnel training as well as orientation in hospitality and tourism industry in a bid to enhance performance (Barrows and Powers, 2008). The drastic changing world of business requires making use of human capital to enhance performance in order to achieve the organizational goals. The human resource manager in the hospitality industry should understand the various changes in globalization, technological advances, staff diversity, shortage of labour, and employee involvement among others (Gonzà ¡lez and Tacorante, 2004). Training and nurturing employees is a concept that cannot be undermined by the human resource because it adds knowledge and power to become successful. New employees in hospitality and tourism sector need training to understand their duties and the existing employees need more knowledge to comprehend the changes in this sector. It is evident that thorough training exposes an employee’s competencies and behaviours to perform better (Ahammad, 2013). The many changes in technology, complex business systems, and uncertainty in the business world, call for more knowledge and new skills. In essence, (Gazija, 2011) argues that the hospitality and tourism industry witness mass production and generation of different products or services and customers are especially selective when purchasing them. In this way, this new demands in the hospitality industry need new solutions and wide

The Curriculum for todays fifteen to eighteen year olds Essay Example for Free

The Curriculum for todays fifteen to eighteen year olds Essay The curriculum in todays schools has survived relatively unchanged for many years. It was created in a completely different world, one where computers were not used and jobs for the uneducated were easy to find. The world has changed significantly since then, but should the education system? The job market is a competitive one, and an extra qualification can make all the difference. One qualification that is needed for nearly every position is that of Information and Communication Technology, in other words, computers. Computers are used for many purposes in nearly every company, for example, spreadsheets in finance, databases in stock keeping and desktop publishing in advertising. The skill needed to control the software and hardware is highly desirable, but the current curriculum in high schools does not reflect this. ICT was only introduced into the curriculum several years ago, and has been taught as a minor subject, comparable to the likes of Art and Music. Throughout high school, each school only has to complete one hour of ICT per week, although it can be taken optionally as a GCSE subject, or as a GNVQ. A large number do not opt for the latter options, which leaves them with a qualification equal to half a single GCSE. I do not believe that the curriculums compulsory ICT lessons are sufficient now that more and more jobs are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. I personally think that ICT provision should be increased to three hours a week, making it on level with the main academic subjects of English, Maths and Science. This will enable pupils to study a wider range of software, and complete more theory work, which is an aspect currently neglected. These extra skills will be beneficial in the workplace. I am aware that to cope with the extra number of ICT lessons, more computers would be needed, and spaces to put them, but even with this extra expenditure, the benefits of having a full ICT qualification would be well worth it. There are quite a few things that are needed in later life that are not taught in school. These include money management, communication skills, stress management and form writing. If these skills were taught in schools, it would make later life a little easier to cope with. Many people struggle to look after their money, especially if they stay in education at university. People also struggle to understand the workings of finance, so an education in money management would be beneficial to all pupils. Quite a few pupils in schools lack the confidence to speak to people they do not know, or fail to get their point across clearly during a conversation. A course in communication would help people to speak more confidently, and to express them more clearly. It could also contain advice on how to deal with a job interview effectively. It is often mentioned in the media that our lives have become more stressful, and that we need to learn how to manage it. During exams, further education and our working lives, stress inevitably builds up, and if lessons were taken in high school on how to relieve that stress, people would not suffer from stress-related illness in later life, which can only be a good thing. Another skill that could be taught in schools is how to fill in forms. During adulthood, there are many, many forms that need to be filled in, such as application forms, benefit forms and census forms. Many people find this task daunting and confusing; they can fill the wrong boxes in, or write the incorrect information. Lessons in this skill would be beneficial and helpful to the pupils in the future. GCSEs are compulsory. Each Year 11 pupil has to take them by law, even if they havent got a chance of passing any. In my opinion, those pupils in lower groups could drop their GCSE courses and study for other qualifications. This would not solely be the students decision; parents and teachers would need to be consulted and involve in the decision swell. They would not be able to however, drop the academic subjects completely. English, Maths, Science and ICT would still need to be taken, although not at GCSE level and with no exam or qualification. By dropping many subjects, they would be able to take a vocational l course and get a vocational qualification at the end of it, like an NVQ. This would give then the skills to easily find a job, as they would already be trained for it, whilst if they had stayed on their GCSE course, they would have probably ended up with no qualifications, and would be stuck in a poorly paid job, if they got one at all. The curriculum that young people are taught today is flawed and is inappropriate for many young people. I feel that ICT should be made a subject comparable with the likes of Maths and English, essential skills needed for later life, like stress management and money management should be taught to pupils and the less-able pupils should be allowed to drop out of GCSEs and pursue a vocational qualification. These changes to the current curriculum would bring it up to date and make it more relevant for the youngsters of today.

