Comprehensive School Counseling Project: A Proposal

Educational reform is shaped by the commitment to provide optimum learning environments that will guarantee academic success for all students. A shift in the counseling program is introduced by the comprehensive school counseling model recognizing the significant roles counselors can play in maximizing potentials and achievement in every child. According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA 1997), school counselors must aid schools to â€Å"focus on academic achievement, prevention and intervention activities, advocacy and social/ emotional, and career development† (Dahir, Hardy, Ford & Morrissey, 2005). The model provides â€Å"content, process and accountability methods† (Dahir et al. , 2005) that will help school counselors design programs to address the needs of the student population based on the information or data gathered. As expressed by Bilzing (1997), â€Å"random acts of guidance are no longer acceptable in 21st century schools† (as cited in Dahir et al. , 2005, p. 3). The major departure from the traditional approach in school counseling is the use of research as the basis for the design of a counseling program. From a service driven model, transformed counseling programs operate on a data-driven and standards-based model. In addition to counseling, consultation and coordination roles, counselors participate in advocacy, collaborative and team work, data-driven and results-oriented initiatives, and technology-based programs. Counselors work closely with other teaching and school staff to ensure that â€Å"every student benefits directly from the school counseling program† (Dahir et al. , 2005). Adopting a comprehensive counseling approach in school increases its propensity to address challenges of students and equip them with skills to face the changing demands of society. The research-based approach allows its continuous evolution based on data gathered so academic and psychosocial programs are created to address specific areas. The comprehensive counseling model has been found to increase student attendance and completion rates while decreasing suspension rates. Violence prevention interventions have also been established as a product of the approach. It is able to â€Å"address the needs of students in low performing schools and schools in crisis by using research based techniques to overcome the barriers such students face† (Dahir et al. 2005). Comprehensive counseling programs in school are able to deal with the specific factors that are affecting student achievement. â€Å"Professional development is an important supporting activity in the implementation of comprehensive developmental school counseling programs† (Dahir et al. , 2005). The involvement of other members in the school becomes beneficial to their personal and professiona l enhancement. Furthermore, the program has also been extended to involve parents. The information gathered from research â€Å"show the strengths and weaknesses of children, how the school counselor is meeting the student’s needs, what areas the student needs to focus on to succeed, and incorporate the home support in all domains of the program† (Dahir et al. , 2005). It is gradually becoming a positive agent for improvements in the environment that surrounds the student — home, school and community. Review of Literature There is a general agreement that most of the nation’s problem is best addressed through prevention and proactive intervention. Thompson (2002) highlights the fact that â€Å"educational, political, and economic trends, as well as the critical needs of today’s youth, are redefining the role and function of the professional school counselor†. Furthermore, in a society where diversity is becoming a rule rather than an exception, â€Å"school counselors have come to represent a reservoir of stability and congruency of information† (Thompson, 2002). This can only be achieved through research-based approach to program design and following a developmental model of program implementation. It is the comprehensive counseling program which follows an inclusive model, being able to cater to all students within varying developmental needs. What is the best intervention that will work? This is perhaps one, if not the most, daunting question of school counselors. Until recently, psychological and counseling models were the primary sources of information. The advent of evidenced-based school counseling however, is providing a brighter direction for school counselors as well as decreasing the margin of error for the choice of intervention. Sexton, Schofield, and Whitson (1997) have argued that â€Å"the use of existing outcome research to guide both training and practice can help ensure that professional activities reflect best practices and are consistent with each other† (qtd. in Dimmitt, Carey, & Hatch, 2007, p. 3). The comprehensive school counseling model therefore, by adopting an evidenced-base approach, increases the integrity and validity of the program implemented. Further support for the crucial role of the counselor and the benefits of using empirical data in program design is provided in the literature review conducted by White and Kelly (2010). They focused on how the comprehensive counseling program can address the problem of school dropout. The approach is able to impact both risk-reduction and protective factors of potential dropouts. â€Å"The role that school counselors can play in helping to prevent school dropout is substantial and could ultimately enhance not only student outcomes, but also the trajectory of the profession of school counseling† (White & Kelly, 2010). Evidence has shown that absenteeism and tardiness, unless properly addressed, will lead to increased student difficulty and drop-outs. Counselors are challenged to proactively seek ways to provide early interventions for prevention. Another accountability of the counselor was discussed in the study by Wachter, Villalba and Brunelli (2007). The article highlights the academic and personal-social needs of students with ethnic backgrounds, particularly Latino(a) children in southeastern U. S. The results show that there is â€Å"a wide array of academic and cultural factors impacting student learning and development, in addition to a diverse collection of school-based interventions† (Wachter et al. 2007). The participants were also concerned with the â€Å"understanding gap† that affects the communication and perceptions between the Latino homes and the schools, which among other factors, impedes their academic success. It is the counselor’s responsibility to help close this gap by learning about the students’ culture to better understand their needs and help them achieve their goals. The hi gh incident rate of bullying in schools is a major and grave issue that is consistently facing school counselors. Young, Hardy, Hamilton, Biernesser, and Niebergall (2009) describes how data was used to provide a comprehensive counseling program to address bullying and harassment incidents in school. â€Å"As a result, the school counselors began to routinely and systematically track and use data to transform their counseling services† (Young et al. , 2009). The program allowed them to measure outcomes and if significant differences were attained due to the program implementation. So far, the studies previously discussed emphasized the role of the counselor in improving the psycho-social well-being of students. Accountability, however, is encompassing and includes achievement scores in academic subjects. Luck and Webb (2009) compared the achievement outcomes of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test of Grades 4-5 students who participated and did not take part in the counselor-led Student Success Skills Intervention. The results show that â€Å"students who participated in the intervention showed greater mean improvement in reading and math scores that students at the district or state level† (Luck & Webb, 2009). The outcomes led to greater appreciation of collaborative work between counselor and the teaching staff. Within the context of comprehensive programs in school counseling, addressing the issue of sexualization among girls was discussed in an article by Choate and Curry (2009). The authors argue that being a sensitive and ethically-laden issue, the counselors’ professional orientation and skills â€Å"are uniquely suited to play a pivotal role in creating effective change in this area† (Choate & Curry, 2009). There are many factors affecting sexuality of girls and the multiple services achieved through a comprehensive program makes it possible to deal with these factors in isolation and in their interaction. Clearly the comprehensive counseling model finds various applications and provides a holistic intervention for the students. But how prepared are those in the profession to adopt this approach in their practice? A study conducted by Dahir, Burnham and Stone (2009) revealed that â€Å"there are gaps in the school counselor’s ability to embrace and implement the new vision of comprehensive school counseling during the initial stages of implementation. This finding necessitates professional development to better equip school counselors, as well as other members of the school — teaching and support staff, and administrators — for successful collaboration. Program Descriptions and Recommendations Based on the arguments and empirical data presented in the previous sections, it is highly recommended that schools shift from a service-driven model to a data-informed comprehensive school counseling program. The diverse populations co-existing in the school will greatly be nefit from the approach. The programs will be tailored according to the background and needs of the students. The socio-economic backgrounds and family context are creating serious impact on the performance of the students. Existing literature has provided evidence that counselor-led interventions to improve academic success are yielding significant differences in the test scores of the students. â€Å"The foundation is the basis of a comprehensive school counseling program† (Dahir et al. , 2005). The proposed program is aimed at developing the psycho-social and academic skills of students to help them become self-directed learners who are prepared to meet the demands of a changing society. It hopes to mold the students in the three important domains, academic, personal/social and career. Specifically, it hopes to address the learning standards in Mathematics, Science and Technology, Language Arts and Career Development. These foundational schools are important at this initial stage of program implementation and while other standards are equally important, they will be further addressed after the initial phase. It will also allow for proper monitoring and evaluation of the program. The outcomes will be measured quantitatively through standardized tests. Qualitative data will also be gathered through interviews and examination of work outputs of students. The delivery process will entail individual student planning. Career planning is recommended for the program where students will sit through a workshop to identify their personal vision-mission. This will be the first step in building their career portfolio. Responsive services will also be in place for critical cases. While topics for group sessions may be provided based on the counselor’s assessment, individual counseling will also be initiated for students mostly in need such as those with history of bullying or broken families. The school counseling curriculum will be initiated with the coordination of school teachers to improve academic performance. School tools or study skills will be provided by the counselor to encourage students to maximize their potentials and introduce different pathways to success. Feedback, monitoring and evaluation of the counseling program will be achieved through an effective system support. The guidance counselor takes the lead in engaging administrators, parents, the community and other sectors of society in measuring the outcomes of the comprehensive counseling program. On a regular basis, the school counselor convenes different stakeholders to provide information on the programs initiated and the current results. Management is the key for smooth delivery of services. Proper planning will involve scheduling of services offered. School counselors must also provide monthly reports to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Documentation therefore, is of utmost importance. â€Å"School counselors and administrators are challenged to demonstrate the effectiveness of their school counseling programs in measurable terms† (Dahir et al. 2005). Data will always be the primary source for the changes that are proposed and for further enhancements in the future. School counselors must take accountability for student achievement, in as much as teachers and principals do. Thus, the programs must be aligned with the objectives of the academic curriculum. Data must be analyzed and reflected upon to create the necessary changes in the program to ensure effectiveness. Appropriate measurement instruments will be adopted to be able to quantify the outcomes of the program.

