History of Western Civilization Essay

Civilizations of societies started long before the times Jesus in the Middle East especially in the ancient Greek and Roman Empires. In the 18th century most European countries followed the suit and underwent changes from pre- industrialized to industrialized nations characterized by social and economic changes. There were a lot of technological innovations which led to increased energy production and thus large scale production of most products with ease. Industrialization has over the years been linked to some factors which enhance fast changes for instance cheap skilled labor, political stability, presence of raw materials and available markets of the products produced. Industrial revolution was experienced in England to the northwest and the midlands. People used to make their own furniture, clothes and equipments until industrialization took over whereby they could buy goods already made from the industries. History of Western Civilization England underwent several civilizations in which there was increased agricultural output (Agrarian revolution) which led to increased population density and eventually led to the industrial revolution. New techniques were initiated and allowed farmers to produce more yield than there before. As time passed machines and other equipments were produced by skilled personnel who sold them to those who were specialized in agriculture. The business to make machines and other related equipments boomed and led formation of a class of people who worked in the industries as they expanded. These machines were very advantageous because they substituted the human job since it did not involve a lot of work and therefore people did not get tired fast. Those who worked in the industries earned more than those who were specialized on agriculture. Most of these industries were located in the urban centers and they would obtain their raw materials from the farmers in the country side. Industrialization in England led to numerous increases in population leading to less arable land and therefore some of the people migrated to other countries where they introduced the new techniques for agriculture and industry (Landes, 1969). However, most of the skilled personnel were not allowed to immigrate to the England’s new colonies so that England would remain superior in technological advances. Industrialization in England was characterized by many factors which made this country to be first to be industrialized. Agrarian, commercial and cottage revolutions greatly enhanced the fast social and economic changes in this country leading to a lot of extra money which facilitated the improvement of infrastructure. The industries spread all over England and Europe and since the number of workers were reducing as a result of immigration to England colonies, they resulted in taking people from the countries that were still not in the process of social and economic change especially in Africa and made them to work in their farms and industries as slaves. As more and more industries were built the private sector was also changing as money for expansion and setting up of more industries was needed. This led to the emergence of banks and other financial institutions which financed all these industrialization activities. These institutions gave loans to people to expand and introduce more industries and then repay later with the profits obtained. At around this time of industrialization most people used wood as a source of energy for the industries. The number of industries increased enormously and therefore the number of trees reduced drastically and made the people to think of alternative source of energy. They came up with coal which was used in the industries as an alternative and could be even used in homes. The coal mines were usually flooded with water at times and a method of pumping water out of the mines was innovated but the coal would not generate power. This method was not embraced and therefore coal was not a lasting solution and more innovations needed to be initiated for instance in the textile industry. Textile industry in England was the first industry to be mechanized and utilized wool which obtained from large scale sheep farms in the country. Weaving was usually done in cottages by skilled people after which the yarn was taken to the industries where it would be made in to clothes. England by then conquered many colonies where they would grow cotton in addition to importing cotton and used to substitute the wool. At around 1773 John Kay introduced a machine he named the flying shuttle which made it possible for a person to easily weave. In the textile industry machines that utilized water for energy were introduced. This machinery could reduce the cost of production and at the same time increase the rate of production. These measures were taken when the cost of production started to sky rocket reducing the profits of the merchants and the merchants did not want to raise the goods prices in a quest to maintain their customers. Transportation in England was favored by the fact that it had many rivers and natural harbors which greatly reduced transportation costs because rivers covered most areas and therefore goods could be transported to most parts of the country. Canals were also built on rivers which were not naturally navigable and also facilitated easy transportation of raw materials from farms in England and from distant colonies and transportation of finished products from the industries to the consumers. Tram ways which were pulled by horses were also used especially when transporting goods inland until when trains were made and used instead because they relatively faster. Due to the limitation of the road transport some people decided to borrow loans from the financial institutions ton repair them and then use toll fees to repay the loans. This would also ensure easy transportation of goods in areas where the rivers and coastline was far away. Improvement of roads led to introduction of stage coaches which would transport even people from one area to another. Transport was boosted with the introduction and improvement of railway. The first type of railway was wooden and did not last long until when iron plates were put on top of the wood and the railway became more durable. Another factor that facilitated faster industrialization of England is its isolation from the European mainland. This helped this country to evade the wars that were occurring at this time for instance the Napoleon war. They concentrated more on development and industrialization of their country till the wars were over. After the war the British took advantage of selling their products to the other European countries and the Americas at relatively cheap prices thereby making a lot of profits. The private sector with the government support also helped a lot by offering loans to people for expansion and initiation of new industries and for the repair of roads which enhanced faster movement of goods between places. Conclusion Civilization of England in many ways has influenced the modern world with only improvement of the machineries that were made during the period of industrialization. The support from the government and relative stability of the country made it to develop even faster without any worries of attacks during the war of Napoleon in the mainland. Advancements in technology led to improvement and construction of new transport systems and infrastructure which also facilitated movement of raw materials and finished products to the several destinations within England and other countries. Civilization in England led to migration of people to the urban centers where they would be able to obtain jobs in the urban centers. This situation is the same even in the modern days where especially young people move to the towns and cities in search of better jobs in the industries. References Jackson, S. Western Civilization: A Brief History. 4th Edition. Cengage Learning, 2007. Jacob, F. The Development of Western Civilization : A study in Ethical, Economic and Political Kenneth, P. Steven, T. The world that trade created: society, culture, and the world economy, 1400- the present. 2nd Edition. M. E Sharpe, 1999. Richard, B. Society and Economy in Modern Britain 1700-1850. Routledge, 1991. Evolution. The University of Chicago Press, 1906. Roy, P. David, L. The Cambridge History of Science: Eighteenth-century science. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2003.

On Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther” Essay

Every piece of literature which alludes to the foolishness, audacity, and perhaps, sheer naivety of the age-old play that is love, in its passions, pursuit, and myriad complex jubilations and devastations, is bound to appeal to at least one individual or the other. Humanity is inherently blessed or plagued by this encompassing sentiment, however fraught with woes and literary tremors it may appear to be, which is why poems, short stories, novels, and other literary works of fiction, in the flamboyant manner by which it recounts aspects of humanity, serve as fitting stages or platforms for the overplayed drama that is love. The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe plays the aforementioned persuasion well, particularly in what many regard as a semi-autobiographical novel entitled, â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† (1774). While the novel can be easily and automatically categorized as a ‘romantic’ piece of literary fiction based on the instance that it was published during the height of the Romantic period that is 18th century western Europe, it is also identified as such because it encompasses and reflects the spirit of the said era. â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† constitutes, much like the title already aptly connotes, the pains of a young man named Werther, as he personally recounts the perennial tragedy of unrequited love, through a series of letters addressed to his friend Wilhelm. Werther is impassioned and consumed by attraction to a woman who doesn’t reciprocate his affections, much less pay attention to him, and who happens to be engaged to one of his friends. Werther culminates his long drawn poetic divulgings, outcries, and â€Å"sorrows† in the act of suicide. For most people, the concluding drama and tragedy which exists in Goethe’s novel is entirely plausible, or â€Å"realistic,† given that it was fueled by the obsessive nature of attraction. Goethe affords readers a perspective of an attraction, of a sentiment, of a proclaimed ‘love’ that may be juvenile and naive, but is far from healthy or harmless. It affirms and encompasses every romanticized idea or cliche of love as an immense force far greater than any individual; all-consuming and agonizing, especially – as in young Werther’s case – when it isn’t reciprocated. It also highlights the great lengths people rise or turn to for the sake of love, however convoluted, or different, and maybe even delusional, the form it takes may appear to be. These aforementioned â€Å"great lengths† aren’t always necessarily a good thing, in Werther’s case for instance, it meant death. It meant killing the pain, meant dying in flesh and bones in the same manner he already had inside. It meant consummating the proverbial death which he was only able to hold on to for so long. It may be achingly juvenile, and infinitely naive, but it is the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s take and translation of love, in its purest and unabashedly raw form; devoid of necessary standards, strictures and responsibilities of â€Å"reasonable love. † One which lives, and as already apparent, dies for the sole purpose of the said circus or charade of an emotion; so much so that it ascribes the instance of death, and particularly of suicide, as a course of action or undertaking which is suddenly deemed romantic, noble, or at the very least acceptable, where the passions of attraction and the agony of love is concerned. While this may appear utterly heartbreaking and romantic on the leaves of a paperback book, I have reason to believe that it should be limited to the said confines, and not translate to â€Å"the real world. † While most readers, and myself, may sympathize with Werther’s plight, agony, and his aptly titled ‘sorrows,’ I have reason to believe that love can also manifest in less explosive and immensely imposing ways. I believe that it exists and abounds throughout the greater part of humanity and the world we live in, despite what hideousness and ugliness which surrounds the current state of our country and the rest of the world may connote. It exists in something as mundane as an e-mail or phone call, a free car ride, to seeming hallmark or kodak moments as the flying of kites, a little league team at play, a shared sandwich; and to the familiar trivialities but authentic and wholly heart-warming dependability of broad shoulders, thin lips, welcoming cheeks, and the warmth of an embrace. Love exists in more than one definition and translates in varying degrees and circumstances, an individual shouldn’t decide to end his or her life because of a romanticized version of it. People should live through and for love, not die for it. As for sorrow, people should endure and keep every exquisite agony, because ultimately and essentially, sorrows affirm our humanity, and our capacity to love. Works Cited Von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. (2006) The Sorrows Of Young Werther. Mondial.