Social Phobia and Perfectionism: Theories, Types and Models

Social Phobia and Perfectionism: Theories, Types and Models Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 2 – Epidemiology of Generalized and Specific Social Phobia Chapter 3 Etiological Hypotheses and Findings Chapter 4 The Behavioral Models of Social Phobia Abstract Derived from the Greek word for ‘fear’, a phobia represents a ‘fight or flight’ response that is described by the American Psychiatric Association as â€Å"†¦ an uncontrollable, irrational and persistent fear of a specific object †¦ situation †¦activity† (Phobia King, 2006). Social phobia, which is known as ‘phobia des situations socials’, was first termed by Pierre Janet (1903) whereby he described patients that demonstrated and or had a fear of being observed as they were either speaking, writing or performing other functions. Hurka (1993, p. 3) tells us that perfectionism is a â€Å"†¦ moral theory (that) starts from an account of the good life † Hurka (1993, p. 3) goes on to add that the ‘good life’ develops humanity properties to a high degree and or thus realizes what is important as well as central to human nature. The history of perfectionism can be traced back to Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia, the good life, and his belief that political structures and politics should thus promote this in its individuals (Aristotle and Irwin, translator, 1999, pp. 1-4). Other notable individuals throughout history noted for their devotion to perfectionism in varied forms are Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, Clement of Alexandria as well as Jesus who stated in his Sermon on the Mount said â€Å"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect† (MainBelieve.com, 2006). The dictionary defines ‘perfectionism’ as â€Å"a tendency to set rigid high standards of personal performance† (free dictionary.com, 2006). In psychology, perfectionism represents the belief that this is something which should be strived for and in its pathological sense it represents the unhealthy belief anything that is not perfect is unacceptable (coping.org, 2006). It also represents not making mistakes and striving to be the best, as well as the attitude that what one attempts needs to be done perfectly and a habit that is developed in one’s youth keeping one consistently alert to imperfections as well as weaknesses and failings in one’s self as well as others (coping.org., 2006). This paper shall examine these two areas, delving into their individual specificities as well as linkages and commonalities, revealing opposing views concerning the diagnosis and causes of these afflictions and the views which seemingly share many similar aspects. The term, phobia, is generally classified by psychiatrists and psychologists into three basic categories (Bourne, 2005, pp. 33-42) (Kessler et al, 2005, pp. 629-640): Social Phobias Specific Phobias Agoraphobia Isaac Marks (1969, p. 362) advises that the syndromes representing shyness, social anxiety along with social avoidance had been described as early as Hippocrates. Marks (1969, p. 362) reported that individuals with this affliction â€Å"†¦ through bashfulness, suspicion, and timorousness, will not be seen abroad, †¦ he dare not come in company, for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gestures of speeches †¦ he thinks every man observed him †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mark’s (1969) views and analysis is amplified by Heimberg et al (1995, p. 96) who state that individuals having this affliction â€Å"†¦ experience excessive fear of being humiliated or judged negatively in social or performance situations.† Juster et al (1996, pp. 403-410) state that perfectionism is linked to social phobia and is also related to anxiety as well as depression. Frost et al (1990, pp. 449-468) ‘Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale assesses perfectionism in terms of it being a phenomenon that consists of three segments: Self oriented, is described as the tendency for a person to seek as well as set high self standards concerning performance, Other oriented, is the tendency for a person to expect others to be perfect in their performance(s), Socially prescribed represents the tendency that a person expects others to think and or believe others expects them to be perfect in their performance. Frost et al (1990, pp. 449-468) define perfectionism as a malady that entails excessive self criticism that is associated with the setting or belief in higher personal standards and the allied concern of meeting expectations on a social level. The preceding also includes the tendency for excessive self criticism that is associated with their higher personal standards as well as their concerns for meeting what is, in their internal view, social expectations, along with the excessive focus concerning organization as well as neatness and doubts with regard to their effectiveness in their actions (Frost et al, 1990, pp. 449-468). The preceding describes the inter relatedness between social phobia and perfectionism that will be explored herein which shall examine each aspect and their links. Perfectionism has roots in aspects of social phobia, as well as the reverse being true. These two afflictions sometimes are present in individuals having social anxiety and are generally conditions that have their roots in early childhood. In examining these two areas, attention shall be paid to their individual diagnosis areas, signs, conditions and foundations, as well as the linkages between the varied forms of social phobia and perfectionism. This examination has been organized to set forth the preceding via segmenting the foregoing into areas that identify and explain the aspects of social phobia as well as perfectionism revealing the foregoing linkages and commonalities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000, pp. 154-156) defines social phobia as a persistent and marked fear of one or more performance and or social situations whereby an individual is exposed to people that are unfamiliar and thus subject to scrutiny by others whereby the person in question thus feels (fears) that they might or will act in such a manner, and or exhibit anxiety, which will either be embarrassing and or humiliating. The preceding concurs with Heimberg et al (1995, p. 96) who stated that individuals having this affliction â€Å"†¦ experience excessive fear of being humiliated or judged negatively in social or performance situations.† Social Anxiety Disorder represents the third highest mental health care problem globally and afflicts an estimated seven percent of the world’s population at any given point in time, with a thirteen percent chance that it will affect any one of us during our lives (Social Phobia / Social Anxiety A ssociation, 2005). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Social Anxiety Institute, 2006) defines social phobia as: A persistent fear of either one or more performance and or social situations whereby an individual is exposed to potential scrutiny by unfamiliar people and that they, the person in question, will act in a manner, and or show anxiety symptoms, which will be either humiliating and or embarrassing. That the exposure to the situation in almost all situations results in anxiety that can and usually does take the form of what is termed as being based upon situations and thus pre-disposed or bound Panic Attack. The individual experiencing the symptoms of social anxiety recognizes that they have a fear that is excessive and or unreasonable. The feared situations are thus avoided by this type of individual or are endured under intense distress and anxiety. The individual’s avoidance, distress and or anticipation of the feared situation thus significantly interferes with this person’s normal routine, functioning and an occupational and or academic manner, their social activities /relationships, and or they experience a marked distress concerning having the phobia. In those persons 18 years of age or less the general period of the duration of such an experience is generally six months. That the fear and or avoidance of the aforementioned is not due to the direct physiological effects of either drugs or medications, and or a general medical condition which could be accounted for by virtue of another mental disorder. The preceding diagnostic criteria provide a guideline, however they do not substitute an analysis and or visit to a mental health practitioner (Ohio State University, 2005). Examples of diagnostic criteria historical facets are described as (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000) : patients having a hypersensivity to criticism, along with a difficulty in being assertive, and or low self esteem as well as potentially inadequate social skills. They avoid speaking in front of groups of people, with the preceding potentially leading to difficulties in either work or education. In order to reach a diagnosis concerning social phobia in children the situation calls for observing their interactions with peers as opposed to observing them with adults, which represents a different context. In reaching and or considering a diagnosis, clinicians should seek to consider what is termed the co-morbid diagnosis represented by avoidant personality disorder when an individual exhibits generalized social phobia. It has been determined that a high percentage of individuals with social phobia have or have developed alcohol and or sedative abuse that aids them in tolerating social situations, however the preceding is not universally true. Symptoms and characteristics of social phobia consist of one, some or all of the following (Helpguide.org, 2006): Avoidance, Whereby an individual will go to great lengths to avoid the prospect of socializing based upon the fear that they will by either perceived in an adverse manner or be humiliated. If left untreated this condition can accelerate or develop into the condition known as agoraphobia. Low Self Esteem, Represents a condition which most individuals who are afflicted with social phobia experience and it is marked by the fact that the longer one remains in this condition the more it affects one’s sense of self worth. Depression, A common outgrowth of having a social anxiety disorder is that the feelings of extreme anxiety as well as the sense of the lack of control over one’s life can very well lead to depression. Alcohol and or Drug Abuse, It has been estimated that one fourth of the individuals with this condition abuse either alcohol and or drugs usually starting to alleviate the pain and then accelerating into wholesale abuse. Academic and Occupational Difficulties, The condition has been known to interfere with one’s ability to function at work as well as academically and can as well as has presented obstacles in these regards. Interpersonal Difficulties, Statistics and studies have determined that as a result of this condition, individuals are prone to be less likely to marry and also have fewer friends as well as social support. The symptoms represented by social phobia defer in respect to children and adults as generally represented by the fact that in the earlier stages children tend to fail to achieve their levels, and adults show declines from prior functioning levels (Biederman et al, 2001, pp. 49-57) (Stein, 2001, pp. 28-39). The symptoms as manifested by children frequently are observed as temper tantrums, clinging to parents, crying and interactive aspects such as the refusal to talk to others (Biederman et al, 2001, pp. 49-57). In adults, the symptoms include a number of physical anxiety signs along with behavior and attitude manifestations (Bruce and Saeed, 1999, pp. 2311-2322): blushing, nausea, dry mouth, sweating, tremors and other similar types of anxiety indicators, difficulty as represented with self assertion, an extreme sensitivity concerning criticism, negative evaluations and or rejection, an intense preoccupation and concern regarding the responses as well as reactions of other individuals, increased fears regarding the prospect of being either humiliated and or embarrassed, and the avoidance of situations that cause or create fear and or anxiety Olfson et al (2001, pp. 521-527) advise that the diagnosis of social phobia is generally based upon the history of the patient, along with reported symptoms. In keeping with an accurate diagnosis the physician may also utilize what is termed a diagnostic questionnaire which aids in ruling our other possible phobias, anxiety orders as well as major depression (Olfson et al, 2001, pp. 521-527). Screening and testing procedures for adults suspected of suffering from social phobia represents a problematic assessment as some general screeners, for example the Structured Clinical Interview does not include questions that are related to social phobia and such a test can take upwards of twenty-five minutes (Bruce and Saeed, 1999, pp. 2311-2322). In addition to the foregoing there are instruments such as the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale as well as the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale which are long and in general are useful more in the measurement of therapy progress (Bruce and Saeed, 1999, pp. 2311-2322). Interestingly, physicians have found that the utilization of a selected group of questions added to a general screening questionnaire has proved helpful in their detection of this condition; examples of the preceding are as follows (Olfson et al, 2001, pp. 521-527): Are feeling embarrassed or feeling as if you look stupid among your worst fears? Does the fear of embarrassment cause you to avoid doing certain things and or speaking to people? Do you avoid situations where you could be or are the center of attention? The diagnosis of children takes into account additional factors as a result of their age. Such includes the fact that they do not have the options of avoiding most situations which frighten them (Bogels and Zigterman, 2000). The preceding provides an explanation as to why children are less likely to be able to provide why they are thus anxious. Bogels and Zigterman (2000) advise that thus it is important for physicians to therefore evaluate their capacity concerning social relationships with individuals the child knows, as well as assess their interactions with those in their peer group for signs of social phobia indications in addition to their behavior with and around adults. Examples of the procedural aspects for the preceding entail the utilization of what are termed the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and Children, the parent completed Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher’s Report Form (Bogels and Z igterman, 2000). Social phobia differs from shyness in that the former condition causes individuals to avoid the anxiety producing situations by all means, whereas shyness can be attributed to a number of broad classifications as it represents different things to differing individuals. Crozier (1990, p. 2) states that â€Å"†¦ shyness is not a precise term. It refers to feeling awkward or uncertain in social situations.