As I Walked Out One Evening †W.H.Auden Essay

The poem in study is As I Walked out One Evening by W.H. Auden. His views projected in this poem are suggested to have not varied since the time he composed this piece. Unlike his other poems, this piece was never revised. Here, Auden exposes the two sides of romance through the manipulation of narrative voices, the poet, the lover’s song and the chiming of the clock personified. As I walked out one evening is composed in a traditional ballad form. It’s consists of 15 quatrain stanzas conforming to an â€Å"abcb† rhyme scheme. The masculine end rhyme employed gives more freedom of wording. It is through these settings that exhibits the song-like quality of a ballad and by this lyrical tune, Auden suggests the theme and theories examined in the poem are of childlike logic and knowledge. With reference to the structure of the poem, it comprises of 15 stanzas split into three distinctive voices. The first and last being the narration by the poet himself, framing the Lover’s Song and the menacing voice of the clock. Through the beginning narration by the persona, W.H. Auden sets the essence of nostalgia with a â€Å"walk down Bristol Street†. The mention of Bristol Street creates the tone of reminiscence as it is a venue of Auden’s childhood. The contrast of â€Å"crowds upon the pavement† that use to be â€Å"fields of harvest wheat† showcases the change taken place during time-lapse. Down by the brimming river, the poet hears a lover sing â€Å"love has no ending†. The transition of narrative position from the initial persona to the Love Song takes place through the marking of inverted commas. The rhythm of the poem also changes away from iambic tri-meter when the love song begins. The love song is hyperbolized, injected with imageries and unconventional similes to exaggerate the affections of a naà ¯ve lover. With suggestions of the uncanny ability to love â€Å"till China and Africa meet†, Auden captures their simplistic and unrealistic minds. The silly and lighthearted tone shown through the alliteration of the line â€Å"salmon sing in the street†. In addition to undermining the forces of nature, the lover’s song seem to believe its love to be pure and immune to time, for â€Å"in my arms I hold The  Flower of the Ages, And the first love of the world†. This love is expressed to be ageless, the Flower of the Ages a Biblical reference to the year of maturity in which a woman can marry. In a sense, the song provokes that the incredibility of love is beyond human entity, but of something greater. However, the tone shifts in the 6th stanza, turning to the narration of the clock and time personified. They seem to be rebuking the ideals embodied by the Lover’s Song as they began to â€Å"whirr and chime†, an onomatopoeia that creates the image of violent and unsettling wind. The wind that could break them apart, hit their faces with a chill. The clock conveys the negative perception of naà ¯ve love as it rings out a series of advice to the lovers. The Clock’s advice is like a progression of a 4 session counselling, speaking to us readers as if we are the young lovers. Marked by the phrase â€Å"O†, he begins with a gentle coaxing. â€Å"O let not time deceive you†, the idealism borne by the love song shall break through time’s passing. â€Å"O plunge your hands in the water† as if washing one’s face in the morning. Wake up from the hyperbolized world of love to reality. â€Å"Stare, stare at the basin,† reflect on your past actions and their indications, what you’ve missed. â€Å"O look, look in the mirror† examine your present self. Finally â€Å"O stand, stand at the window†, see your partner through the barrier of glass. Unclouded and unaffected by cruel words of a quarrel, in the peace of one’s own mind, then we shall see that we are all hypocrites in love. The overall tone of the clock is quite dark and Auden uses the technique of contrasting metaphors to develop the negative effects of time in idealism. The â€Å"green valley† and â€Å"appalling snow† signifying the presence of time will eventually break momentary joy. â€Å"The glacier knocks in the cupboard, the desert sighs in the bed†, the consequences of time will invade one’s privacy and comfort, perhaps even home. Until it becomes overwhelming, one should break down, it’ll â€Å"open a lane to the land of the dead† where qualities of life we once known are twisted into a paradoxical world embodied by stanza 12. There is however, a consolation to these negative aspects, that if we â€Å"wake  up† in time, we shall learn to love truly, for life remains a blessing, even when we’re too focused on our distress. Throughout this entire process, the language suggests the lack of presence of the first persona. But this theory is contradicted by the last stanza where the â€Å"poet† narrates. â€Å"It was late, late in the evening†, the repetition a habit picked up from the clock’s speech. The persona was watching the whole time, now knows better, that the overflowing love of the â€Å"brimming river†, actually has a lot more depth. W.H. Auden through the shift of narrative voices explores the different perspective of love. This technique shows us not only one sided opinions but various views. And readers are shown, that perhaps what is right in the minds of one, may vary to the eyes of another. The image of romance is often twisted to extremes by society. As human beings, we have the tendency to form opinions based on our own favours. To an extent, this poem may resemble a satire to society. Humans tend to be hypocrites and very good liars to even our own minds to justify our wrongdoings.

Phi/105 Letter

Letter to a 20 or 21 Century Philosopher PHI/105 September 23, 2012 Letter to a 20 or 21 Century Philosopher I am writing this letter to John Dewey regarding his theory of pragmatism. I am choosing this theory because it interests me in the scientific aspect of your thinking. I know that you chose to challenge logicians to answer the question of truth. This is a hard thing to sort out and make real and true. Going up against some of the times most logical thinkers and challenging them to come up with true answers was one of your strong points.I know that you were not totally opposed to modern logic as you have stated â€Å"logic based upon the idea that qualitative objects are existential in the fullest sense. To retain logical principles based on this conception along with the acceptance of theories of existence and knowledge based on an opposite conception is not, to say the least, conductive to clearness – a consideration that has a good deal to do with existing dualism be tween traditional and the newer relational logics. †(Qualitative Thought  1930) This statement to me means that you had maybe exhausted the traditional way of thinking that you had imagined.I believe that you had to reach for more answers and different ways to get those answers. Truth is a hard thing to come by and it is not easily obtained. I know that you were a philosopher of science and that you used this to try and understand the world. From you research you did not stretch the truth but rather examined all of the parts that could be explained by science. In figuring these things out you were able to determine if the phenomena that you were examining at the time were actually true or not.I find this interesting because there are many things in this world that are hard to explain. I am sure that there were many questions left unanswered for you because the research technology was just not there for you at the time you were doing your research on different phenomenaâ€⠄¢s. The scientific method that you chose to follow would be a base for all of the scientists that followed your research and I find it amazing that you are still known to this day. I can see now by researching your history why you did not believe in religion. I would have to say this is ecause it is something that could not be proven. The phenomena that a being could exists and create everything is just too impossible to conceive. It is impossible to determine by science even to this day if someone such as this did or could ever exist. There is no scientific method that can prove the truth of this and this is why you did not believe it was possible. I would have to also agree with this point and if there were a way to research it scientifically and prove that such a being or person did exist I would believe that to be the truth.With no truth about certain things it is hard to put any kind of faith in them. The more I think about these things the more I believe the scientific method the best way for me to go about life and think about things. I believe that the other two schools are just as good as yours. I just lean a little more towards science then math or metaphysics. These other two schools are necessary as well for the understanding of almost all things that are explainable. There is no one school that is better than the others and I would have to relate to all three of them.As for the things that are just phenomena I would have to agree with you in analyzing the facts and truths that we are able to prove and believe in rather than just making things up and believing in false truths. John Dewey you are truly someone to look up to and I have found in your readings some truth to this life that we lead. Many things go unanswered but in time many things that were unanswerable will get figured out and the truth shall be revealed. References READING:  Ch. 9 of  Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas. READING:  Ch. 8 of  Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas. http://w ww. infed. org/thinkers/et-dewey. htm

Love in Hamlet, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, and 'We Real Cool' Essay