Best Step to Lose Weight

There are some ways to make me to slimmer and more attractive. That is losing weight. All I have to do is follow three big steps below. For me to get skinner is doing more exercise. Some people might be afraid of taking this step, but physical exercise work well in decreasing pounds. Especially three steps are walking, swimming and do aerobic. First, swimming is a good sport for those who not only want to have weight loss but also need to improve their height. Swimming about one to two hours at weekend is enough, because your body may not be familiar with long practice yet.When you are walking, you can burn calories at the same time. Another good exercise to lose weight is aerobics, because it is a high energy activity that uses the entire muscle group in the body. The second step is avoiding food with fat and sugar. For example, instead of three large meals, eat five or six small means or snack a day, and next, because you do exercise, so you need energy to work out, so try to eat p rotein food like fish, egg and fat free or low-fat cheese and drink a lot of water.When you feel hungry, but you already had a meal, you can eat more vegetables and fruits to fulfill your hunger. Third, keep a diary, write down everything that you eat and every minute of exercise that do, then you’ll see how much healthier and stronger you have while you’ve lost weight, and set mini goals is important also. Instead of thinking that you need to lose 10 pounds, think that you want to lose 1 to 2 pounds this week. Or you can focus on non-pound goals like skipping after dinner snacks this week.In conclusion, is to be patient, which is very important. Many people give up their weight lost goals and exercise only within a week. If you stop trying, then nothing changes, and you will be as fatty as, or even fattier than before. Losing weight is not as difficult as is thought if you have enough patience to do exercise, go on a diet and keep your mind at east. Following the step s above, you will be a pro on losing weight and have a good body shape and healthy body.

Strengths and weaknesses of Wal-Mart's entry strategy into Mexico Coursework

Strengths and weaknesses of Wal-Mart's entry strategy into Mexico - Coursework Example Antoni, (2007) suggested that despite the fact that Wal-Mart has been condemned for their low wages, they are truly doing various good for lower income individuals. Wal-Mart can punch out many competitors with their belligerent pricing approach. They have the capability to slash prices on some goods, such as toys, by twenty percent in order to motivate sales. The provision that Wal-Mart proffers to its clients is a vast benefit, as well. They have a sturdy figure that it is pleasant to shop where persons are all the time enthusiastic to make their occurrence a good one. The added enticements are the steady price rollback, in addition, to the store-within-a-store. An immense treaty of Wal-Mart’s achievements can be accredited to the reality that the corporation was based on recognizing, knowing, and accepting what exactly clients want from a vendor. These led to their accomplishments in enterprising in Mexico, as the consumers were contented with the services they received. The business in one store presents a massive selection of merchandise at extremely affordable, prices in a one-stop stockpile. Because of their magnitude, they can get vast discounts from dealers and so pass these investments on to the consumers. They produce their own branded goods and, in addition, to supply goods from confined suppliers and other main brands. Their extent and buying authority is immense strength. They also are careful in their managing approach, where they are extremely cautious with how they use their funds and control their assets. This went on well while in Mexico, and they succeeded. Finally, Wal-Mart’s economical benefit is their noteworthy logistics structure. They are able to distribute goods from any of their abundant supply centres in order to offer the cheapest and most proficient route. Expertise in general is an incredible power that Wal-Mart advances in to perk up their corporation. This not only offers expediency for clients, but also with a log istics structure like the one Wal-Mart has in position, online remissions are a breeze to stuff. Weaknesses In the eyes of a number of the community, Wal-Mart has limitations that involve not only their reflection, but also the survival of other individuals. Because of Wal-Mart’s stumpy prices and famous name, they have been capable to confine the sales of an incredible number of customers, and have, as a result, made it tremendously hard for small retailers to continue. Principled shoppers, those who are apprehensive with the comfort of small retailers are annoyed at the monopolizing authority Wal-Mart has been capable of gain. Most minute shops have been required to close up because of lack of sales. Some individuals say no to shop at Wal-Mart because of these matters. Many conservationists get concerned with the comprehensive buildings that are not susceptible to the surroundings. These constructions also cause a trouble of interchange pollution and obstruction, which can spoil small neighbourhoods. The workers of Wal-Mart can endure a tremendous deal, as well. Many obtain only poverty-level earnings and terrible wellbeing care reimbursements. Troubles with these healthcare reimbursements lead to workers applying for community help, which in turn signify that taxpayers would pay for Wal-Mart members of staff healthcare expenses. Because of these condemnations, worker confidence is reduced. Price devaluation is a severe

Drunk Drivers should be imprisoned on the first offence Research Paper

Drunk Drivers should be imprisoned on the first offence - Research Paper Example Many people’s lives are put to risk by this annoying habit. Drunk driving began long before the invention of automobiles. As soon as a man climbed onto the back of a transport animal and began riding, there were drunken donkey, camel, elephant and horse riding. In almost all cultures backdating to thousands of years ago, there has been awareness that drunkenness is undesirable. Moderation has always been advised since wiping out alcohol is impossible. The fact that alcohol is continually referenced through history as a bad thing proves that there have always been abusers of alcohol. These abusers have either caused harm to themselves or society at large. Almost all of us have had an experience with a drunk driver weaving in between lanes or driving on the opposite side of the road. Worse still, we have witnessed fatal accidents caused by these drunk drivers (Klein A10). No form of irresponsibility by anyone justifies such loss of lives. This ill vice has to come to an end! The government has tried to curb the menace by introducing road sobriety tests and other measures but the habit is still not dying down. Certain ages are prone to drink more than others men are responsible for 81% of drinking and driving incidences. Young men between 21 to 34 years of age contribute 11% of the incidences and 85% by people drinking above the required amounts. This is according to Centre for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). The problem is so grave that it has attracted anti-drunk driving activism. Opposition to drunk driving is as old as the automobile. One of the activists, Doris Aiken who got involved in anti-drunk driving activism in 1978 says the tragedy that inspired her involved two teenagers who she barely knew. This led her to establish an organisation called Remove Intoxicated Drivers (Baron 1, 4). An unfortunate incident is of a young girl who got an accident after a 17-year-old male

The aspects related to the ways of operations for a German car company Essay

The aspects related to the ways of operations for a German car company in China - Essay Example According to the research conducting business in foreign market necessitates consideration of several aspects. The economic condition, industry situation, cultural aspects, foreign investment strategies, government policies and risks need to be duly considered before entering in a foreign market. The economic development of China has become an issue of concern for several businesspersons. Before 1978, China was considered as centrally strategic and closed economy. Since then, China propelled numerous economic reorganisations. The central government had introduced the price and proprietorship inducements, inaugurated four Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in order to entice foreign investment, increased exports and imports of high-tech products among others. In China, the car industry is considered as one of the major sectors for industrial development and innovation efforts. In recent times, China has become one of the fastest car producers internationally. The car industry of China has continued to expand in spite of recent economic crisis. The report will describe the business systems of China and Germany and provide brief description about the methods for a German car company to conduct business in the Chinese market. Several factors such as business systems of the countries, foreign direct investment policies, and political aspects affecting the car industries, entry strategies, and recommendations for resolving the financial risks are considered in this report. 1.0 Analysis of National Business System and Cultural Condition in China & Its Impact on Automobile Industry China is one of the significant nations in Asian region in terms of business, cultural influence and population. China has experienced steady economic development in recent times and this progression is extensively expected to continue in future (Grainger & Chatterjee, n.d.). Through analysing the national business system of China, three aspects have been identified which are adaptability, creati vity and competency; and any company entering into China must comply with these three aspects. China follows the capitalist business system. The private sector in China contains huge numbers of small and medium organisations which operate their businesses in regional market or engage

Fahrenheit 451 is a comment on modern technology Essay

Fahrenheit 451 is a comment on modern technology - Essay Example The firemen in the novel are government employees who burn and destroy books (Beley 146). The story revolves around Montag’s struggle to appease his frustration for the conformist society he is part of and to resist the book-burning totalitarian regime (Monahan 54). One of the messages the author gives across is that the people are responsible themselves for the sorry state for affairs that they are in. Bradbury supports the idea that men should be self-thinkers and be able to understand what constitutes right and wrong rather than letting the government do the decision-making. He argues that this can be achieved by perusing of erudite texts that reflect upon the mistakes of the past and provide critical analysis of the different aspects of life like religion, politics etc. The author believes that the great value of books in our lives is to promote independent thinking and free thought (Piddock 66). The novel is a comment on modern technology. This notion is exemplified frequently at several places in the novel. One of the main ideologies of the book is that technology deprives individuals from indulging in activities like literary discourse, the thought process of reflection and promotion of individual consciousness. Bradbury has acutely portrayed a society that does not appreciate the worth of books. Firemen are actually book-burners, illustrating how technology has replaced literature from the lives of the common man. The novel paints a grave picture of the society where people drive fast, watch television day in and day out and listen to Seashell Radio sets. The symbolism associated with the use of these radio sets is the alienation of people. The author reveals in the book, â€Å"And in her ears the little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talking coming in (12).† The Seashell radios are an allusion to headphones now being used commonly in the modern world. In the novel,

International Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Marketing - Research Paper Example icates that the product discussed higher market share in European nations among other parts of the globe where a higher profit margin is reported (Grunig and Kuhn, 2008). For situational analysis, the company can use various methods. The following methods can are be utilized: Porter’s method, 5Cs and SWOT method of analysis. One of the best methods to be used in this situation is the 5Cs analysis. The 5Cs represents company, competitors, customers, collaborators, and climate. First, the company needs to evaluate its objectives, strategy, and capabilities. The evaluation of these elements will help the management determine how fit the organization fits the external environment. Evaluation of the company objectives and goals may include the analysis of organization visions, goals and the environment under which the organization is operating in to achieve its corporate goals. In addition, organization should assess marketing strategies to determine its efficiency and carry out necessary improvements (Hitt, Irel, and Hoskisson, 2007). The products produced should also be analyzed to dete5rmine whether they meet customer needs and expectations. Secondly, we will consider the competitors. Here we will check the position of a competitor in the market and the possible potential threats they may cause to the industry. The competitor analysis will help the management prepare against competition. The organization should conduct customer analysis to determine their needs that in return help the organization to achieve a higher market share. The analysis will help the management of the organization with the knowledge of whether the customer needs and wants are met. It will also help the organization determine the familiarity of the products to the customers, which in turn will determine the intensity of the advertisement. The management will also know the income of its customers, which will help them determine the different prices of their products. The fourth statement

The failure of Ralph Lauren Rugby Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The failure of Ralph Lauren Rugby - Essay Example Though Ralph Lauren is one of the most preferred luxury clothing brands, customer segmentation was completely different for its new arm. This had not only created confusion among customers, but also dissolved the overall brand identity of the Rugby brand. The objective of the current report is to analyze the failure of Ralph Lauren Rugby, an extended sports clothing line of the brand. On November 2012, the Rugby line of the brand had come to an end. Subsequently, website of the line was also closed down and the links were automatically directed to the parent site of Ralph Lauren. Known for high-end, bold and sassy styles, Ralph Lauren Corporation is one of the finest clothing retail organizations. The luxury retail chain was started in the year 1967 by Ralph Lauren, when he was funded by a manufacturer of clothing lines. He was asked to launch a line for men’s ties with the brand name, Polo. While studying in high school, Ralph had already started selling ties. Following that, he was approached by Norman Hilton and in the year 1969, he opened his first boutique in Manhattan (Ralph Lauren, 2014). The business was further expanded by selling tailor made women suits. The first solo shop was opened in the year 1971 in Beverly Hills. Ralph Lauren gained global recognition in a very short time period and by 1981, he was able to open his maiden international shop in London (Ralph Lauren, 2014). The brand has now expanded in various apparel and accessories sections, such as, semi-formal and formal clothing, luxury wear, fragrances, accessories and furniture. The brand has also ventured into restaurant business by opening a high-end restaurant in Chicago. The purpose of this report is to analyse various situations under which the sports arm of Ralph Lauren was pulled out from the market. Launched in the year 2004, Rugby Ralph Lauren was a famous clothing brand of America. The brand focused on preppy or rugby inspired apparels for women and

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Economics - Essay Example pends on government regulations and zoning authorities which may mark land as being in industrial, commercial or residential zones which may reduce the varieties in which land could be used. For example, prime property sites in the middle of a bustling city may be zoned for parks or public recreational areas and no matter how much developers want to use that land for create high rise apartments or offices, the land remains free of buildings (Cem.ac.uk, 2008). In fact, even when demand changes to seek more industrial land in or around a city or more residential sites, government policy may be slow to react to the demand which could significantly increase the price of land currently zoned to be industrial or residential. The problem of zoning or rezoning is only multiplied when we consider how existing buildings no rezoned land may create problems for developers especially if the buildings are in congested areas or have significant historical or cultural importance (Cem.ac.uk, 2008). At the same time, there is no cost of production associated with land itself. This is because the primary determinant of what value can be derived from land comes from the best use land can be put to. However, owning a piece of land in a certain area gives the landowners the power of monopoly since they are the single owners of the site. New production of land with the same specifications in the same space is impossible therefore they can charge monopoly prices if they so desire (Cem.ac.uk, 2008). The monopoly ownership makes land an appreciating asset of course things such as an oil spill near a beach can significantly decrease the value of beachfront property but there is little chance of new land being created in significant numbers. This also encourages land hoarding as speculative ownership of land may lead to profits when properly zoned land becomes scarce in a given region (Cem.ac.uk, 2008). In this manner, speculators and those who are hoarding land may be quick to offer the

A Problem Exists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A Problem Exists - Essay Example And above all, considering the aspect of consulting group activities may give rise to groupism within the classroom environment and also at times may involve a substantial time to find solution to the stated problem. Emphasizing these disadvantages the paper further recommends certain solution measures in resolving the identified issue. A Problem Exists With the advent of globalization and the rapid development in the field of technology, it has been viewed that competitiveness amid people to strengthen their professional identification and recognition in the global world, is also growing at a rapid pace. Correspondingly, English as a language has become one of the mostly used and demanded skills among competent professionals around the globe in today’s increasingly competitive business world. People strive to learn the language as it provides them additional opportunity to get a better job in the corporate world. Considering the growing needs of the language it has been viewe d that people, especially from the Asian region are moving to western countries to pursue their higher education and also to gain proficiency in the language. However, it has been viewed that numerous problem exist amid them when they move to the countries like the US or the UK. In this context, various solutions have been identified, which would help in mitigating the identified problem of foreign learners facing problem in speaking English owing to their perceived discrimination, if implemented effectively (Kuwahara, 2005). Thesis Statement With reference to the identified problem i.e. perceived discrimination among English learners from foreign communities, it has been viewed that the issues can be considered as a minor problem in-contrast to other glitches that exist worldwide. However, it is worth mentioning that the prescribed solutions for the establishment of special class sessions, conducting group activities, working in collaboration with special organizations and proving learning materials like audio clips among others may contain certain loop holes. This thesis will therefore intend to identify three possible disadvantages that may obstruct the effective implementation of the prescribed solutions. Discussion The problem area of perceived discrimination amid English learners from foreign communities is considered to be one of the major problems in the academic sector, especially in the western countries. With the growing need of English language, it has been viewed that people from Asian countries are migrating in the US and the UK as research conducted by many prestigious centers have listed these two nations to offer services of the world’s best universities and colleges resulting in attracting more foreign students and professors in the search of academic excellence (TSL Education Ltd., 2010). However, as English is considered to be the prime language spoken in these nations, foreigners’ ability to speak in this language often raise s barriers to their performance and duration of them to be settled in these western societies. It has often been viewed in this context that there exists a sense of perceived disc

How does work Guide the Development of the Self Essay Example for Free

How does work Guide the Development of the Self Essay In man’s existence today, various concepts exist which if learnt and adhered to, can change the very quality of life itself. This is admirably conveyed by Emerson in his essay on self reliance and also deduced from chapters seven and eleven of Thoreau’s book on Walden. In chapter seven, the author narrates the story of an impoverished farmer who toils on his farm from sunrise to sunset, while in chapter 11, Thoreau dwells on the qualities of the inner person. After reading these essays, one is convinced that the most important attribute in life is that which is gained from knowledge of our true being as intended by the creator. Beginning with Emerson’s work, self trust is shown to be the key to self reliance because man’s true nature is that which is within him. We are all individuals in the eyes of providence, each with our own place which we must learn to accept and respect. It is only when we exercise self trust in the abilities given to us, that we will be able to improve as human beings. The author goes on to say that when we cultivate a respect for ourselves, we reject that which is external and which we spend every waking moment looking for. What is important is not the acquisition of material wealth, but rather, internal spiritual wealth. It is only when we place our faith in GOD, who is the most trustworthy and sits in our heart, that we gain self trust. He then works through our hands and predominates our beings. When you are in conformity, this undercuts your self reliance because it scatters your forces, and the real you cannot be detected. You tend to do things as everybody does. It is therefore important to be your own individual and your uniqueness will be evident. Consistency, on the other hand, enslaves us to our pasts because we are constantly judging our present with 2 tandards from the past. We fear to be contradicted by our peers and are therefore less and less self reliant. Self reliance is evident from the bean field chapter of Thoreau because the farmer was rewarded for his hard work with a harvest of twelve bushels. He did not have the benefit of modern farm implements or labor, yet he loved his work and was rewarded for it. This is a demonstration of self reliance born out of necessity. Instead of discouragement at the prospect of toil, the farmer confronted the ordeal happily and with spiritual calm. Additionally, he gained much more than money. He earned the respect of his neighbors, confidence and experience from his work. John Fields is another impoverished farmer who has a wife and a family to feed. Unfortunately, he is in a situation where survival dictates that he works for a wage as someone’s employee. For this very reason, he cannot be self reliant. Additionally, in order to change his lifestyle, he faces the prospect of being unable to afford the necessities of everyday life, for example, tea, coffee, meat and clothes. He also seems unable to find the time to contemplate his spiritual wellbeing which may help him look at his life afresh. However, the concepts conveyed by Thoreau’s higher laws can prove invaluable to him. One of them is that, â€Å"Man flows to GOD when the channel of purity is open†. This means that Fields must seek GOD who will give him an inner calm. This will enable him to identify that for which he is best suited to do and treat himself with respect. Additionally, he will be able to find that which identifies him as an individual, thereby helping him to excel. The kind of wealth that is described in Emerson’s â€Å"wealth† essay is very foreign to John Field’s understanding. According to Emerson, wealth is the application of mind to nature. This requires that one draws a benefit from the labors of the greatest numbers of men, and also do what his creator intended him to do. Unfortunately, Fields is a laborer who is employed on a wage. He does not even understand the concept of business, let alone begin to fathom how he can employ others. Additionally, he may be in the wrong career and needs to re-evaluate it if he is to enjoy the fruits of a better lifestyle. When Frederick Douglas goes to the north, he discovers that work, unlike in the south, is done with pride and actually creates wealth without the need for slave labor. It also dawns on him that freedom of the mind is the perfect breeding ground for economic progress, which he sees in even former slaves. Additionally, with a free mind comes the possibility of improving the intellect through reading. The common thread running through these readings is that the mind and spirit come first before the body. Nature can only be conquered by the spirit and the best way to enrich the spirit is by accepting that GOD has a purpose for each and every one of us. He has given us individual qualities which we must strive to nurture. We must recognize these qualities and use them according to his will. If we do not see the advantage within our hearts, then we will, as individuals, continue to move in a crowd, and our uniqueness will not help us or humanity. Wealth is first and foremost, that of the heart and spirit.