† Crozier (1990, p. 2) continues that shyness is associated with being and or feeling self conscious, the â€Å"†¦ excessive monitoring of one’s behaviors and over rehearsal of potential utterances† â€Å"The shy person feels anxious and often †¦ appears anxious to others† (Crozier, 1990, p. 2). Berent and Lemley (1994, p. 9) state that the word itself is â€Å"†¦ too general to be of much help in identifying a problem and solving it† and that shyness has varied degrees of complexity and intensity from extremely mild and applicable in a few situations, to more perverse whereby it can thus be termed as a social phobia. Berent and Lemley (1994, p. 10-11) advise us that shyness and social anxiety are closely related and in both instances as they represent a â€Å"†¦ learned response to social interaction†. They go on to explain that shy and or socially anxious individuals â€Å"†¦ may hesitate to pursue the things he or she is interested in, or even begin to avoid situations that cause nervousness or anxiety†. Thus, the spectrum entailing shyness ranges from relatively few instances to actual social phobia. Shyness is not necessarily a criterion for social phobia in that individuals having a social anxiety disorder can be comfortable with certain types and or many differing people; however, they feel intense regarding certain specific situations (CNN.com, 2006). Social anxiety disorder is termed as a social phobia, and or as a psychiatric anxiety disorder which entails overwhelming anxiety as well as excessive self consciousness concerning everyday situations (Crozier and Lynn, 2001, pp. 18-24). Individuals with this affliction often exhibit an intense, chronic as well as persistent fear that they are being watched along with being judged by others, thinking that they might be either humiliated and or embarrassed as a result of their own actions (Crozier and Lynn, 2001, pp. 18-24). The distinction between generalized and specific social anxiety is indicated as those having the generalized type have significant distress with most, if not all social type situations, whereas specific, as the word implies, refers to such situations with specific connotations. Examples of the preceding are evidenced by glossophobia, which is the fear of speaking or performing in public, scriptophobia, which is the fear of writing in public, or paruresis, the fear of utilizing public restrooms (Bruch, 1989, pp. 37-47). Sometimes referred to as anxious personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder is recognizable as a result of a pattern of social inhibition that is pervasive (Mental Health Matters.com, (2006). The foregoing description includes feelings of inadequacy as well as an extreme sensitivity regarding negative evaluation, and people with this affliction very often consider that they are socially inept and or unappealing on a personal level, thus they avoid situations entailing social interaction due to a fear of either being humiliated and or ridiculed. In general, avoidant personality disorder is usually first noticed in one’s early childhood and is usually associated with either a real or perceived rejection by one’s parents and or peers in that period (Dayhoff, 2000. pp. 29-38). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2000) is widely utilized in diagnosing avoidant personality disorder and is identifiable by four or more of the following (Rettew, 2 006): Avoidance of occupational activities which involve degrees of significant interpersonal contact as a result of fears regarding criticism, rejection and or disapproval. Being unwilling to get or be involved with someone unless being certain that one will be liked. Through showing restraint in intimate relationships as a result of fearing shame or ridicule. Being preoccupied in social situations with being criticized and or rejected. By being inhibited in new situations entailing interpersonal relationships due to feelings of being inadequate. Viewing one’s self as inept socially, being unappealing and or inferior to other people. Being reluctant to take on personal risks and or to engage in new activities as such could or might thus prove embarrassing. Comorbidity is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary (2006) as â€Å"A concomitant but unrelated pathological or disease process† with in the context of social phobia means the presence of either one or more such disorders as well as the primary disorder. Schuckit et al (1990, pp. 34-41) state that it represents the disorder that occurred first or the one representing the symptoms that are most dominant, which Klerman (1990, pp. 13-17) refers to as the primary disorder. The critical issues in dealing with comorbidity represents the proper and correct analysis of the varied disorders and understanding which one is the prevalent or primary one as well as the order, and impact of the associated disorders in which there are combination and their influences on the patient. Biederman et al (1991, pp. 565-577) indicates that there are several hypotheses which may be utilized to account for the true patterns of comorbidity and critical issues: that comorbid disorders are not distinct entities, they represent expressions termed phenotypic variability in the same disorder, that each comorbid disorder is a distinct as well as separate entity, that these disorders share vulnerabilities that are common, represented by genetic and or psychosocial, that these disorders have a distinct subtype, or genetic variant, and a heterogeneous disorder, that one syndrome represents what is termed an early manifestation, and that the development as represented by one syndrome can increase the risk of comorbid disorder. Caron and Rutter (1991, pp. 1063-1080) advise that the failure in understanding and attending to comorbidity patterns can thus cause researchers and physicians to come to misleading conclusions thereby creating negative intervention results. Achenbach (1990. pp. 271-278) warns us that the appearance of comorbidity might develop as a result of varied conceptual and or diagnostic models which can result in boundaries between disorders that are inappropriate and can potentially lead to the tendency for comparison of one diagnosis against normal individuals as opposed to other diagnosis. He warns that there is a need for well defined diagnosis in the instance of this occurrence, comorbidity (Achenbach, 1990. pp. 271-278). Chapter 