Love in Hamlet, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, and 'We Real Cool' - Essay Example By contrast, in our times, even with the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and of marriage equality in New York and other states, the love portrayed in literature often follows the so-called 'traditional' set-up of a man and a woman. There are also other ways in which literary portrayals of love have changed over time – for example, Shakespeare's works glorify love but modern works sometimes downplay its role in our lives. What does this signify? The different portrayals of love in the following three texts can, at least in part, be attributed to the time of their writing: Hamlet, in 1600, reflects a world in which love was idealized but often not really part of reality. Marriages were arranged according to property ownership and convenience – and what could be more convenient than the late king's brother taking over his role, wife included? The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, written by Katherine Anne Porter in 1930, presents love as important but not a driving force. Gran ny's stream-of-consciousness returns repeatedly to her being left at the altar, but also to her own strength as a successful single mother at the beginning of the twentieth century. Ultimately, though, her lost love pales in significance when compared to her 'jilting' from God. Finally, in 1960, Brooks' poem â€Å"We Real Cool† shows love as a reticent issue, masked by more important, wilder behaviour. This leads one to ask: now, fifty years after â€Å"We Real Cool†, what role does love play in modern literature, and is it as reflective of our reality as Hamlet, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, and â€Å"We Real Cool† were in their times? ... s love play in modern literature, and is it as reflective of our reality as Hamlet, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, and â€Å"We Real Cool† were in their times? This paper will look at the relationships of these texts in terms of language and context to show that love is an evolving force in literature. Love in Hamlet, like every other theme in the play, is a multifaceted and complex presence: Hamlet's adoration of his mother, tempered by vicious disgust, has been interpreted as his â€Å"sexual desire† for her, stimulated by â€Å"his sense of his mother's guilt† (Jardine, 38); his relationship with Ophelia is also one of destructive love, and his words to her oscillate wildly between kindness and hatred (â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery, go!† Shakespeare, III.i). Some critics have argued that Hamlet's perception of his mother as weak - â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman!† (Shakespeare, I.ii) – influences how he sees Ophelia. Hamlet's relationshi p with Ophelia is clouded not just by his misogyny, but by his complete self-absorption: his melancholy takes precedence over her love for him, causing him to be cruel and sending Ophelia into a madness fueled by the loss of her father and her partner. However, the older couple in the play, Gertrude and Claudius, appears to be a genuinely happy one, if the reader examines the text closely and refuses to take Hamlet's interpretation of their marriage as read. Claudius is an effective king who deals diplomatically with events ranging in scale from the military threat from Norway to Hamlet's depression (Shakespeare, I.ii); Gertrude is a caring mother who independently invites her son's friends to Elsinore to alleviate his sorrow (II.ii); together they are a passionate couple who, in Hamlet's own words, spend time â€Å"honeying and making

Prisons in the united states Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Prisons in the united states - Research Paper Example Furthermore, new policies on combating drug trafficking have contributed to the rise in incarceration rates significantly. Similarly, the public demand tougher actions from the criminal justice system. There is overrepresentation of people of color in American criminal justice system (parole, jail, probation). According to Clear, Cole & Reisig (2008, p.471), â€Å"African American men are imprisoned in United States at a rate more than three times higher than white males.† In addition, male population under the criminal justice system is higher than female population. The prison system in the US, especially in relation to mass imprisonment has led to collapse of the family units, as parents get imprisoned leaving behind their children. Indeed, the number of single parent householders has increased due to incarceration. Thus, this paper will compare the rate of incarceration in America and other countries, explore the factors contributing to mass imprisonment, significance of g ender and race in criminal justice system, and addresses cultural implication of mass imprisonment, conditions of confinement and what we can learn about the American society from the way it treats its prisoners. Describe the rate of incarceration in the U.S. ... According to Conrad (2005, p. 223), â€Å"the rate of incarceration for the United States is 702 for every 100,000 American citizens, the highest rates in the World.† Indeed, the rate of incarceration in the United States is 5-6 times more than other industrialized countries (Mauer, 2003, p.3). The graph below illustrates the incarceration rates in US in comparison with other countries. Source: Mauer, M., (2003). Comparative International Rates of Incarceration: An Examination of Causes and Trends. http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_comparative_intl.pdf Besides, America reports more cases of violent crimes than other industrialized countries. Why does the United States lead other industrialized nations in mass imprisonment? The United States leads other industrialized nations in mass incarceration level due to high numbers of violent crimes, porous borders with Mexico, which inflates drugs trafficking, racial turmoil, criminal justice policies, and degradati on of social safety net. In addition, the criminal justice system incarcerates more minor offenders than other nations. Essentially, a large percentage of incarcerated person in the US are put behind due to drug and substance trafficking. Other countries do not impose stringent laws prohibiting drugs trafficking; hence, they have fewer inmates on trafficking grounds. Thus, the America’s measure to combat drug trafficking has led to more incarcerated persons serving longer sentences. Similarly, there is a higher rate of violent crimes related to drugs cartels in America in comparison with other countries. The US criminal justice system is also influenced by democracy; primarily, courts judges, prosecutors are elected, and hence they are subject to public

The treatment of the Devil in Literature and the Faustian bargain Research Paper

The treatment of the Devil in Literature and the Faustian bargain - Research Paper Example Faustus is aspired for knowledge and power and he signs his contract with the Devil in his blood. Marlowe and Goethe contributed much to the development of the story about Faust and Devil. Mephistopheles prevents Dr. Faustus from his love with a woman-for-life and from God, but just promises to punish him in case of his cooperation with Christian powers. Mephistopheles takes away the life and soul of Dr. Faustus. He has no patience and tears Faustus into small pieces after 24 years. The moral of the story is to be able to resist evil. Therefore, this book is about Mephistopheles and his ability to ruin life of a human being. A destroying power of temptation and finding an easy way to the main goal of ones life is discussed in this first story about Faust. No pains, no gains – these words should have inspired Faustus in his searching for true knowledge, but not easy gains. Another writer, who continued these ideas, is Marlowe. He described Mephistopheles in a different manner. This is kind of a medieval morality play about good and evil. This tragedy contains chorus and the main figure of this story underlines his heroic features. Faustus thinks that his soul costs nothing in comparison with a power of knowledge and his own power he can gain. The essence of knowledge is discussed in this story. In the light of Doctor Faustus the issue of knowledge is considered from a very interesting perspective. Faust does not believe in philosophy anymore, he is much considered about the magic books. He thinks that there is much more power in the books of magic than in the books of philosophy, which he has already mastered. The works of Greek philosophers are considered by Dr. Faustus as the books of divine doctrine. The books of nature and the books of philosophy and science are opposed in this book. Faustus thinks that the source of knowledge can be found in diff erent scholastic books. The issues of the eternity of universe

Miniaturization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Miniaturization - Essay Example Advantages of miniaturization Miniaturization is very vital as it has several advantages. It requires low cost, has the ability to accommodate greater density and it is high in speed. The small electronics are very faster as the signals they transmit travel over short distances and the devices do not travel for long distances within the implemented device. Furthermore, packing of small sized devices is quite advantageous as it help reduce the cost incurred in the electronics. For instance, though four times the memory capacity, a 1-megabit DRAM chip which contains 256-kilobit DRAM is less costly as compared to a product of same space. The number of chips on a system determines the total cost of the circuit therefore, 1-megait of DRAM used reduces the probable number of memory chips in the long run reducing the prices as compared to a four 256 kilobit DRAM in use. In addition, the prices of logic devices have gone down due to the greater integration and reduction in the size of the tr ansistors. Miniaturization is also vital as it has the ability to create new markets through enabling new and advanced applications. For instance, through development of the microprocessors which is a very small component in an integrated circuit has led to expansion of markets for personal computers. The flat panel displays with the improved packaging of chips have contributed to the advancement of battery-powered computers. This has been one of the functional markets that miniaturization has created. In addition, the reduction of cellular telephones and computers into small components has led to the merging of these devices to a cordless appliance which can easily link the whole world through network. For instance, the application of miniaturization is evident in companies such as Nippon Electric Company which offers laptops that have a cellular phone. This laptop is available in Japan though countries such as America are also coming up with this technological change in miniaturiz ation. Disadvantages of miniaturization Miniaturization has several side effects that are very difficult to handle. For instance, miniaturization produces a lot of noise. The quality of image suffers the soaring loud noise which comes from miniaturization of the varied pixel sizes. Errors from the registering photons and signaling process in reading out of the CCD phase leads to the production of noise. The different pixels differ in time and due to the varied sensitivity. Thus, there is a big difference in the amount of photons that are transformed to the electrical charge. More so, photons are always changing with change in the pixels at different times. However, if the photons fail to arrive noise must be produced in the process. If the pixels reduce then reducing noise becomes more difficult. There is high amount of photons arriving if the pixel is small in size. The energized or small pixels contain small energy difference as compared to huge pixels. This has made it difficult for one to easily distinguish noise from signals. Image noise in low light is severe while signals are lower. Therefore, amplifying weak signals leads to production of noisy pictures. Increase in miniaturization leads to increase in noise which causes a lot of waste on the area of the chip. Secondly, miniaturization leads to diffraction. Diffraction in miniaturization occurs when a wave takes its way or passes near an obstacle resulting to deflection of light. The normal dispersion of light is linear and involves photons spreading out near