Case Study On Baggage Handling System Project Information Technology Essay

Case Study On Baggage Handling System Project Information Technology Essay This module is given us the knowledge to develop our own ability to lead a project team and also the roles as project manager to control the project task where the management within given budge ,time and resources to make a project success. Project Management Project Definition A temporary and one-time endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service, which brings about beneficial change or added value Project Management The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements, Organizing and managing resources so the project is completed within defined scope, quality, time and cost constraints. The very first thing of a Project Manager is always about Time, Cost and Scope as below figure PM Triangle Five Step of Project According to Robert K. Wysocki (2003) traditional Project Management can be devise to 5 phases as Defining, Planning, and Executing, controlling and Closing. The Project definition : Scope ,Business Goal Budge The Project Planning : Resources, Risk Management, Breakdown of Work ,Establishing of Schedule of Work ,Project team management, Cost management The Project Execution : Work completion, Manage Risk Organization Chart ,Communication Plan The Controlling Process :Quality Planning, Monitor of Progress The Close-Out: Release people, Lessons learned, Accounting Case study on Baggage Handing System Project BHS Project Definition Baggage handling system project mean all components, installation materials, interfaces and other components, all necessary hardware, software, installation coordination and construction supervision of computers/PLC, controls and control hardware and software, management and support services required to implement the work and supply a fully functioning system as described on the signed Contract documents by client. One million project awards by the company to built the whole Baggage Handling System including Mechanical and Control System for the airport logistic to transfer and screening the baggage during the flight arrival and departure. Deadline to finish the project is one year after contract signed.Project team will be set up for this project. Mechanical installation complete mean when the conveyor, walkway, handrail, toe plate, side guards, drip pan, gap pan, motor/drive components, reducer/gear are correctly mounted in place. Electrical installation complete mean when control stations, Estop, sensors, beacons, motors, groundings are correctly mounted in place, wired and terminated. Scope of Work Scope of Works or the statement of works means the whole of the work to be executed in accordance with the Contract, including variations provided for the Contract by client. Work under the Contract mean any work the Contractor is or may be required to execute under the Contract and includes variations, remedial work and Temporary Work. Temporary Work means any work required in the execution of the Contract but not forming part of the Works Activity involve for BHS project Marketing Contract Handover to Project Design Phase (Mechanical Electrical Control) Purchase for Electrical and Mechanical Fabrication for Mechanical Electrical preparation Delivery to Site Mechanical installation Electrical installation High Level Control Interface for System Test Commissioning Client Approval and Handover Operation Trial Period Project Completed Warranty Period (DLP) After Sale Services (OM or RM Contract, Spare Part Sale) Work Breakdown Structure(WBS) Work breakdown structure (WBS) is a process for defining the final and intermediate products of a project and their relationships (accessed 05 Jan 2013). The Work Breakdown Structure provides a hierarchical structure of decomposing project fulfillment into smaller manageable activities for detailed schedule development along with cost estimating and control. A detailed WBS shall comprise of breakdown of work activities, resource estimates, activity duration estimates and cost estimates. It is an essential tool for planning and executing the project. Use the WBS to define the work for the project and to develop the projects schedule. BSH Project Work Breakdown Structure as Figure below Project Planning Define the project objective Graphically portray the activities in the form of network diagram Estimate the cost and time for each activity. Calculate a project schedule and budget to determine whether the project can be completed within the required time, and with the available resource. Resource Management Resources are of three types, Work resources, Material resources and Cost resources Work resources complete tasks by expending time on them. They are usually people and equipment that have been assigned to work on the project Material resources are supplies and stocks that are needed to complete a project. Cost resources are strictly cost; no time, no quantities-just dollars. Expenses, such as travel or fees, increase the project price tag, but they arent associated with work or material resources. Resource costs will be multiplied by duration to calculate project costs. This is the important roles for project manager to control the project budge to close the project. Many issues are always happen to project to use the limit resource to fulfill the requirement by client, as a project manager, who must make sure the right resource was assigned to right place as right time. At the same time, project manager must use some technique tools to monitor the progress of the project. Next part we are going to discuses about the tools for project manager to control the process. Project Management Methodology and Techniques A project methodology can be thought of in the same terms as a recipe for cooking. It identifies what will be required and how these ingredients will be combined together to produce the perfect meal. In short, a methodology comprises of the following components Documentation such as project initiation and scoping documents Technique a set of standard project management techniques required to plan and control the project (Critical Path Analysis, Risk Management Procedures etc) Sequence- the order in which the stages will be performed Overview a picture of how the documentation and techniques fit together The application of structured project techniques during the development and implementation of a new information system helps to impose discipline on the process of the integration of activities within each of the stages which, in turn helps to ensure success. The purpose of this can therefore give the organisation the opportunity to: Divide the project into smaller and easier to manage stages Measure the progress in terms of time, costs and quality Take corrective action if required to bring the project back on track Allocate the resources to the project PERT and CPM Program Evaluation and Review Techniques which is PERT (Maylor, 2010) is a technique that use project network for planning and coordinating large-scale projects to handle uncertain activity times. Critical Path Management (CPM), is a network chart, is a planning and management method used for scheduling a set of project activities. They are similar; the technique involves using network models to trace the links between tasks and to identify the tasks which are critical to meeting the deadlines. Once we have identified the critical path, any delay on any part of the critical path will cause a delay in the whole project. It is where project manager must concentrate their efforts. Gantt diagram are used to show the critical path in red and PERT diagram to see Network view. Difference between the CPM and PERT is that, task duration is treated CPM assumes time estimates are deterministic, Obtain task duration from previous projects Suitable for such kind of type projects. PERT treats durations as probabilistic PERT: CPM and probabilistic task times Better for RD type projects Limited previous data to estimate time durations Captures schedule (and implicitly some cost) risk CPM is useful, despite criticism, to identify the critical path focus on a subset of the project Slack is precious apply flexibility to smooth resource/schedules, PERT treats task times as probabilistic which is an Individual task durations and sums of multiple tasks. When we Selective crashing of critical tasks can reduce total project cost, CPM and PERT do not allow task iterations. Critical Chain Project Management Current Project Management Problem As the comment issue for project management is summary below for previous baggage handling system project, which are: No Credible Schedule, Unable to Accurately Predict Milestone Dates During Execution Critical Path Constantly Changing Loss of Control, Daily Firefighting, Pulling resources from One Job to Another and Resource Allocation Nightmare Stress, Frustrated Workers Supervisors Projects Get Delayed Require Heroic Efforts to Finish Lack of Resources, People, Experience, Skills, Material, Tools Lack of Supporting Documents Too Many Scope Changes and too many meting Too Much Overtime and Budget Overruns Critical Chain Project Management Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) is a method of planning and managing projects that puts the main emphasis on the resources required to execute project tasks. It was developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. This is in contrast to the more traditional Critical Path and PERT methods, which emphasize task order and rigid scheduling. A Critical Chain project network will tend to keep the resources levelly loaded, but will require them to be flexible in their start times and to quickly switch between tasks and task chains to keep the whole project on schedule. The Principles of CCPM Projects Succeed or Fail as an Integrated System, not as a Collection of Discrete Tasks Systems are Analogous to Chains,Weakest Link is the Systems Constraint Constraints Can Never Really be Eliminated,Can Move From One Part of the System to Another All Systems Have a Goal Necessary Conditions A Systems Optimum Performance IS NOT the Sum of Local Optima A System Has Only One Constraint at a Time All Systems Function According to Cause Effect The success to use the CCPM for project manager to hand a project will be Improve project delivery date reliability Shorten overall project duration Provide early warning of threats to project delivery Enable earlier, less drastic responses Reduce Costs Reduce Overtime Reduce Rework PRINCE 2 Project Technique PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) is an effective process-based method for project management. PRINCE2 is a process-based approach for managing projects. It helps to work out who should be involved in a project, their role and their responsibilities. PRINCE2 has a set of processes to work through and it explains what information needs to be gathered. The method is the de-facto standard for project management is practiced globally. And it is also the required method for all UK government commissioned projects. PRINCE2 is in the public domain and offers best practice guidance on how to manage a project. It can be principally divided into the following stages: Starting up the project occurs only once and creates and evaluates the business case Directing the project formal organisational structures will be required throughout the life of the project including the project board and manager, the communication between the stages and the organisation will be continuous Initiating the project this stage will identify how the project will be managed, The Project Initiation document will form contract and terms of reference for the project as a whole Planning plans relating to project deliverables are continuously produced throughout the lifecycle and of the activity which helps to ensure a consistent approach. Controlling creation of documents which help to manage the day-to-day operations and include change control and quality assurance, this will be an iterative process. Monitoring there is a need to have a feedback process and take action as necessary, authorisation from the Project Board is required. Closing the project time is finite and there will need to be a final sign off procedure by the customer that objectives have been satisfied. Below figure is the overview of PRINCE2 Risk Management Risk management, another important point of project management, is present in the framework as well. According to Prince2 description, risk can be denned as uncertainty of outcome. The goal of risk management is to manage the exposure to risk. For that, the project board has to promote risk management, build up adapted policies, and assess projects status related to their risks. A Risk (Tom, 2009) can be almost any uncertain event associated with the work. Word in short is, loss multiplied by likelihood. Risk management is a process for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks of different types. Since the risks are identified, the project manager will need to minimize or eliminate the impact of negative events of project risk. For this baggage handling system project, Construction site safety management plan is must to be implementing of Risk management to list of all possible risks identified by the project or organization, for each of the risk, includes information such as risk probability, impact, counter-measures and risk owner etc. Conclusion Its good chance to review and deeply think of whole project process and activates in whole company organization about project management knowledge through this module. This assignment also encourages me to think about how to implement Project Management skill to the company in future projects management. After this model, I can recognize the essential characters of Project management and also have ability to address appropriate technologies and management tools to actually organizational issues and also can be leader of project team to plan, control and execute the project as project manager.