2 – Epidemiology of Generalized and Specific Social Phobia Termed the study of the scientific factors which affect the illness and health of populations, epidemiology serves as the logic and foundational basis for interventions that are made in the interests serving public health, along with preventive medicine (Rothman and Greenland, 1998, p. 29). The field is regarded as a cornerstone in the methodology of health research for the public sector and has the reputation of being highly regarded in the field of what is termed evidenced based medicine for the identification of disease risk factors and the determination of optimal treatment in the approaches representing clinical practice (Rothman and Greenland, 1998, p. 29). Morabia (2006, p. 3) explains that epidemiology, in terms of the public, represents a medical discipline dealing with the â€Å"†¦ large scale outbreaks of infectious diseases†. Chronicled in â€Å"Epidemiologia Espanola† spanning a period of thirteen centuries, Villalba, a Spanish physician, complied a li sting of epidemics as well as outbreaks which helped to define the term (Morabia, 2006, p. 3). Even though the practice extends back to the 16th century, as a scientific discipline it is relatively recent. The mission of epidemiology has â€Å"†¦ historically been to identify determinants of human diseases †¦ mostly at the population level† (Morabia, 2006, p. 3), and this holds true today. Epidemiology is prevalent in today’s communities under the term ‘Community-oriented primary care’, or COPC) and represents a systematic health care approach that is based upon principles of epidemiology (Rhyne et al, 1998). Usage has demonstrated that COPC, representing primary care, health promotion and preventive medicine has positive community benefits on a global basis (Rhyne et al, 1998). The methodology, ‘Community-oriented primary care’, entails the process of seeking to improve the health of a community utilizing the aforementioned principles, public health, primary care and epidemiology, which traditionally has been used to describe the health care system whereby a community and or targeted population is thus the focus (Wright, 1993). The American Public Health Association description of Community-oriented primary care states that it represents a â€Å"†¦ systematic process †¦ identifying and addressing †¦ health problems of a defined population† and that it thus can be implemented via the resources which are already available within most communities (Rhyne et al, 1998). It, COPC, represents a team comprised of health professionals, along with community members, who work in partnership over a long duration in treating and diagnosing patients in a community in a similar manner as does a primary care doctor, and while primary care physicians are not needed for or in every project, they nevertheless need to be involved in the process (Rhyne et al, 1998). The availability of epidemiologic studies from Europe, Asia and the United States over the past twenty years has permitted a clearer and sharper picture of social phobia with respect to its incidence, severity, prevalence and other correlations (Zucchi et al, 2000, pp. 17-24). The preceding historical base of epidemiologic information helps to provide a comprehensive reference point concerning the age of onset and incidence of social phobia from a broad population cross section. Studies conducted indicate that social phobia is the most prevalent of anxiety disorder (Carta et al, 2004), as shown by the following: Table 1- Lifetime Prevalence of Social Phobia in the General Populations of Europe and the United States (Carta et al, 2004) The preceding show the lifetime prevalence of Social Phobia of 2.2% across the board, representing 1.5% for males and 2.8% for females. Table 2 – Lifetime Prevalence of Social Phobia According to Age and Sex (Carta et al, 2004) The preceding Table represents studies conducted in Europe and the United States for the countries indicated with OR representing the degree of associated disorders that were observed regarding frequency in the populations that were not affected by social phobia. Table 3 – Lifetime Comorbidity of Social Phobia (Carta et al, 2004) * Where p is less than 0.001 The preceding Table represents the rate of comorbidity concerning major psychiatric disorders which were observed in the overall general populations of Europe and the United States, along with the degree of associated disorders (OR) in the reported populations which were not affected by social phobia. The mean age representing the onset of comorbid DE represented 6.5 plus or minus 6.6 years, whereas GAD represented a mean of 4.3 plus or minus 7.8 years later (Carta et al, 2004). In a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, they found six regions in the human genome that very well could play a role with regard to the susceptibility of obsessive compulsive disorder (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, 2006). The study added to the growing evidence of a genetic basis for obsessive compulsive disorder and thus its inheritability through the finding of genetic markers, or what are termed similarities, in the genomes of individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder as represented by six significance regions within the genome that are on five differing chromosomes which appeared to be linked to obsessive compulsive disorder (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, 2006). Dorak (2006) advises us that genetic epidemiology is related to and overlaps molecular epidemiology and that the epidemiological evaluation aims to seek the detection of the inheritance pattern regarding a disease, localize it and find the marker that is associated with its susceptibility. D orak (2006) states that the steps in genetic epidemiologic research are: the establishment of the fact that there is a genetic component concerning the diso

If Thought Corrupts Language, Language Can Also Corrupt Thought

I am going to conduct an experiment by comparing and contrasting the linguistic choices between two newspaper articles with different views on the same event but different representations of the event and other aspects strategically placed to determine whether words have the power to manipulate or persuade ones thoughts through the ideologies of their own. Article 1’s headline is more elaborated and uses much more animated lexical choices, which paint more of a picture in the readers mind.Article 2 is more simplified and straight to the point, summarising bluntly. A1 is in the present tense to give a more dramatic effect and add impact. A2’s lexical choice â€Å"evicted† is in a past tense as if to say, the decision has already been made. The rest of the sentence is in a future tense, emphasising the certainty of the eviction. A2 is in a passive voice drawing attention away from the doers. A1’s in an active voice, drawing focus to the positive actions. A1s lead focuses the subject on the confrontation using lexical choices to create an effect of epicenes, representing the travellers like freedom fighters.A2’s lead focuses on the matter in hand and the Councils demands. Both leads reflect the ideologies