Introduction to Philosophy (not quite sure about what the title is) Essay

Introduction to Philosophy (not quite sure about what the title is) - Essay Example Nevertheless, can not you see that while doing so, you give up one of the previous aspects of your individuality, namely moral autonomy? Please consider this: if you believe that God gave you free will and He must want you to use it all the time, especially while making ethical decisions, but by sending this letters He practically deprives you of this ability. In other words, by commanding you He substitutes your will with His. It is quite obvious that in this situation you lose your value as an autonomous human being with independent reasoning! (2) - I see that you are a young and promising student of Philosophy, good for you, - he replied. - Nevertheless, I adhere to nihilistic views and would like to use this chance as I chase you to collect the sample of you blood to present my position. You see, I comply with what your Philosophy would call Expressivism. As you may guess from the very name, this approach towards morality puts emphasis on the action of expression rather than action of judgment. You see, ordinary people do not receive letters from God Himself think about the world in the categories of right and wrong, claiming that there is no other option. Contrary to that, I simply express my opinion about something, not necessarily claiming it to be good or bad. Let is consider the situation that we are having at the moment. You make taking samples of other people blood sound horrible! On the other hand, I retain a position that does not claim that it is good, I just note that it is necessary for my question, you know . You may be thinking that I am a crazy maniac who approves of killing people, but please refrain from such kind of thinking. It is my strongest belief that strict moral knowledge that you think you have is in fact impossible. Indeed, if one develops a broad understanding of the world, one will be able to see that it is not possible to gain any knowledge in the realm of Ethics which would

How do you think domestic and foreign intelligence should work in this Assignment

How do you think domestic and foreign intelligence should work in this country - Assignment Example Foreign intelligence encompasses security surveillance orchestrated by cross-border powers and personalities. Intelligence service is the most sensitive national institution that must be accorded utmost autonomy to prevent the country from vulnerability to terrorist attack. America being the presumed global superpower is a target for terrorism and other forms of violent attacks. The U.S. depends on both its domestic and foreign intelligence information to fight and or contain the world’s terrorism. It requires a highly confidential, competent and effective intelligence service both from domestic instruments and from foreign input (Marks, 2010). After the September 11 attacks, cooperation and close coordination is required between national and international intelligence in America (Marks, 2010). However, there should not be complete merge of the two institutions. While they should cooperate to deliver coinciding information, their individual autonomy should also have clear demarcation. The country’s security management should establish a central coordinating body that harmonizes information dissemination from either side of the security institutions. The role of this body would be to provide further scrutiny to the intelligence information before delivering credible vigilant information to the government. The specific roles of these two institutions should also have distinct stipulations to avoid conflict and duplication of surveillance information. Furthermore, the authenticity of foreign intelligence surveillance is dully enshrined in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of

Leadership Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership Theory - Essay Example According to the literature on leadership, it is necessary for every person to work out his/her personal strategy of leadership skills development and try to live and act in compliance with them. There are a lot of theories created in order to explain the peculiarities of each leadership style. If a person is acquainted with such styles, he or she can easily find the most appropriate for him/her. The knowledge of styles can help achieve the desired goals. The given paper will provide the overview of leadership and describe the theories as well as their pluses and minuses. Also the situations, where a person can use that or this theory in the best way will be described. â€Å"Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It's being able to take it as well as dish it out. That's the only way you're going to get respect from the players (Bird cited in Groves, 2006). Despite the fact that the qualification of manager is very popular i n the modern world, the demand for good managers is still growing. â€Å"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall† (Covey cited in Groves 2006). The fast development of business demands real professionals in the field of management. The organizations with the structure that prescribes self-management are very typical nowadays. Moreover, with the fast development of computers and informational technologies any kind of information becomes accessible for people within a shorter period of time. Nevertheless, no one can underestimate the importance of good managers, people that can not only organize the work, but organize it in stressful situations, which are so common for the modern business world. The question is how to become a good manager. Many scientists claim that success in any major can be reached not due to the talent, but due to the hard work. In order to become a good manager, one has to be acquainted with the main features that a future leader has to acquire. A good manager should know about his/her capabilities. A leader should always have many ideas: â€Å"If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn't any limit to what you can do with your business and your life. Ideas are any man's greatest asset† (Firestone cited in Rok 2009). It is necessary to improve the leadership skills and be self-assured. It is important to be sociable, but at the same time it is essential to remember that the sociability should stay somewhere between the extremes. If you cannot find common language with people or they irritate you, you can’t be a leader. It is also important to understand that your success strongly depends on the faith of your subordinates. In the modern business world the main task of a good manager is not just to control others, but rather to inform the team about the plans and goals and supervise the implementation pro cess. A good manager should possess good leadership skills and know how to apply them. The team should feel the presence of their manager even if the manager is absent. It is not easy to be a leader. According to Bushnell â€Å"Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference† (Bushnell cite din Graetz, 2000) The leader should be neither too

Hunger in America by Richard Mitchell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hunger in America by Richard Mitchell - Essay Example It is not their fault given that they are â€Å"mentally ill† thus advocating critical thinking as the cure for fundamental literalism will not help. It is like asking a physically challenged person to run. 2. Response Bill Barnhart’s son did not have cheerios and grape juice for his last meal. In my understanding, the story of Bill Barnhart is an allegorical one, which is given to show that reading (cheerios and grape juice) for fundamental literalist (hungry people) does not provide a solution to their problem (hunger). The hunger from which Bill Barnhart’s son suffered from is the mindless, non-attentive, non-judicious and non-reflective reading of language. Eating the meal made of cheerios and grape juice was supposed to relieve him his hunger, rather he died after eating. Thus the meal of cheerios and grape juice should be taken as the medicine that fundamental literalists take when they are hungry. It is therefore not true (False) that Bill Barnhart’ s son took cheerios and grape juice for supper.

Athena Research Essay Example for Free

Athena Research Essay Athena is the goddess of wisdom and warfare. She is the favorite daughter of Zeus. There are many different versions of how Athena came to be. The most accepted version is that Athena was born a child of Zeus by his first wife, Metis, a goddess of wisdom. Zeus feared that Metis might bear him a son who was mightier than himself, so he swallowed her. According to some stories, Zeus had every right to fear this because Mother Earth had prophesied that Metis first child would be a girl, but her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus as had happened to is father and his grandfather. Zeus took this warning to heart. This is why he swallowed Metis. It is believed that this is where Zeus gained his wisdom. Before swallowing his wife he was said to have had no brains. Little did Zeus know that Metis was already with child. While trapped inside Zeus, Metis began to make a helmet and robe for her unborn daughter. All that clanging and pounding caused Zeus to suffer terrible headaches, so he called for his son Hephaestus. Hephaestus split his fathers skull open to relieve the pain, and out popped Athena, fully grown and dressed in her new robe and helmet. The great Athena was the first to teach the science of numbers and all ancient womens arts, such as cooking, weaving and spinning. She was the goddess of wisdom and war, but, unlike the god of war Ares, she took no pleasure from battle, preferring instead to settle conflict through mediation. When Athena was moved to engage in battle she never lost, even against Ares himself, for she was a far superior negotiator than he was. She bears no arms in times of peace and will usually borrow weapons from Zeus when needed. Since she was his favorite daughter and such a mighty warrior, he allowed her to borrow is fearsome Aegis, and his devastating thunderbolts. Indeed Athena was a brave warrior and she was the lone deity to stand her ground when Typhon attacked Olympus. Typhon was the largest, most dangerous, and most grotesque of all creatures. He was so frightening and that when he attacked Mount Olympus all of the gods ran off to Egypt and hid themselves by taking the forms of various animals. Only Athena stood firm, and she shamed and motivated Zeus into action. Zeus struck Typhon with a thunderbolt and used Uranus castrating sickle to wound the enormous creature. Typhon retreated to Mount Casius, where he and Zeus resumed heir struggle, hurling mountains at one another, which resulted in Typhon being crushed beneath what is now known as Mount Aetna. Mount Olympus and the reign of Zeus were saved thanks to Athena. Even though she was as modest as Artemis and Hestia, the other virgin goddesses, Athena was far more generous. A man called Tiresias chanced upon Athena while she was taking a bath and she was startled to realize that he had entered the room and seen her. Not wanting to kill Tiresias for his foolishness, she laid her hands over his eyes and blinded him, but gave him inward sight so that Tiresias became one of the most well-known oracles in Greece. One of the few times that Athena showed irritability was in her weaving contest against the mortal named Arachne. Arachne thought she was the best weaver there Athena felt very disrespected and took on the appearance of an old woman and showed up at Arachnes house to give her some friendly advice to respect the gods. Arachne was too vain to listen and told the old woman to be gone. Let the great Athena try her skill against mine, and if I lose she can do whatever she pleases with me, she boasted. Thats when Athena dropped her disguise and revealed her true identity. All the bystanders fell to their knees in reverence except for Arachne, who was unmoved. The two began their weaving contest, and for a while Arachne held her own against Athena, even poking fun at the gods through the tapestry she crafted, but finally Athena had enough and touched the presumptuous mortal on the forehead, making her feel her shame. Horrified at the realization of her vanity, Arachne ran off and hung herself from a tree. Feeling sorry for the hanging of Arachne, Athena brought her back to life, but so that mortals learn that it doesnt pay to compare themselves to the gods, she changed Arachne into a spider. There she its, her and her descendents, forever weaving their web, testament to the folly of vanity. Athens was named after Athena and she became its protector after a dispute with her uncle, Poseideon, the god of the sea. Both Athena and Poseidon really liked a certain city on the coast of Greece, and both of them claimed ownership. Finally, to solve the dispute, it was agreed that whoever could present the city with the best gift would forever be patron. Athena and Poseidon went to the Acropolis, where Poseidon struck the cliff side with his mighty trident. A spring welled up, which amazed and impressed the citizens. However, the spring was salt ater, so it wasnt really of much use to anyone. Athena then presented the people with a simple olive tree. Although it wasnt as impressive as a spring, it was far more useful, because it presented the people with oil, food, and even wood. In thanks, they named the city Athens. Some people in Greece still worship Athena and pay homage to her at the Acropolis. Athena was the virgin goddess. She was also called Athena Parthenos. Parthenos meant virgin. This is where the Parthenon came from. The Parthenon temple was built to honor the virgin goddess. Although she was a virgin there are stories about her son, Erichthonius. Erichthonius was born of the sperm of Hephaestus, Athenas brother.