Influence Of Gambling Activities In College Students Psychology Essay

Influence Of Gambling Activities In College Students Psychology Essay My previous experience and lively interest in this subject motivated me to select Essence of gambling and influence of gambling activities in college students as a topic for my literature review. I had been problematic gambler for two years (gaming peers promoted tendencies to gamble) at first I started it as a means of recreation, but as a result it became major activity for me. I was spending great deal of time and money on it, without taking care of family budget or private life and it initiated real financial crisis and nervousness for me. But today, I am not gaming at all; I broke a deadlock, after loosing big sum of money, so I would like to scientifically realize the process of starting and terminating gambling by me. On the other hand, in Georgia sports betting (bookmakers) and Casino games are primary gambling activities, not only adults, but teenagers also are frequent users of these venues and I consider gambling as a large national problem. Increasing number of gambling v enues (for instance: my native city Batumi looks like a big casino) and promotion of gaming directed at students makes problem even more severe and large-scale. There had been hot debates around this topic, should gambling be declared illegal? Should it be removed from urban centers? Or simply prioritized as a profitable industry which is one of the main sources of taxation revenue? I want to assess where we are, acknowledge positive and negative sides of gambling, make judgments and as a voter support conventional wisdom. Why researchers even bother to tackle this topic? Because current developments in the world and mainly in USA makes lots of things around gambling challenging to investigate, analyze and conclude. On one hand there is profitable industry, which contributes a lot to taxation revenue, economic growth and development of services in urban centers, on the other hand negative consequences it yields to society, like emotional distress, personal bankruptcy, psychological trauma, so it is interest for researchers weather benefits cover those disadvantages or not. And why college students? Because studies of other risk behaviors have reinforced the opinion, that college students are at high risk for gambling ( LaBrie A. Richard; Shaffer J. Howard; LaPlante A. Debi; Wechsler Henry (2001) Correlates of college student gambling in the United States). Researchers examine different stages of gambling, when it becomes harmful, what are motives And which individuals are more inclined to gamble to deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦On the whole, the increase in the prevalence of gambling has stimulated a considerable body of research. (Platz Laurie and Murray Millar (1998) Gambling in the context of other recreation activity: A quantitative comparison of casual and pathological student gamblers.) As a prospective economist first I reviewed article by Koo Jun et al Rolling the dice? Casinos, Tax revenues and the social cost of gaming, (Journal of urban affairs. Volume 29, number 4.) Do the benefits from increased taxes and job opportunities associated with gambling outweigh those personal and social costs resulted from increased number of addicted gamblers? So three main issue worked out in this research are: 1)tax revenues and economic growth supported by these funds, 2) jobs at the casinos and improved public service, 3)possible social consequences. Wagering tax rates varies between 8.5 and 45.5% in US (Nevada, New Jerseyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Illinois) and as a percent of tax revenue it is between 3.4 and 27.8% (Illinoisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Nevada), in Detroit casinos are sixth largest employer (Source: Indiana Gaming Commission, 2006) rigid evidence to agree that this industry is special for states economic stability. Research also focused on social costs: do casinos induce higher leve ls of social problems? Is there a link between casinos and socially destructive behaviors like unemployment, bankruptcy fillings and crime rate? Direction of causality must be checked. Article tried to answer these questions by analyzing changes in Michigan, Virginia, Indiana and Ohio; in Ohio casino-style gaming is forbidden while in others not, so researchers compared outcomes relative to social problems. Quasi experiment was carried out, unemployment rates of casino and non-casino countries in Michigan between 1991 and 2003 were compared and result was that although there was a slight decrease in the unemployment rate gap, the opening of casinos did not significantly change overall levels. Similar patterns are observed in terms of bankruptcy rates and crime levels, presence of casinos had no observable incremental effect, macro factors seem to play much significant role (Koo Jun et al, 2007). This research also used regression models, designed to control differences in initial conditions between casino and non-casino counties and separate the effects of casinos on the social cost variables: crime rate, personal bankruptcy rate and unemployment, results showed that there might be some casino effects but they are unimportant (Koo Jun et al, 2007). We can conclude this research that gambling does not have significant and catastrophic effects on socially destructive behavior, even recognizing direct connection between them is difficult, so there is no reason to declare it unlawful and sacrifice financial benefits of it. Now the essence of gambling must be studied. Gambling: normal adolescent activity or pathologic addiction? abstract by Selekman Janice 2008, explains essence of gaming. Gambling sometimes referred as Gaming, is defined as the practice of playing games of chance or betting in the hope of winning money or something of value, it involves risk and uncertainty (Verbeke and Kittrick-Nathan,2007) Most adolescent gamblers are considered as recreational, who gamble for the purposes of entertainment, but of the 80% gamblers 10-15% are at risk of development of a gambling problem and 3-8% are considered to be problem or pathological gamblers (Derevensky and Gupta, 2007) in adult population only 1.5% are problematic gamblers (Labrie and Shaffer). The median age for starting gambling is 11-13 years, when small amounts of money are readily accessible, when local environment accepts such behavior and rules of the game are understandable to a child and he/she plays to win money, gain status and resp ect among friends, escape stress, relieve boredom. While gambling they feel more control of the situation, more independence and self reliability (Jacobs, 2004) But at some phase recreational gambling becomes problematic, impulse-control disorders take place and can be characterized by following criteria suggested by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Preoccupied with gambling. Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money. Has repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, stop gambling. Is restless or irritable. Gambles as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dystrophic mood. Chases ones loses. Lies to conceal the extent of involvement in gambling in gambling Has committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job or career opportunity because of gambling. Relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation.(American Psychiatric Association, 2000) Pathological gamblers are at increased risk for use of alcohol and drugs, they have symptoms of anxiety and depression, sudden change in mood and school performance, they sell expensive possessions and are unable to count for money (Griffiths and Wood, 2005). It is worthwhile now to scrutinize problem gambling and prediction of gambling behavior in more details. Abstract The prediction of gambling behavior and problem gambling from attitudes and perceived norms by Susan M, Moore is useful in this sense. In the study by Moore the aim was to test the Theory of Reasoned Action, central hypotheses were that attitudes and subjective norms would predict intentions and intention-behavior. Survey designed to measure gambling attitudes, subjective norms, gambling intention, gambling behavior and problem gambling was completed by 215 participants (mean age 22). Results showed that: Most respondents approved of moderate gambling and hold that some gambling should be legal, but they were against too much gambling and endorsed to set limits on gambling opportunities. Realizing figure 2 we find out that family and friends have a great impact on gamblers, and gamblers are often surrounded by gaming friends and family members, and disapproval of their behavior comes from family members not from friends (Moore M. Susan; Ohtsuka Keis 1999) As frequency of gambling behavior in the sample shows very few of the sample regularly engaged in any type of gambling, but at a low level there has been widespread engagement in gambling. Survey also showed that not all gamblers, that game more frequently than they intend, are problematic, so correlation between gambling frequency and problem gambling was, moderately high but not corresponding: (Moore M. Susan; Ohtsuka Keis) And finally with table five, there is expressed gambling intention, frequency and problem as independent variables and potential predictors are sex, age, attitudes to gambling, subjective norms, intention to gamble. Regression analyses showed intention to gamble was significantly predicted by attitudes and subjective norms: more positive attitudes greater intention to gamble. Also males, people with strong intentions and positive subjective norms are more likely to engage in this activity. (Moore M. Susan; Ohtsuka Keis, Social behavior and personality, 1999) Gambling behavior and problem gambling is partly predicted and influenced by independent factors, but is it stable or characterized by progression? It was helpful for me to answer these questions by contemplating longitudinal studies reviewed by Debi A. Laplant et al in the abstract named: Stability and progression of disordered gambling: lessons from longitudinal studies. Stability tendency for individuals to stay at one diagnostic level opposed to moving to another improved or worsened level (Laplante A Debi et al 2008). this review found out that in contrary to conventional wisdom individuals can recover from disordered gambling (contrary to persistence assumption), like the other one that holds that individuals who have gambling problems are not more likely to worsen than individuals without gambling problems (contrary to progression assumption), so this review demonstrates that disordered gambling is unstable