of the writers. Both articles were selective on the choice of quotes ensuring they reflected the ideologies of the articles. A1 mainly uses sources considered with good credentials because people usually listen to and respect points from authority figures and therefore are more likely to agree or be persuaded by them, also because ‘elite sources are considered newsworthy by the media. The articles use unidentified sources to disclaim ideological responsibilities.The specific sources they use really reflect their overall ideological message. Both use representatives i. e. †Council spokesman â€Å"and â€Å"a source† instead of specifying the actor, which indicates writers â€Å"doubts or contention over the f acts’† (Bell. A 1991) or it may not suit the articles representation. A1 uses a human interest figure to put the matter into perspective because the travellers views may still be rather bias and propagandarish. A1 avoids labelling council sources with professional titles to devalue their quote, in one case they use a marital title instead in-order to derogate their authority.A2 uses qualifier determiner + noun phrase (the Dale Farm) to label travellers to subtly disclaim allegations of prejudice, emphasising dispute with that specific community. Both use a first name basis source to indicate their support. A1 qualifying labels represent the authorities negatively to demean them. A2s qualifiers were quite neutral, maybe because the writer was more focused on justifying their actions rather than belittling the travellers. A1 mentions support of respected public figures i. e. celebs, Bishop and UN worker.A2 mentions political figures as support, readers respect ‘elit e’ views and might think ‘if they believe it’s right or wrong then it must be’. A1’s sequence of information is in an anachronical order, throwing the reader into the scene before elaborating and adding further cohesion. They lay down the ground work and build suspense before reaching the climax 1. Sets scene of confrontation to grab audience’s attention. 2. Celebration pictures. 3. Reasons for celebrating (injunction). 4. Pictures of traveller’s defence strategies. 5. Council’s response to injunction. 6.Issues – politics. 7. Opposing army pictures. 8. Preparations for war. 9. Supporter pictures. 10. Architecture eviction plans. 11. Finale – battle. A2s sequence is more structured in the sense of ‘opening’, ‘body’ and ‘conclusion’, sought of an open and shut case. 1. Verdict – outline decision. 2. Dispute. 3. Support. 4. Negotiations. 5. Threats. 6. Remorse. 7. Selectiv e traveller sources. 8. Resistance. 9. Plea. 10. Denied. What is mentioned and not mentioned is a clear indication of the writer’s intentions on the representation of the article. Each article is coming from n ideological view point with every linguistic choice made. A2 makes excessive use of modal verb â€Å"will†, to reinforce the Councils authority as in to say the travellers will comply and nobody is above the law, this gives inkling that the writer is more conservative. A1 uses a lot of modal verbs expressing probability, therefore devaluing the Council’s authority revealing a more liberal attitude. A2 is tactful when using pronouns, i. e. personal pronoun â€Å"we† is used frequently to give the readers a feeling of inclusivity, so that the Council can align themselves with the reader.Both discourses make use of the 3rd person pronouns i. e. â€Å"they†, â€Å"them† and â€Å"their† but A2 uses it in the context to distinguish b etween ‘us’ and ‘them’ further aligning themselves with the reader. A1 uses it to avoid repetition. Both articles use rhetorical questions, which forces the reader to agree with the question and provokes them to think about the question. i. e. â€Å"is there not equality under the law of this country? † and â€Å"what are we doing throwing these people into destitution? Do we want more poverty in the country? A1 uses antithesis i. e. â€Å"aren’t complicated†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. larmingly simple† and â€Å"Is there, or is there not†. A2 uses â€Å"human rights for minorities, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. majority have human rights too† this is used to make the argument stronger and by contrasting the two opposites it forces the reader to compare the two ideas and therefore puts emphasis on the intended idea adding impact. A1s extraposition â€Å"take a stand if we don’t this will just carry on with ot her traveller communities† adds weight to their point by enlarging the proportion of the statement and adding more conviction to their argument. Both use three part lists i. e. Police, council and bailiffs†, â€Å"orange, yellow and blue†, â€Å"their homes, their land, the money they’ve spent† etc. because people are comfortable with things that come in three and it gives the sentence rhythm making it more memorable.A1 uses plenty of metaphors ‘small platoon’, ‘opposing forces’ etc. This paints a more elaborate picture in the reader’s minds and stimulates their imagination. Also it adds colour to the text and can have powerful emotional connotations, therefore being a powerful persuasive tool. A2 uses very few metaphors but for the purpose of figurative speech i. e. go on the table† and â€Å"weight behind† this is to express a complex idea through the comparison of two ideas, which has the effect of sim plifying the idea intended to be expressed. A1 uses copious amounts of collocations dominantly in metaphoric models i. e. ‘stand-off’, hard-standing’ etc. to add a degree of epicenes. The lack of collocations used by A2 suggests that they want to de-dramatize the confrontation and keep the matter in perspective. A1 uses lots of epithets i. e. ‘long-awaited’, ‘last-stand’, ‘latest twist’ etc. this adds flavor to the lexemes provoking a degree of suspense.A2’s lack of epithets suggest that they want to present the information bluntly. Both use many presuppositions, for example the sketch saying â€Å"leave the site or the LibDem conference will be transmitted†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the implicature is that the authorities cannot do anything except talk. or â€Å"the court will find in the Councils†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ , presuming that the court will agree with them or â€Å"we are doing the r ight thing because it is a breach in criminal law†, the presumption is that they know what is right but what may be legal in one country may be illegal in another, so doesn’t really determine what is right and what is wrong.An implicature of â€Å"if you are human beings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. imply that to have morals is to be human, which is a strong statement because it pries on the readers moral values. Presuppositions reveal the ideologies of the writer and manipulates or persuades the reader towards their perspective of the matter. A2 uses the sound bites â€Å"the time for talking in almost over† Sound bites capture the overall message of the writers intentions and are attention grabbers, making the statement much more memorable.Both Articles are in a declarative mood because they both have the primary purpose to inform and both choose