Comparing Education Systems- Saudi Arabia and UK

Comparing Education Systems- Saudi Arabia and UK This essay will focus on the comparison between the education system in Saudi Arabia and England. When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, education was not easy to get to everyone and limited to individual teaching at religious school in mosques or by private teacher at home. (Al-obaid,2006) These schools taught Islamic law and basic writing and reading skills. By the end of the century, Saudi Arabia had a national educational system given that, a free education to student from primary school to high school through university to all students. The objectives of the Saudi education policy are to make sure that education becomes well-organized, to meet the religious, economic and social needs of the country and reduce the number of uneducated in the community (Al-Obaid,2006). As a result of that, thousands of primary, intermediate and high schools have been started by the Ministry of Education and the General Presidency of Girls Education. General education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has three different levels, six years of primary school starting from age seven years old and three years each of intermediate and high school (Saudiembassy,2004). First the students have to start from primary school and the child starts in this level at the age of 6 to 12. In this first period they study for example, Arabic art education, mathematics, home economics (for girls) and Islamic studies. When the students pass this level they move directly to the next level. This is the intermediate school .In general, the student will be 12 years old when they enter this school and they stay until they are 15 years old, which is three years. The subjects they study will be the same however, they are higher level than primary school and they take new subjects such as, English, geography, history, physical education, religious studies and science. After the intermediate school the student starts their high school, which is usually between the ages of 15 to 18. The first year is a general year and students study of all subjects. Consequently, they will be able to choose what they will study in the next tow years. There are three different kinds of subjects in high school general, religion and technology high school. After the first year of high school student have the ability to choose between scientific studies or literary studies. There are also vocational schools that train in agriculture, technical and business studies take place at the universities. Every year student has exams if the pass they will move to the next level but if they do not, they have to retake the same level. The government of Saudi Arabia has always recognized the importance of providing educational opportunities to girls as well as boys, by the developing have been since the first government school has been built in 1964(Ministry of education,2006). By 1999, there were eight universities and a large number of other institutions of higher education, by 2003, there were also several private institutes of higher education with more planned. Another was to establish undergraduate and postgraduate in most disciplines at Saudi universities and colleges (Ministry of education ,2006). As a result, Saudi student can now obtain degrees in almost any field within the country and only if necessary pursue specializations aboard. For example King Abdullah University of science and technology (KAUST), which is the newest university in the country, and focus on areas of science and technology that are important to Saudi Arabia the region and the world. Therefore, the Saudi government provides support to student every year by spending billion of billion dollars on education development. This huge number includes a monthly allowance of about 145 pound given to the student study literature and about 200 pound to student study science to pay for books, transport and accommodation also for life expense. On the other hand, cause of given allowance for the student that to help them to travel from their village or town to the nearest big city because the country has University only in big city (Ministry of higher education,2000). The students do not have to repay the money been spent on them back to the government when the finish their study in the university. However, there are some strict rules regarding this monthly allowance, the student have to be attending most of the classes, except the ones with an excuse, also the student have to maintain at least a 2.0 grade to be able to get the allowance from the government. In case of retaking a module the student should get a warning letter and if they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t improve their performance the student would be held until the grade mark at least 2.0( Middle East Finance and Economy.1996 ). The education system in the UKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s run by the government as well and is free for all children from 5 to 16 furthermore, the education in England is compulsory for all children in that aged. The UK has worked hard to improve the education (BBC,2000) . As a result, the education system in the UK is one of the strongest in the world, it is divided into four main parts or four key stages, for each subject and for each key stage, programmes of study set up what pupils should be taught. At primary education which generally included key stage one and tow begins at age 5 year old continues until age 11 year old, studying during this period subjects such as English, mathematics and science, in English for example they learn speaking by telling stories, both real and imagined also they learn to listen carefully and to show their understanding of what can they see and what can they hear by making relevant comments with growing attention to what they listen to. In addition, student learn reading by reading stories, poetry and picture books (British council,2008). After six years student will go to secondary school automatically for key stages three and four they spend five years in this level from age of eleven to age of sixteen. Student study as at key stage one and tow, plus a modern foreign language, in this subject, a programme has been set up for key stage three and key stage four in to different parts learning and using the target language, that covers the skills and understanding that should be developed through the target language at both stages and areas of experience, this sets out the broad topic areas that provide contexts for learning and using the target language at each key stage. (Department for education,1995).