and not persistent, that means that professional and conventional wis dom about problem gambling have no empirical support. This review by Laplante A Debi was based on 5 peer reviewed articles (Abbott et al, Defuentes-Merillas et al, Shaffeer and Hall, Slutske et al, and Winters et al) which used various time points, populations and measures of problem gambling: In the above figure level 0-1 represents no gambling or gambling without problems, level 2 subclinical gambling problems, level 3 gambling problems. Then were developed cross tabs classification of gambling courses: improving decreased number of gambling problems; worsening increased number of gambling problems; stable consistent gambling problems across all time points (there were different time points and large time span) and variable fluctuation of gambling problems without consistent direction. As this figure shows Level 3 or problem gamblers who reduced their level of severity exceeded the studies corresponding margin of error, in each study proportion of level 3 gamblers improving was greater than zero. Results are similar for Level 2 gamblers, who reduced level of severity and their number exceeded corresponding margin of error. Improving was greater than zero. (Table2, Debi A. Laplante et al) it confirms that gambling behavior is not persistent, as problem gamblers reveal tendencies of improving in each study. We can conclude that these longitudinal studies with short-term and long-term periods indicate that while healthy gambling behavior appears to be stable, individuals with gambling problems experience movement from different levels of severity of gambling disorder to other more or less severe levels. Now as we have covered main issues, structure and characteristics of gambling we should pay more attention to segment of population which is frequently involved in gambling and pathological gambling yields disastrous consequences for them. As a bottom line we can use article by Emily M. Verbeke and Karin Dittrick-Nathan-Student gambling. Gambling is an addictive behavior that is often hidden but erodes students quality of life; it has increased significantly among adolescents, who have grown up in a society where it is legal and widely accepted.(Emily M. Verbeke) As article points out problem or compulsive gambling is characterized by: increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability, increasing bets to make up previous losses and loss of control over gambling activity. Result of problem gambling can be low grades absenteeism, poor concentrationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Emily M. Verbeke) (Then we will discuss this in more details). Although regulations forbid anyone under 18 to play, illegal gambling takes place out of controlled areas. There are several reasons why adolescents gamble: for recreation, to socialize, to win money, to experience thrill, to relieve depression or simply to escape from problems at home or university. Youths who have certain personality characteristics, such as extreme impulsivity, extroversion, sensation-seeking behaviors or low self-esteem may be at higher risk of developing a gambling problem and they have higher rates of depression and suicide attempts. Prevention and intervention activities must me carried out by teachers, mental health professionals, coaches, parents to communicate to students about negative effects of gambling and change a positive attitude towards gaming as a harmless behavior (Emily M. Verbeke). College students gambling behavior: when does it become harmful? by Jeremiah Weinstock et al is another useful abstract which gives us beneficial information about student gambling. 159 college students were interviewed, who also completed demographic questionnaire. Patterns of gambling behavior associated with pathological gambling gambling more than 1.2 times per month, gambling more than 2.1 hours per month, intending to wager more than 6.1% of monthly income and wagering more than 10.5% of monthly income. Pathological gambling was also associated with the combination of psychological distress, gambling frequency and a history of parental gambling problems (Jeremiah Weinstock). Pathological student gamblers report poorer academic performance and greater risk taking, like alcohol consumption, nicotine use, illicit drug use and unprotected sex, than recreational or non-gamblers (Weinstock et al). Also Weinstock et al found that 50% of students who gambled at least once a month expe rienced problems related to their gambling. In this study 160 students were participating, 18 years or older, the sample was diverse in both demographic characteristics and gambling behavior. Study showed that the most common gambling activities were cards (58.3%), slots (48.1%), sports betting (33.1%) and games of skill (26.3%). Questionnaire filled in by participants asked for GPA, monthly income, ethnicity, sex, marital status and age, also whether their parents gambled or not. Questionnaire also included other behavioral variables like Gambling frequency, duration, Gambling Plan Adherence index and episodes when amount risked exceeded amount intended to risk. On the basis of diagnostic interview participants were classified as pathological or non-pathological gamblers. As shown in table 1, pathological gamblers are significantly more likely to report a parent with a gambling problem history, a lower GPA, greater psychological distress than were non-pathological gamblers. This numbers identify several strong behavioral indicators, highlighting a behavior associated with pathological gambling: risking more than 10% of monthly income, gambling more than once a month and gambling more than 2 hours per month were related to pathological gambling status in college students. As study showed demographic variables play small role in pathological gambling status, behavioral and psychological variables are more influential and such behavioral indicators can be utilized to assess, prevent and intervene in problematic gambling behavior in college students. Pathological gambling among students is further analyzed by Randy Stinchfield in the article Problem and pathological gambling among college students. Article is divided into four sections, overview of problem and pathological gambling, risk and protective factors associated with student gambling, problem gambling screening and assessment instruments, prevention and intervention approaches. Problem gambling individuals life is disrupted by gambling, gambling takes precedence over other activities and individual experiences adverse consequences. Pathological gambling is a psychiatric diagnosis (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-American psychiatric association). Three cardinal signs of pathological gambling are: preoccupation with gambling and obtaining money with which to gamble, loss of control of ones gambling and continuation of gambling despite negative consequences such as losing large sums of money. Experimenting with gambling, regular gambling, excessive g ambling are types of student gambling. Many college student gambles, but only small percentage becomes problem gamblers (Winters, Bengston, Dorr 1998). Rates of gambling and problem gambling remained stable over time, but there was a shift from illegal games to legalized games (Winters 1995). How many college students are problem gamblers? 9.3% of men and 2.4% of women(Shaffer, Hall 1997 SOGS),other study 4.9%men 1%women(Winters, Bengston, Dorr 1998) another study 8.5%men, 1.9% women (Engwall, Hunter, Steinberg 2004). What about risk and protective factors associated with gambling? Out of all possible risks, most salient is substance use, abuse, dependence. The link between alcohol, illicit drug, and tobacco use and gambling and problem gambling are strong (Clark, 2003; Engwall 2004). Heavy alcohol use was highly predictive of problem gambling, particularly size of bets made while gambling, unanticipated withdrawal of extra money at the casino and loss of more money than could be afforded (Giacopassi 1998). In terms of gender, males are more involved in gambling that women (Kveitel and Allen, 1998) males also have higher rate of problem gambling than females (Ladoucer 1994). Ethnicity, like gender is another salient risk factor, studies have shown that African-Americans and Asian-Americans tend to gamble more then European-Americans. Other important risk factors can also be listed: students overall level of gambling activity, general gambling veracity, tendency to minimize losses, general academic performance, typical leisure or extracurricular activities and parental or guardian history of gamblingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Randy Stinchfield 2006). Now briefly discuss about pathological gambling assessment instruments. Most commonly is used the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the content of SOGS includes items that inquire about spending more time or money on gambling than intended, hiding evidence of ones gambling, arguing with family members about ones gambling borrowing money. The twenty item SOGS is scored by summing the number of items endorsed, a cut score of 5 or more indicates PPG. Second item is the Gambling Behavior Interview (GBI) 76 item instrument designed to measure signs and symptoms of problem gambling. GBI is made up of eight content domains: Gambling attitudes, Gambling frequency of different games, Time and money spent gambling, gambling frequency at different venues, SOGS, DSM diagnostic criteria, Research diagnostic items and demographics.