different lexis to represent the articles differently. A1 uses a theatrical approach in their lexical choices, painting a more elaborate picture and dramatizes the discourse. They use lots of emotive language, with strong connotations i. e. â€Å"dangerous†, â€Å"joy† etc. This draws on the readers emotions and therefore persuades them to agree with their point of view. A2 uses less emotive language and uses more of a descripted approach, this is a registry tactic, choosing a more political register.As a broadsheet The Guardian in general is more aimed at professionals and may consider their readers as intelligent and therefore presume that they want a more descriptive and informative discourse. The discourse is formal and they use more complex lexis and Standard English to reflect their stereotypical audience of upper middle class readers. The Mail is a tabloid aimed generally at the working class and has a secondary purpose to entertain, thus why the language is more informal. They use imple and frequently colloquial and non-standard lexis because if you use the language of your reader s it strengthens your persuasion because they can identify with the linguistics and so the writer can manipulate the readers thoughts through language they’re familiar with. A1 makes good use of pre-modifiers i. e. last gasp, tense etc. to add suspense and climax. The lexis chosen by the papers have been specially chosen to have a certain amount of impact/effect on the reader in-order to manipulate the reader’s perspective to homogenize with their ideologies.The angle of facts from A2 represents the travellers as a burden to society, whereas A1 angle of facts represents the travellers as fighting for their human rights Both use the euphemism ‘travellers’ A1 uses â€Å"ethnic minority† and A2 â€Å"minority†, â€Å"physical support† and â€Å"physical solidarity† this is so that they are politically correct in some cases and to not cause offence to the reader and to turn a negative into a positive to a degree. ‘note the rep etition to emphasize â€Å"physical†. A1 and A2 dominantly use passive sentences in their discourses but for different effects.A1 plays on the passiveness of the process transitivity in order to victimize the travellers and draw attention to the ‘doers’ bad actions. A2s passive sentences draw attention away from the ‘doers’. A1 uses nominalisation i. e. â€Å"joy†, â€Å"happy†, â€Å"dangerous process† etc. This is to emphasize their good properties/actions(A. mooney 2011 p70)† and maintain the positive aspects by disregarding the doer. The writers use over-wording, this is to reinforce the overall massage of that representation. A1 uses the equivalence of â€Å"homeless†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦into destitution? †¦.. more poverty? † And A2 uses â€Å"racist, as it is now politically correct†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ethnic minority. † This adds lexical cohesion and emphasizes the statements points adding im pact. A2 uses contrastive pair â€Å"if they can’t live in a scrapyard, where can they live? † By contrasting these two pairs they put emphasis on the pair which has priority for the function of the statement, adding extra impact. A1 makes intentional use of alliteration i. e. Battle of Basildon, Death of Danger etc. Alliteration makes the phrase catchy and memorable adding impact.A1s copious amounts of pictures entices the readers almost placing them at the scene. The pictures have been strategically selected to represent the travellers in a positive light. They use symbolism in some pictures using arms aloft gesture which is associated with revolutionists and somewhat represents them as freedom fighters. The pictures were predominantly women and also use gender labels i. e. female, woman, maybe this was because women are perceived as less threatening than men therefore less aggressive, which will have more of a positive representation.Both articles use the superlativ e ‘largest’ but for slightly different effect. A1 uses it to increase the scale of the scene, which escalates the picture. But A2 adds the post-modifier Irish to draw attention to the members and size of the community which people might negatively stereotype as gypsies. This experiment reinforces the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativism being that â€Å"language has a bearing on the way we think† It also adds collateral to the theory of ‘newspeak’ in that by â€Å"controlling language you can also control thought†(A.Mooney 2011 p32, p41). So to conclude I agree with Orwell (1998) that language can corrupt thought because as we’ve discovered using particular linguistic choices can have a particular persuasive effect on the readers and therefore can be used to manipulate or change ones perspective towards the writers ideological view but at the same time everybody is an individual with their own ideologies and perspectives, so yes language ‘can’ corrupt thought but may not necessarily do so.BIBLOGRAPHY * Mooney. A 2011 Language, Society and Power: introduction, Routledge: London * Bell. A 1991 The Language of New Media, Blackwell: Oxford * Fowler. R 1991 Language in the News: discourse and ideology in the press, Routledge: London

Artistic Behavior in the Human Female Essay

The passage above comes from the article, â€Å"Artistic Behavior in the Human Female,† by Jean Robertson (2003, p. 24). Robertson (2003) argued that female artists define and interpret female sexuality in diverse and conflicting ways, and by using different artistic strategies. Robertson makes assumptions about the woman’s body as a contested terrain, wherein being a woman continues to be a subject of heated debate. For him, how female artists view themselves as women, and as artists, shape their depiction of â€Å"femininity† and â€Å"female sexuality† in their artworks. One of the quotes that Robertson mentioned in his text comes from Simon de Beauvoir. In her seminal book, â€Å"The Second Sex,† she stressed that: â€Å"One is not born a woman, but, rather, becomes one. † I want to reflect on de Beauvoir’s statement and Robertson’s belief about the woman’s body. I agree with de Beauvoir that social experiences and political conditions impact the construction of â€Å"being a woman. † Society shapes how women and men see femininity and gender roles through establishing gender roles and expectations. An example is when a girl is â€Å"conditioned† by her mother to be a â€Å"woman,† by telling her how she should act as a â€Å"woman. This includes educating her about the toys she can and cannot use, and the games she can and cannot play. The girl learns that she should act and think a certain way, in order to be â€Å"feminine. † She learns that she cannot be boisterous or get involved in sports, because that would be too â€Å"manly† for her. This girl is the perfect example of â€Å"becoming† a woman. On the other hand, I also agree that being a woman is a biological and individual construct. A woman is a product of her biology, whether she likes it or not. This is why women are also defined by their sexual organs. Their biology also determines their sex, as well as their gender. Furthermore, being a woman is a product of