Drug Usage In Sports Physical Education Essay

Drug Usage In Sports Physical Education Essay Athletes normally use drugs while training and during an event to give themselves an unfair advantage over the other competitors. Drugs can be used during training to allow the person to train for longer, build muscle faster and to quicken the recovery after training, to allow them to train sooner than from the time taken to recover naturally. The world anti-doping agency (WADA) is the head of controlling the use of drugs within major sports, the Olympics, NBA etc.i WADA have banned many substances from use within sports for several reasons, the main reason to protect the athlete and their health as not everyone who takes then performance enhancers does it of their own free will. Other reasons include the prevention of aggressive behavior because some steroids can promote aggression and in a contact sport this could lead to fatal injuries to the opponent. Also the effect performance enhancers has on fair play, taking a substance that gives you an unfair advantage is pure and simple cheating. The use of drugs as an aid in sports dates back to ancient times, where mushrooms and herbs were used by the Greeks and Romans to enhance performance. In the 19th century these mushrooms and herbs were substituted for alcohol, opium and caffeine. In the present day there is a much larger cocktail of drugs used including; anabolic agents, ?2-agonists, diuretics, stimulants, narcotics and beta blockers to mention a few. The aim of this dissertation is to look into the classes of drugs used in the sporting world, how they affect the body, how they work in the body on a cellular level, how athletes are tested for drugs and the side effects of short and long term use. Examples of drugs used Androgenic anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of the male hormone Testosterone, in sports the more common steroids are Stanozolol (aka Stromba) and Nandrolone (aka Deca-Durabolin). WADA (world anti-doping agency) holds a list of all banned steroids from the major sporting organizations some of the oral administered steroids that are banned include Anadrol (oxymetholone), Oxandrin (oxandrolone) and Dianabol (methandrostenolone). Banned injectable steroids include Durabolin (nandrolone phenpropionate), Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate), Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate). Stromba can come in the form of a 50mg/ml injection or a 5mg tablet where Nandrolone comes in a 2ml vial with a dosage of 100mg/ml, the effective dose is 250 1500 mg per week. These drugs when taken increase protein synthesis and enhance muscle development, when used in the medical world these drugs can decrease the itching of chronic biliary obstruction and they are used in the therapy of some aplastic anaemias. Steroids can also be used to compensate for people who can produce testosterone or can produce enough of it for their body to function normally, this is a symptom of 47, XXY males (Klinefelters syndrome).ii In sports the enhanced muscle development side of steroids is more important. It is more likely to observe this type of drug use in athletes who will be required to use a lot of strength, ie weight lifters, shot putters, discus throwers etc in the Olympics. The use of these drugs may also be observed in sports such as rugby and baseball. Normally ?2-agonists are used in the treatment of asthma by acting as a bronchodilator, which requires stimulation of ?2 adrenoceptors. Athletes exploit the ability of these drugs to dilate the airways and use ?2-agonists in order to gain advantage over the competition by being able to take deeper breaths than normal. This was mostly seen in swimming events where the athlete could stay under water longer and reduce resistance while swimming. Some ?2-agonists are still permitted for use by the International Olympic Charter (IOC)iii, the permited drugs are salbutamol, terbutaline, formoterol and salmeterol. However if an athlete is to take one of these drugs they must wait until the initial effects of the drug have passed before competing. This drug is normally taken orally through use of an inhaler. Narcotics are one of the earliest drugs used in medicine for pain relief; they work by acting on the brain to reduce the amount of pain felt. This is useful to athletes who maybe injured to allow themselves to force their bodies back into training. This is very risky, as forcing training upon an injured body can lead to further injury.iv Narcotics can be administered through many different methods, depending on what drug it is. Cocaine is normally inhaled through the nose, heroin is normally injected into a vein and morphine can be administered through IV drip or taken in the form of a tablet. The benefit of this class of drug is it allows the athlete to push themselves further, through what is known as the pain threshold. The pain threshold is like a wall that athletes will hit while training vigorously for extended periods of time, this wall is often difficult to overcome and the use of narcotics aids in this battle. This class of drug doesnt just include illegal drugs such as hero in or cocaine but also includes morphine, and although mild, codeine. Diuretics which include Frusimide, chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide come in a tablet form and can prevent the reabsorption of water from the kidneys, this is used in the medical world as treatment for heart failure and hypertension, and it can also be used in lower concentrations to reduce blood pressure. Diuretics are controlled in sports due to their ability to remove water from the body; this type of drug is mostly beneficial to athletes who are trying to make a weight class, ie boxing. If an athlete is meant to be in a middle class weight group and looses water to put him in a light weight class it gives him an unfair advantage over who he may be fighting. Diuretics can also be used to mask the effect anabolic steroids have on the body, as these steroids can cause the body to retain water. Diuretics have also been taken to try and cover drug usage when tests are carried out, as diuretics can control the excretion of water from the body they have been taken to try and dilute the concentration of other drugs in urine.v Beta-blockers are a primary therapeutic use in the fight against cardiovascular disease, but it was also found during treatment that these medicines stopped muscle tremors.vi This is of benefit to the sports of professional archery or shooting in the pentathlon and can also be used in snooker. The down side to this is the disadvantage it holds in activates that exert the body like long distance running, so to combat the use of beta-blocker so the officials of the pentathlon held the long distance running and shooting on the same day. However the athletes then started using beta-blockers with a shorter half life. Discussion The drugs used in sport all work to the same purpose which is to enhance ones performance in a specific event through non-natural means. Although all the drugs described work towards the same goal, they each work differently in the body on a cellular receptor level. In this section I will describe and discuss the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of some of these drugs. I will also look at the desired effects on the body and the unwanted effects as well as metabolism of drugs. Pharmacokinetics deals with the half life of drugs in the body, the metabolism and excretion of drugs from the body. Pharmacodynamics is how the drug produces its response, the receptors involved and where they may be located in the cell and what organs are affected by the drug in question. Pharmacokinetics The body is a very effective tool when it comes to transforming active chemicals into inactive ones. This process is done through the use of enzymes normally produced by the cells of the liver, but some other cells throughout the body are also used for metabolism. In relation to this topic metabolism is simple changes to an active chemical or drug into a safe metabolite which can then be excreted from the body.vii However metabolism does not always work this way, sometimes an active compound can be metabolized into another active compound which the same pharmacological effect with higher or lower potency or a completely different pharmacological effect. An active compound may also be changed into a toxic metabolite or an inactive drug can be activated. Drugs can be eliminated from the body through many means. The compounds can be passes through urine from the kidneys or in faeces from the rectum. They can also be passed from the bodys salivary glands as saliva, from the sweat glands, the pulmonary epithelium as exhaled gasses and from mammary glands in the form of mammary milk. The half life of a drug is the time taken for the concentration of a drug in your system to half; the half life varies from drug to drug. Normally a drug is taken at regular intervals to keep its concentration in the therapeutic level. Athletes however may only take one dose of the drug for their upcoming event. Pharmacodynamics Anabolic steroids bind to androgen receptors found in the prostate, skeletal muscle, the liver and the CNS. The highest expression level was observed in the prostate, adrenal gland and epididermis which were determined by real-time PCR reactions.viii The androgen receptors are located in the cytoplasm of a cell, which is why steroids have to be soluble compounds. Once testosterone or DHT binds to a receptor it is translocated to the nucleus. Androgen receptors are directly linked to the regulation of gene transcription, when a receptor is stimulated by testosterone it produces primary male characteristics by activating hormones in the wolffian duct. Wolffian ducts are embryonic structures which form the male internal genitalia.ix The secondary male characteristics such as hair follicles are a response to DHT binding to the androgen receptor; DHT is produced when 5-alpha-reductase acts on testosterone. One of the more common side effects of this drug is the inhibition of your own hormones. If more of a hormone is introduced into your body it will cause your body to react and produce less of the hormone. Other side effects include not being able to perform sexually, steroids can lead to an increase in LDLs (bad cholesterol), an increase in estrogen has also been observed which can lead to the development of breast tissue in men and steroids can also have a damaging effect on the liver. ?2-agonists as the name suggest work on ?2 adrenoceptors which are located on the cell membrane. When a ?2-agonist binds to a ?2 adrenoceptor it causes smooth muscle relaxation which in asthma sufferers dilates the airways and helps them to breathe normally, in athletes this allows them to take deeper breaths and inhale more oxygen which increases stamina and reduces fatigue. The major side effect from ?2-agonists is cardiac arrhythmia, this is due to an increased myocardial oxygen demand, ?2-agonists can also lead to angina in patients with coronary artery disease and tremors have also been observed. Narcotics are classed as opioids, which are any drug that produces morphine-like-effects, and bind to opioid receptors. Opioid recrptors are linked through G-proteins to inhibition of adenylate cyclase and facilitate the opening of Potassium channels which causes hyperpolarisation. This binding also inhibits the opening of calcium channels which inhibits transmitter release. The side effects of these drugs include respiratory depression, euphoria, sedation and dependence. There are three subcategories of opioid receptors, , ? and ? receptors. Pure opioid drugs have more of an affinity for receptors; this binding is what produces the euphoric effect of opioid drugs.xThe opioid receptors can be found both presynaptically and postsynaptically depending on the cell type. Receptors are mostly presynaptic in the periaqueductal grey region of the brain. These receptors can also be found in layers of the cerebral cortex and the intestinal tract. Diuretics are divided into two categories; loop diuretics which are of the most powerful and distal tubule diuretics. Normally less than 1% of sodium that is taken into the body is excreted but the use of loop diuretics causes fifteen to twenty percent of filtered sodium to be excreted with copious amounts of urine. Loop diuretics work by inhibiting sodium, potassium and chloride co-transporters in the thick ascending loop and increase potassium and calcium loss.xi The unwanted effects of this include dehydration and hypokalaemia (defined as a potassium level of less than 3.5 mEq/l). Beta-blockers attach to ? adrenoceptors on cells of the heart and produce no response in the cell. The body normally responds to stress by releasing lots of adrenaline which activates the bodies fight or flight response which is normally useful in the cases of being chased by a bear. Some athletes however have to keep their cool and take beta-blockers to stop this response from occurring.xii Athletes that require a steady hand for accurate aim in archery may be persuaded to take these. The undesired effects of this type of drug is it disallows your heart rate to increase, so if beta-blockers are taken before a race blood wont circulate oxygen around the body fast enough to maintain a fast pace. Conclusion From my research I can understand why some athletes may take performance enhancing drugs but I am not certain the short term gain outweighs the long term loss. Boxers who are a tiny bit heavy and have to go into a tougher weight class are understandably scared; they will be among the lightest in their class going up against bigger guys, where if they use diuretics and drop some water they become the bigger guys in a lower weight class. For some athletes they may be getting on in their career and want to end it with a win so they cheat in order to finish their career on a high. Athletes at the start of their career are out of their minds, to put it politely, to use these drugs because they have a whole career ahead of them to work on weakness in a natural way and better themselves each year until they achieve their victory. Is it not better to work hard at something and reap more self satisfaction knowing that you have trained hard and achieved your goal of your own doing without damaging your body, than to win a hollow victory through the use of drugs and then be disgraced when tests come back positive for drug use. All in all I think drugs should stay where they belong, in the hospitals where they are of most benefit to society. i World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) constitutive instrument of foundation, 1999, lausanne (www.wada-ama.org) ii Hormonal studies in klinefelters syndrome august 1974, C. Wang, H.W.G. Baker, D.M. DEKrester, B, Hudson iii International Olympic Charter against doping in sports, medical commission, IOC 1990 iv Drugs in sport fourth edition, 2005, David R. Mottram v The influence of diuretics on excretion and metabolism of doping agents, 1986, Delbeke FT, Debackere M vi Heart failure reviews, pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of beta-blockers in heart failure volume 9/issue 2 April 2004 , Springer Netherlands vii Drugs and the human body fifth edition 1996, Ken Liska viii The androgen receptor: a mediator of diverse response, 1996, Keller ET, Ershler WB, Chang C [pubmed] ix Regulation of wolffian duct development, 2007, Hannema SE, Hughes IA [pubmed] x A primer of drug action, A comprehensive guide to actions, uses and side effects of psychoactive drugs eleventh edition, 2007, Robert M. Julian, Clair D. Advokat, Joseph E. Comaty xi Rang and Dales pharmacology sixth edition, 2007, H.P. Rang, M. Maureen Dale, James M. Ritter xii Pharmacology fifth edition, 2003, H.P. Rang, M.M. Dale, J.M. Ritter, P.K. Moore