(National Collegiate Association, 2004). At the end of this article are recommendations for practitioners at colleges and universities: Monitor student gambling behavior, extent of gambling, illegal gambling and problem gambling. Develop student policies for gambling that emphasize rehabilitation not punishment. Conduct research into the cause, development, maintenance and cessation of problem gambling, with an emphasis on risk and protective factors. Develop and evaluate prevention programs and messages designed for students. Provide treatment services for students who have already developed a gambling problem. (Randy Stinfield, William Hanson, Douglas Olson, 2006). Correlates of college student gambling are worthwhile to analyze. Article named Correlates of college student gambling in the United States by Richard A. LAbrie et al gives some profitable information about it. Primary research questions which were answered: Will a nationally representative survey of gambling among college students confirm the concept that college students are at high risk for gambling problems? And will the problem behaviors and the risk factors conform to those of alcohol abuse and thereby support the persistence of a problem behavior syndrome (Richard A Labrie). Research used 2001 CAS self-administered questionnaire, which repeated standard questions used in 1993, 1997, 1999 surveys. The survey questionnaire asked, during the past school year, how often did you bet or spend money on each of the following gambling activities: Betting on professional sports, Betting on college sports, Betting on horse or dog racing, Casino gambling, Betting on the lottery or the num bers, Internet betting or gambling, Betting with a bookie, Playing cards, dice, or other games of chance. The 2001 CAS collected data from 120 colleges, 10765 students, to improve the representativeness of the sample; data were weighted to the gender, age and race/ethnicity distribution at the schools. Approximately 52% of men and 33% of women reported that they gambled, the most popular type of gambling was playing the lottery (25%), 30% reported casino gambling, 13% gambling with playing cards and dice. Gambling venues for men: lottery, playing cards, betting on sports, skill games and casino gambling, women preferred lottery, casinos, slot machines, bingo, and playing cards. Men are about 4 times more likely than women to have bet on sports and played games of skill for money, 3 times more likely to have bet on animals and twice as likely to have gambled in the stock market and played dice games (Douglas Engwall 2000). Of the students who gambled, 45% participated in only 1 type of gambling activity, the majority of student gamblers restricted their gambling to 1or 2 types (Richard A Labrie 2001). Students also answered questions about time spent on various activities in the past 30 days, these questions provided with an opportunity to evaluate the demographic and other factors that distinguished students who gambled from those who did not. Results showed that three demographic variables significantly predicted college student gambling for the total sample. Being male was the strongest demographic predictor of being a gambler, followed by being older than 20 years, and finally by having parents who had not completed the 4 year college. For men but not women, being white was a significant predictor of being a gambler, for women but not men having never been married was also significant predictor (Richard A Labrie 2001). Other covariates: those students whose families did not disapprove of drinking were more likely to gamble. Students who gamble intensely consider parties to be very important and religion and art less important. Male gamblers consider athletics to be very important. Men who lived in fraternity houses were more likely to be gamblers; having a grade average less than a B+ was more common among gamblers and also having 5 or more close friends was one of the predictors. Alcohol related behavior were the strongest risk correlates of gambling. Use of marijuana and illicit drugs also predicted gambling. Students of both sexes were more likely to be gamblers if they watched a great deal of television, spent time on a computer for non-academic reasons, studied less than 3 hours a day (Richard A Labrie 2001) The results of this nationally representative survey of gambling among college students do not indicate that students are at high risk for gambling problems, fewer college students in the 2001 CAS gambled in the last school year than adults in the last year. The CAS also found that 2.6% of students gambled frequently. Although findings reported in this article do not indicate a large national gambling problem among students, promotion of gambling could change a current situation. As we noted several times, intensive alcohol usage is most significant predictor of gambling behavior, so decision of choosing article The co-occurrence of alcohol use and gambling activities in first-year college students by Matthew P. Martens. Study written in this article was participated by 908 first-year college students, who were surveyed in 2005; research showed that alcohol use and alcohol-related risks were related to gambling frequency and peak gambling loss. National studies have indicated that approximately 40% of US students engaged in heavy episodic drinking, with men consuming more alcohol than women. In this study Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used as a measure of alcohol use. AUDIT is a 10-item measure designed to assess alcohol consumption, dependence symptoms and alcohol related risks and problems. To assess gambling behaviors, participants completed a 7-item inventory, these items were taken from the South Oaks Gambling Screen, six items as sessed gambling activities: playing cards for money, betting on horses or sports betting, playing slot machines, playing casino games, playing the lottery and playing a game of skill. The mean AUDIT score among participants was 8.61, men reported higher total scores than women (Matthew P. Martens 2005), results also showed that most played gambling activity was lottery games(55%) followed by playing cards for money(44%) and games of skill(26%), men reported gambling more frequently and having a greater peak gambling loss than did women. Goal of this study was to examine the co-occurrence of alcohol use and gambling. Table 2 shows the correlation between AUDIT scores and gambling variables, correlation between AUDIT and gambling frequency was 0.29 indicating the co-occurrence. By assessing differences in gambling behaviors between high-risk drinkers, low risk drinkers and abstainers, analysis of results indicated that high-risk drinkers gambled significantly more often than did others and had higher peak gambling loss. The finding of this study was that alcohol-related variables (use, dependence and alcohol related risks) and gambling frequency and peak gambling loss co-occurred in a group of students: Consuming large amounts of alcohol may make it more likely that a student chooses to gamble or it could negatively affect a students gambling-related decision. Similarly students may drink more heavily when they are engaged in gambling activity. (Matthew P. Martens et al, journal of American college health 2005). As we noticed lotteries are most common form of gambling and they are readily available to students, so next article is Predictors of lottery gambling among American college students by Beverly A. Browne and Daniel J. Brown. In this study gambling behavior of 288 American college students was examined and it was found that student lottery gambling was related to having parents and friends who were lottery gamblers. Students who were frequent lottery gamblers were more likely to participate in other forms of gambling. Discriminator analyses using parental gambling, peer gambling, games played, sex and locus of control could predict frequency of lottery playing for 72% of gamblers and non-gamblers. A small body of research that addressed the relationships between gambling and personality (Reviewed by Kusyszyn, 1984) indicated that college students who gambled on lotteries were similar to non-gamblers in characteristics such as intelligence, psychoneurotic tendencies and extroversion, m ale college students who gambled were found to be more secure, masculine and happy but less socially responsible. People who believe in luck may be more likely to gamble. The personality trait of locus of control has been linked to believing in chance rather than individual control over ones destiny (Rotter, 1966; Rotter, 1972). The sample of this research consisted of 288 students, as attitudes toward gambling might vary with nationality the sample was restricted to persons from the USA. The respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire that asked about gambling practices and the gambling of parents and friends. Results showed that almost 80% of the sample had purchased lottery tickets at one time or another; only 2% reported that they were frequent lottery players and 63% as occasional players. The average age of subjects when they bought their first ticket was 17.7 years, 31% of students reported that they had played lottery illegally before the age of 18. Responses als o showed that 61% of college students played the same frequency as they did before they came to college, so college environment is not motivator of gambling. Study used discriminator analyses to determine how well a combination of variables would predict lottery playing behavior. The analyses indicated that the combination of other gambling, parental gambling, peer gambling, sex, and locus of control could predict gambling status. Most predictive variables were engaging in other gambling, parental gambling, and peer gambling. Gaming peers may promote tendencies to gamble; nevertheless other influences (time, money, knowledge) may constrain those tendencies. Review gave me a great deal of information around gambling to make conclusions, researches indicated legal gambling is not directly connected to unemployment growth, crime rate or personal bankruptcy, it is not significant influencer, so if we consider those benefits expressed in huge taxation revenues, developed services, and employment in casinos, we can find legal gambling acceptable and sometimes necessary too. Those funds received from taxation will stimulate economic growth and result in greater GDP. On the other hand, it is persons legal right to gamble, if he is above 18 years and has desire, so it would be less than democratic to abolish gaming as a purpose of evading excessive or pathological gambling. I perfectly realize negative effects and bad sides of gambling, mainly influencing adolescents and problem gamblers, as excessive gambling frequently results in disruption of private life, psychological distress, big debts, failures at jobs, universities and in relationships with relativesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ so population must be informed about it timely, and then people will make informed choice to gamble or not. Restrictions in age must be controlled strictly; juveniles under 18 years must not be allowed to gamble at all, not only in casinos but anywhere. It means that illegal gambling must be eliminated, also in schools and universities have to be conducted monitoring of student gambling behavior, prevention programs must be developed and policies should emphasize not punishment of those who became problem gamblers but rehabilitation. By looking at predictors of gambling behavior profile of prospective problem gambler can be created, people who fit this profile noticed and eliminate threat until it becomes dangerous. In some dimensions gambling has negative effects on society as a whole(social distress) so there is one view and I agree with it that gambling ventures can be removed