individual desires and needs. Any woman can define her womanhood the way she also wants it to. Robertson indicated the existence of the pluralities of femininity. It is true that a woman’s body is a contested terrain, and for me, what is wrong with that? Is it not also possible to have multiple femininities, instead of having only one approach to define and to interpret what it means to be a woman? There is nothing wrong, in my opinion, of having different ways of being a woman, because to deny one approach to womanhood undermines the very essence of being a free woman. Journal entry 2 In â€Å"A conversation about race and class,† Childers and Hooks (1990) argued that gender should be expanded to include issues of race and class. They said that: â€Å"†¦we should begin by talking about how we experienced the struggle to challenge and expand the category of gender† (pp. 61-62). For them, people cannot understand gender in its whole sense, if racial and class issues are overlooked in gender analysis. This reading challenged my view of gender, by asking me to see gender through a much broader lens. I have not considered that gender issues also intersect racial and class issues. On the other hand, Childers and Hooks (1990) compelled me to think about the politics of gender. This is related to our discussions about gender as a political object. The politics of gender demonstrate that there are hierarchies to the feminine gender that are experienced by many women. Power is also affected by one’s class and race. If white female women feel that there is a glass ceiling at the workplace, lower-class black and Hispanic women face a greater and heavier glass ceiling in society. Because of their class and race, they feel and experience multiple glass ceilings- the ceiling of racial discrimination, the ceiling of class discrimination, and the ceiling of gender discrimination. These ceilings, on top of one another, represent something more than just a hindrance to economic development, but resemble ceilings that are directly pressed on these women’s bodies. They could hardly breathe, because there are just too many ceilings that make it difficult for them to even survive. Now, I look gender as an amalgam of issues that women bring to gender discourse. As a result, race and issue not only expand gender discourse, but considering them has also broadened my understanding of gender and its diverse conflicts. Journal entry 3 When feminists speak about feminism, they mostly see the opposition between the feminine and the masculine- the yin and the yang. We also discussed the binary opposition in class, which heightened my knowledge of how women are reduced to the lower spectrum of the opposition. The binary opposition also exists in differentiating mothers from fathers. Mothers are put in pedestals, while fathers are forgotten and scorned. Laqueur (1990) complained about this binary opposition in â€Å"The Facts of Fatherhood. † This is an interesting article that argued about the repression of the history of fatherhood. Laqueur (1990) posited that while women enjoyed being the â€Å"natural† parent, fathers were regarded as mere providers, or even as a backdrop to the family. He stressed that it is time for fathers to reclaim their right to be part of the parenting history, wherein their contributions to the formation of society are recognized and respected. This polemical article amuses and interests me significantly. It amuses me because at the back of my mind, I felt gender discrimination in reverse. I believe that mothers have specials bonds with their children, but this belief, however, is marked by sexism. Do not fathers also share special bonds with their children? Laqueur (1990) challenged the notion of motherhood, because it undermined the importance of fatherhood. In my mind, it is better to not differentiate mothers from fathers, which is the same as stopping ourselves from differentiating women and men. Women and men have their own strengths and weaknesses and none is more superior. In the same line of thought, mothers and fathers are also equal. Let us just call motherhood and fatherhood as parenthood and give fathers their rightful place in the history and the practice of nurturing human society. Furthermore, this is also an interesting article, because it challenged me to talk about being a woman in relation to being a man. Being a woman has its multiplicities, and now, being a man has its pluralism too. For me, these multiplicities, acknowledged as part of gender analysis, render two steps forward for true gender equality. Journal entry 4 In â€Å"Criticizing Feminist Criticism,† Gallop, Hirsch, and Miller (1990) debated on the purposes and development of feminine criticism. Their main point is that feminist criticism writers have gone to the extreme, by pulverizing each other’s feminist views. They believe that this process is futile in understanding and improving the development of gender discourse and feminism. They asserted that feminism can be criticized in a more comprehensive manner, wherein there is no right or wrong feminism. I chose this article because it threads on sensitive issues, wherein the personal versus the collective idea of feminism clashes. Feminists have different worldviews about gender roles, sexuality, and femininity, and they criticize each other in different ways. I have never thought that feminist criticism has become too unconstructive. This is not my idea of criticism at all. I think about my own criticism of feminist criticism and I cannot help but agree that criticism is not about â€Å"thrashing† feminist theories (p. 350). Criticism is also about adding something to existing theories, in ways that can benefit the understanding of what it means to be a woman and how different understandings contribute to a wide range of feminism discourse. I earnestly believe also that feminists cannot define feminism in one way or several ways alone. Feminism should be viewed as a huge mess of ideas and values, different and special to women and groups, who fight for and because of different issues. Yes, it is a mess alright, because being a woman is a dynamic process that is also a part of being an individual and being a member of one’s race, class, and so on. Being a woman cannot ever be a tidy place, wherein women think the same and act the same. I would rather have it as a mess- wherein women are free to think and re-think feminism, in relation to their personal experiences and values. References Childers, M. & Hooks, B. (1990). A conversation about race and class. In M. Hirsch & E. F. Keller (Eds. ), Conflicts in feminism (pp. 60-81). New York, NY: Routledge. Gallop, J. , Hirsch, M. , & Miller, N. K. (1990). Criticizing feminist criticism. In M. Hirsch & E. F. Keller (Eds. ), Conflicts in feminism (pp. 349-369). New York, NY: Routledge. Laqueur, T. W. (1990). The facts of fatherhood. In M. Hirsch & E. F. Keller (Eds. ), Conflicts in feminism (pp. 205-221). New York, NY: Routledge. Robertson, J. (2003). Artistic behavior in the human female. In B. Stirratt & C. Johnson (Eds. ), Feminine persuasion: art and essays on sexuality (pp. 23-38). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.