Procrastination :: essays research papers

Procrastination What does procrastination mean? Is it the stereotypical meaning of laziness? And this word, â€Å"procrastinate† has over time become derogatory and insulting. It has also been applied to the newest generation of the world. I have heard many comments from older folks that, â€Å"those teenagers are so lazy, they wait till the last minute to do anything.† But as Dennis Sell comments in the teenager’s defense, â€Å"It isn’t procrastination if you intend to do it.† I hope that this doesn’t become a question on the future resume. â€Å"Do you procrastinate, please check yes or no.† A wonderful lot of people would be out of the job; very talented people that just have a time trying to become â€Å"perfect.† Procrastination is a way of life and a person has to be good at it to play the â€Å"lazy† game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What does procrastination really mean? I’ve adopted a quote that now guides my everyday life; â€Å"My work is best when I am under pressure.† Most of my better essays are written in the ten minutes I have before my next class period when it’s due. Sorry Mr. Bush and Mrs. Swafford, and any other teacher that have been subjected to my messy rushed handwriting (not that Mr. Bush minds, I’m still failing his class. And his e-mail address is†¦ just kidding). Procrastination is character building. The rare few who can handle the pressure often have rushed lives, or many deadlines, whichever applies, but the point is that they can handle the pressure that procrastination gives and they come on top. My father designs computer boards and his superiors are often changing what they want the board to do, but my dad can handle those people and their strict deadlines that are ludicrous because of the little time given. But because he procrastin ated in high school, he knows what to do and how to control himself in these situations. He hasn’t thrown himself off a cliff yet after about ten years of the strenuous work, that has to count for something.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Procrastination is like many other things. It has its good and bad points, just like eating. A person must eat to live, but it makes people gain weight and there is a surplus of obese people in our nation, yet is also saves many lives a day like in Ethiopia. Procrastination can make or break a person. One can either handle the pressure or the person breaks completely.

Candlelight Dreams :: essays research papers

My older friend next door once told me that if I shut my eyes and blew on a candle, all of my wishes would come true... I used to believe her and go around the house candle hunting. How my parents must have laughed to see me scrambling around the furniture, picking up the candles around the room , and blowing the little flame out until my cheeks hurt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I made the most outrageous wishes. I wished to own a monkey, a horse, and a dragon; I wished to grow-up and be just like Sailor Moon. And, of course, I wished for a thousand more wishes so I would never run out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I always believed my wishes would come true. When they didn’t, I ran next door and demanded and explanation. She laughed and said I just hadn’t done it right. â€Å"Hadn’t done it right?,† I would say. â€Å"Then how should I do it?† â€Å"It only works if you do it a certain way,† she told me with a little smile, â€Å"but you’ll have to figure that out by yourself.† I watched her with wide, admiring eyes and thought she must be right. She was ten years older than me and knew the ways of the world; nothing she said could be wrong. I went back and tried again. Time passed, and I grew older. My â€Å"perfect† friend started spending less and less time with me†¦.got busier and busier. Distressed by the scant attention I received from her, I spent most of my time staring out the window. I wondered what she was doing, where she was, and if she was having fun. Occasionally, I would wander around the home, blowing out a few candles, wishing for my friend to be how she used to be. Each time I hoped desperately that I had done it the right way and that the wish would come true. But it never happened. After a while, I gave up—not only on my friend—but on the candles as well. Distress had turned into anger and then to rejection of my friend and every thing she had told me. The old dreamer within me vanished and was replaced by a harsh teenage cynic who told me over and over that I should have known better than to believe in free wishes. It chided me for my past belief in dragons and laughed at the thought of my growing up to be a five foot ten, make-believe, Sailor Moon.

Mgt Syllabus

What about unethical but moral? Which is more important to an organization, to be ethical or moral? Why? What are ethics? How are personal ethics different than business ethics? Based on your work experience, describe an ethical issue that you faced. What were the ethical implications surrounding that issue, if any? How was the issue resolved or how should it have been resolved? Does your organization have a written code of conduct? If so, how effective is this cook AT conduct:' 10 want extent ay you tank Tanat a cook AT conduct can Nell to define the ethical values of an organization?How might a code of conduct policy reflect the personal ethics of the employees? What can a business do to reduce the likelihood of making unethical decisions ND creating more ethical problems? Think of an example of unethical behavior you have observed in a business setting. Was this behavior a result of an unethical person or an unethical organization? Explain your answer. Week Two Organizational Valu es ; Read Chi. 14 of Business ethics. ; Read Chi. 8-10, up. 115-118, up. 138-142 of Managing business ethics. 2. Discussion Questions What is the relationship between organizational values and organizational culture?Does organizational culture influence organizational values more than organizational values influence organizational culture? Explain your answer. How do organizational values of your organization influence its conduct? How do your organization's values influence you? How might a small business owner, whose business has grown from an owner and operator to employing 12 people over several years, create the organizational culture and organizational values of the business? Consider that the same business has grown to employ 100 or more people over several more years.How might the approach to organizational culture and values change depending on the size of the organization? What is the relationship between organizational values and personal values? Which of your personal va lues are embodied in your organization? How do employees' personal values influence the conduct of your organization? What issues might arise if employees' personal values are significantly different from their employer's organizational values? want Is winless-Doodling:' near want classmates malign an employee Low ten whistle on his or her employer?If the company's top executive asked you to create a code of ethics policy for the company, what would you include? What approach would you use? Why would you select that approach? Provide at least two examples of items you would include in your code of ethics and describe why they are important to your company's code. Think of a moral or ethical dilemma you experienced recently at work. What steps did you take to resolve the issue? In retrospect, how might you have handled the situation differently? How might this process be different if you were acting on behalf of the organization?How might you have handled the situation differently if you were the CEO? Imagine you are a division manager at a large pharmaceuticals company. You directly supervise 50 average and above average performing employees. Many employees on your team have been with the company for several years. Some recently hired employees, mostly women and minority groups, were hired to remedy the lack of diversity in the workplace. Recent financial difficulties within the company quire each division manager to reduce their workforce by 15%.Describe the process you would use to make this decision. How do you ethically Justify your decision? Do you think that you share the same ethical perspective as people who work with you? Explain your answer. Why is it important, or not, to share ethical perspectives in the workplace? What are the ethical standards for where you work? To what extent do you think that ethical perspectives may change over time? What factors might influence these changes? What is your experience working with or working for someone you fe lt had a much efferent ethical perspective than your own?How did you know when the two of you were approaching the same ethical dilemmas from different ethical perspectives? What was the outcome? How did your decisions or outcomes compare? Week Four Ethical and Legal Issues in Business course Agelessness ; Read Chi. 10 of Business ethics. ; Review Chi. 3, 8, & 10 of Managing business ethics. 2. Individual Assignment: Ethics Game Simulation Resource: Ethics Game Simulation Complete the Ethics Game Simulation. Write a 700- to 1,050- word reflective Journal in which you answer the following questions: What were the ethical issues presented in the simulation? What decision-making steps did you take to ethically address these issues? ;What ethical perspectives, or lenses, did you use to make your decisions in the simulation? ;How did these ethical perspectives, or lenses, influence your management decisions? ; How might concepts from this simulation relate to your workplace? Do you think human resources (HRS) polices should govern ethical and legal issues? Why or why not? How might HRS policies govern unethical or unlawful behavior? Do we need laws that enforce ethical codes? How might a situation in business be legal but unethical?How might a situation be ethical but illegal? Share an example from your own experience of HRS policies that address or encourage ethical practices. What is your definition of a stakeholder? Which of the different stakeholder groups' interests are the most important, and why? What ethical responsibilities does an organization have to different stakeholder groups? How might ignoring the needs of one stakeholder in favor of another stakeholder affect the organization? Provide an example. Why might a business want to appeal more directly to a secondary stakeholder roof than the primary stakeholders?What advantages might there be in doing this? Why might a business want to appeal more directly to a group that is not a stakeholder group? In w hat types of situations might this make sense? What is the difference between a stakeholder group and a special interest group? Name three examples of business or organizations in which you are a stakeholder. What makes you a stakeholder to these organizations? How are your views important to these organizations? Are your views aligned with the legal and ethical considerations of the organization? Explain your answer.Describe a time when another stakeholder group's views were in direct opposition of your views or the organization's flews. want napped Week Five Cross-cultural Ethics and Social Responsibility Analyze ethically and socially responsible business practices across cultures. ; Read Chi. 18 & 21 of Business ethics. ; Read Chi. 1 1 of Managing business ethics. 2. Individual Assignment: Final Examination Resources: Business ethics and Managing business ethics Click the link to the Final Examination on your student website available from the end of Week Four through the end of Week Five.Complete the Final Examination. You are allowed one attempt to complete the exam, which is timed and must be completed in 3 hours. Results are auto graded and sent to your instructor. Note. Final Examination questions are adapted from Business ethics and Managing business ethics. 3. Learning Team Assignment: Ethical Organization Profile Write a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper in which your Learning Team explains a fictitious organization's ethics programs and overall ethical environment. Create a fictitious organization. Describe the type of business, locations, size, and products or services offered. Write a value statement which includes: Overall ethics of the organization Socially responsible business practices Write a basic code of conduct. Select three of the following to include: ; practices ; Workplace discipline Termination of employment Diversity Harassment ; Family and personal issues Hiring Imagine your organization NAS cellar to Deign operations In another country. Identify the country and answer the following questions: What legal and ethical issues might your organization face with operations in that country? ; What stakeholder groups relevant to your organization would be affected by expanding operations into this new country? ; How might those groups influence he legal and ethical decisions your organization might make while expanding its operations? ; How might the legal and ethical issues faced in this country influence your organization's value statement and code of conduct? 4.Discussion Questions What must an organization consider from an ethical and socially responsible perspective before deciding to expand operations in other countries? How might an organization be considered ethical and socially responsible in its home country but not in the new country where they expanded operations? How might an organization balance varying views of ethical standards across cultures? Provide an example of a business currently addressing this issue and discuss any personal experience you may have with these issues. How might ethical and social responsibility issues, such as community service or environmentally responsible practices, affect an organization's operations in different regions of the US? What must an organization consider when expanding operations to Omaha, Nebraska; Santa Monica, California; Montgomery, Alabama; and Detroit, Michigan? Select two from the list to discuss in your response. Should a company vary its ethical and socially responsible business practices in different regions, even f laws which regulate the company's operations remain consistent across regions?Why or why not? What positive and negative outcomes might result from the choice the company makes about its ethical and socially responsible business practices in different regions? ; Imagine you are the marketing manager for a product you use daily, like gourmet coffees or paper towels, and you are selected to introduce the product to a new inter national market. What ethical or social responsibility issues, such as sustainability and fair trade, might you face when introducing the product to that raked? How might you overcome these issues?Name the product and the international market in your response. If your company plans to expand operations in a country known for human rights violations and sweatshop labor practices, what might you do to assure the media that the organization is committed to fair wages and running an honest, ethical factory? Would you consider choosing to open the factory elsewhere to prevent the media attaching the company's name to other companies that have abused and exploited ten workers Tort canapà © largo:' winy would you make tens console?