supreme court desicion of hypothetical case :: essays research papers

The appellant, Salim abdul Aziz Rahman, the founder of the group called the Global Islamic Jihad, was convicted under the USA Patriot Act of 2003 for â€Å"furthering the aims of known terrorism organizations by advocating the violence of the United States government that is called for by those organizations.† He was tried and convicted by the Federal District Court, and has challenged the constitutionality of this Act on the grounds that it violates his First Amendment right of Freedom of Speech as protected by the United States Constitution. The United States Patriot Act of 2003 makes it a crime to â€Å"further the aims of known terrorist organizations by advocating the violence against the United States government that is called for by those organizations.† This act was formulated and put into effect after the acts of terrorism in September of 2001.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The record shows that a man identified as the appellant, distributed to the inhabitants of his predominantly Middle-Eastern New York City neighborhood, pamphlets stating â€Å"the American government is controlled by Zionist agents and is using it’s arrogant power to murder believers around the world.† These pamphlets also contained the sentence â€Å"The penalty for murder is death.† These pamphlets were printed and distributed by his organization, Global Islamic Jihad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At a rally of his organization in April of 2002, Mr. Rahman burned a flag (though protected by Texas v Johnson, 491 US 397, ‘O’Brien 626’), and presented a speech where he called for â€Å"death to any country that supports Zionist aggression against true believers† as well as cataloging â€Å"American crimes against humanity.† In a speech on the day of his arrest in this same Middle-Eastern neighborhood, the appellant catalogued â€Å"America’s crimes against humanity and the believers,† as well as declaring â€Å"We must not sit by idle. We must stand up with all of our strength with our brothers and sisters who struggle against the Zionists and against those who help them with money and weapons. The treacherous Jews and Crusaders must go down. Jihad knows no boundaries and no limitations on its means.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through legal FBI wiretaps, it was found that Mr. Rahman was in direct contact with representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, a political group both in the United States and abroad. Previously an Egyptian terrorist group whom publicly renounced violence, this group now claims to advocate a â€Å"peaceful transition to a worldwide Islamic state.† However, this group often conveys ideas by known terrorist organizations that it calls â€Å"brothers in the great cause.

Cathedral Essay -- essays research papers

Cathedral The story is about a blind man who visits a married couple. He is an old friend of the wife, but the husband does not look forward to see the blind man (called Robert) because he does not know what to expect. He has never known any blind persons and his picture of these is based on a very little foundation. He has a lot of prejudices against Robert, but during his visit he changes his opinion about him. While watching TV together they get each other to know better and the husband finds out that he actually likes his company. They watch a program about cathedrals and while talking about cathedrals, Robert says that he does not even know how a cathedral looks like. The husband tries to explain what a cathedral is and how it is built, but Robert does not understand it. Therefore he suggests that they can draw one together. In that way Robert gets a picture of a cathedral in his mind and even though it is not as good as seeing it with his own eyes, it is good enough to give him an idea o f what a cathedral is. I think there are may different themes in this short story. For instance, I think that prejudices is one of the main themes which is shown through the husband’s way of react, when he hears that a blind man is coming. Because he does not know what to expect, he imagines a man, totally different, who does not have the same habits or knows the same thing as “normal'; people. “I remembered having read somewhere that the blind did not sm...

The Importance of Global Awareness Essay -- Politics Political Essays

The Importance of Global Awareness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States has been considered a leader in the global world of awareness since the beginning of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. It is the one country that has influenced international economics, world politics. As a college student, I have become aware that most of my classmates and friends are not concerned about foreign affairs. Americans, especially college students need to know what is going on around them. It is a vital part of our promising future that we understand the importance of global awareness. A rising controversial question that I have noticed as a student is: why is the United States considered a leading global power when we have so many problems of our own? How did we gain such a prestigious title? This â€Å"world leader† title is inconsistent because people, especially youths and college students don’t care about what is happening around the world. That is the most horrific problem of all. Apathy is worse than hate and ignorance because Americans don’t want to know and don’t care to understand about foreign affairs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many solutions to apathy and ignorance. The combination of â€Å"realists† and â€Å"idealists† play a central role in giving democracy the vitality and appeal it enjoys around the world today. The promotion of democracy worldwide advances the national security of the United States. It promotes national security by arguing that such policy makes for better relations with other people Hence this satisfies realist demand that the country thinks of its interests which are defined in terms of the international organization of power (Smith 224).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another solution dealing with apathy and ignorance is involving students in the Globa... ...ople around the world. Similar nations look up to us as a model for supporting, governing, and entertaining for their lifestyles and cultures. To solve our socio- economic problems, it is necessary that we look back at our following countries and learn from them. Works Cited Issues and Studies: A Monthly Journal of Communist Problems and World Affairs. Multipolarity: Myth or Reality? Ray C. Hillam Visiting Professor. Department of Political Science. National Taiwan University Volume X August 1974 Number 11 pages 2-24 Foreign Affairs The Rise of the Virtual State Richard Rosecrance Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for International Relations at the University of California, Los Angeles Volume 75 July and August 1996 Number 4 Global Awareness Homepage New Twentieth Century Fund Book â€Å"America’s Mission† Tony Smith pages 218-233

Juvenile Violence Due to Media Essay

Depending on the person that is playing the games and watching certain media, it can affect juvenile violence. My parents weren’t too strict on me as a child, so I had the freedom to watch and play anything I wanted to. Where as in my case I do not believe I have been affected to the exposure of violent video games or television violence. But there are others that aren’t as mentally stable and can be affected by violent television and video game. The amount of television violence and video games we are exposed to are greater and more easily accessed to than ever before. Every time I turn on the television I can always find a show about murder or someone dying or getting hurt. I believe as humans we are interested in the idea of death and injury so directors and producers make shows like C.S.I, House, and Law and Order. Shows that have some kind of violence are interesting to us. The most popular video games out there today are first person shooters. I was first exposed to a shooting game on xbox at the age of 13. It was called Halo, and is still one of the most popular games out there today. Now the game that everyone is playing called Call of Duty. It is a game where you are in the United States military and killing hundreds of enemies. Now the military are using video games to train their troops and if we are exposing are youth to that type of material it has to have some kind of effect on them. According to Adam Thierer on Violent Video Games & Youth Violence, â€Å"Such a causal relationship is even more dubious today since all Americans, especially youngsters, are surrounded by a much wider variety of media than ever before. Even though television viewing has gone down slightly in recent years, it has been due to the rise of other media substitutes that command the attention of children, including the Internet, cell phones and video games. Overall, therefore, it appears that children are â€Å"consuming† as much, if not more, media than ever before. â€Å" Our youth has more access to media now a day’s then in then in the past. More and more television shows have some type of sexual or violent plot to them and exposing it to our youth can lead to a monkey see monkey do type effect to them. I know I always wanted to be the Rock, the famous wrestler. I would dress up like him and do his wrestling moves in the living room. Now I was doing these violent moves at my house and pretending to be beating someone up, I never took the pretend wrestling outside my house and used it on another classmate. I watched wrestling a lot, and never got into a fight all of my time in school. So there is some kind of misconnection between violence on television and violent youth. There were other kids in my 3rd grade class that were bringing these violent wrestling moves to school and acting like they were â€Å"Triple H† a famous wrestler at that time. I can remember one kid who got into trouble for fighting and he was the one that was using the wrestling moves on another kid who had no idea that it was coming. That same kid is now in jail for robbery that I saw a few months ago on my local news. So there are some individuals that are influenced by violent television but it depends on the type of person that is watching these shows. I believe it finally ends up with the decision of the juvenile’s parent to let them watch these shows. My parents let me watch them because they knew I wouldn’t be doing these types of things just because I saw it on television. The kid who I mentioned earlier who is in jail did not have a very stable home life and his parents probably didn’t know if he was watching these shows, and if they did, they probably wouldn’t of let him watch these shows because he was very unstable. Violent video games are widely sold and are easily accessed to. The games that are violent have a â€Å"M† for mature a rating made by the surgeon general for the amount of violence and adult content in them. You are suppose to be 18 or older to purchase these items but according to â€Å"mystery shopper† studies by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission found that young teens ages 13 to 16 were able to purchase M-rated games 85% of the time. So these ratings are very rarely managed by the retailers selling these games. According to a 1999 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 83% of children ages 8 to 18 reported having at least one video game console in their home, and 45% had one in their bedroom. In addition, 74% have at least one computer at home. Fifty-five percent of boys and 23% of girls said they played video games on a typical day, with nearly 20%, primarily boys, playing an â€Å"action or combat† game. These study was done in 1999, I am sure these numbers have dramatically increased with this now being the digital age, and the easily access we have to this type of material. Some experimental studies have found that aggressive thoughts or behavior increase after playing a particular video game according to video game research and public policy. So playing these games can lead to aggressive behavior. Exposing our youth to television violence and violent video games can be damaging for certain juveniles. The media does have a rating system on them for a reason. As adults we need to enforce this rating system and supervise our children when they are being exposed to it. References Anderson CA: An update on the effects of playing violent video games. J Adolesc 2004; 27:113—122 Federal Trade Commission: Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: A Review of Self-Regulation in Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music Recording & Electronic Game Industries. Washington, DC, FTC, 2000 Roberts DF et al.: Kids & Media @ the New Millennium. Menlo Park, Calif, Kaiser Family Foundation, 1999 Thierer, Adam. Violent Video Games & Youth Violence: What Does Real-World Evidence. February 9, 2010