Creative Deviance: Apple Org Chart Essay

One of the major functions of an constitution hierarchy is to increase standardization and reign over for top managers. Using the chain command, managers potbelly direct the activities of subordinates toward a common purpose. If the rectify person with a seminal day-dream is in charge of a hierarchy, the results potentiometer be phenomenal. Until Steve Jobs regrettable passing in October 2011, apple had use a powerfully top-d admit creative process in which most major decisions and innovations flowed directly through with(predicate) Jobs and then were delegated to sub-teams as specific assignments to complete. past there is creative evidence, in which individuals build extremely successful products despite organism told by senior management to retard working on them. The electrostatic displays used in more half of Hewlett-Packards instruments, the tape slitter that was one of the most distinguished process innovations in 3Ms history, and Nichias development of multi-bil lion-dollar LED bright touchwood technology were on the whole officially spurned by the management hierarchy.In all these cases, an approach like orchard apple trees would have shut down approximately of the most successful products these companies ever produced. Doing agate line as usual can call on such an imperative in a hierarchical organization that new ideas are seen as Threats rather than Opportunities for development. Its not immediately apparent why top-down decision making works so well for one highly creative ships company like Apple, while hierarchy nearly ruined innovations at several(prenominal) other organizations. It may be that Apples structure is actually quite an simple, with relatively few layers and a neat deal of responsibility placed on each individual for his or her own outcomes. Or it may be that Apple simply had a very unique leader who was able to rise supra the conventional structures of a CEO to defecate a culture of constant innovation. Do you think its possible for an organization to deliberately create an anti-hierarchy to encourage employees to ingest in more acts of creative difference? What steps might a company take to encourage creative deviation?

Natural Born Killers & Capitalism

earthy natural Killers vivid innate(p) Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) is a read consumeed by Oliver Stone. The story is about Mickey and M aloneory Knox, ii serial killers that travel across the States on a killing indulge which elevates them from criminals into international media celebrities. The story sounds like a new day Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967), further Mickey and M all in allorys crimes atomic number 18 much to a greater extent severe and without get on a cut back floor ones skin. Stone think the get hold of to be a go oer on a culture obsessed with force play and the medias glorification of madness.In Chaos upgrade The Storm Around vivid innate(p) Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) Stone explains What I was doing was pointing the dactyl at the arranging that feeds off violence, and at the media that box it for mass consumption. Unfortunately, many commonwealth perceive the means of congenital natural Killers as a g lorification of violence. The tear flat inspired several copycat killings. The germinate Natural born(p)(p)(p)(p) Killers was intend to refresh a culture obsessed with violence, as to date inspired murders.The priming coat this put d decl be was decoded so other than by some viewing audience was delinquent to neighborly stereotypes imposed by capitalisticic political orientation. How an audience perceives a inwardness from a schoolbook is by dint of the operate of decoding. Those who produce a schoolbookual matter convert it with messages and substances by dint of with(predicate) the use of semiotics. When the audience receives a schoolbook, they be kindly movement decode and identify these moments through the signs and signifiers. Morley (1992, p. 53) explains that meaning in a schoolbookual matter is generated through deuce main situationors. The premiere incidentor is the way a textbook edition is convertd through semiotics.This shadow inv ite sealed studys and block others. The irregular is the amicable stage setting of the receiver, which raise be studied sociologically. The interaction of these deuce constraining structures will coif the notion that a text gage be interpreted in an immeasurable number of man-to-man ways. Stuart sign of the zodiacs work on the role of accessible positions in the interpretation of mass media texts as well as helps explain this. His work was based roughly the three distinct ways a viewer bunghole decode a text. The start-off is the dominant teaching.This is when the ref sh ars the texts code and accepts the intended version. The randomness is the negotiated narration, which is when the reader partly accepts the intended interpreting hardly not completely. The reader thence modifies it in a way that reflects their profess position, experience sand interests. The third is the oppositional instruction, which is when the readers kindly situation causes them to defend the dominant code. They chthonicstand the intended reading nevertheless dont mark with the code and reject the intended meaning, cause them to develop their own interpretation of the text.On march 6th 1995, teen couple Ben Darras and Sarah Edmondson beam a local businessman in Oklahoma. They then drove to Louisiana where they as well shot a cut in blood line clerk. After their arrest, the couple said that they had been ta index acid and watching Natural natural Killers several times. Upon Darrass arrest he as well shouted the words Im a natural natural killer man. Since the release of Natural innate(p) Killers it has been linked to 8 murders. individualistly of the murderers sh atomic number 18d the akin pooh-pooh affiliate kind position, and passion for the pick out.What can hallway and Morleys work tell us about how this hold was decoded so otherwise from its intended meaning by these adolescents? planetary house (1977, p. 182) explains that t exts argon polysemic, meaning they whitethorn be read several(predicate)ly by different mountain depending on their identity, cultural oscilloscope and personal opinions. Traditionally in get, those who throw acts of violence atomic number 18 villains who get punish for their crimes, while the police be haven as heroes. In this acquire the police are violent one being a murderer himself.Throughout the take in, Mickey and Mallory slaughter without cogitate yet by the end of the image they gain sympathy and likeability from the audience. An oppressed refuse club audience may gain Mickey and Mallory as rase fall apart heroes as they oercome the oppressing dust. Some may sympathize and relate with Mallorys abusive upbringing. An framework of this is shown in the photograph when Mickey and Mallory cast off Mallorys house after murdering her parents, the wallpaper displayed is an pay bird cage, signifying that she is now free.In this scene the fact that they have j ust murdered devil pack is completely overshadowed by Mallorys escape from an abusive environment. The viewers own personal situation, experiences and beliefs heavily enamour how they decode the message of this film. for each one of the individuals who trust copycat crimes after watching Natural innate(p) Killers came from junior-gradeer disunite well-disposed scenes. This implies that the fond conditions that the impose crystalizees endure under capitalism have a pick out relation to why these individuals received the oppositional reading of the text.Natural born(p) Killers dwells on the fact that the cardinal protagonists come from a refuse break family, are uneducated, and how capitalist hostel associates spate in this situation with crime. In the film Mickey calls himself a natural innate(p) killer as he was innate(p) into the low-spiriteder company, therefore decree assumes he is a natural born criminal. He explains, I was thrown into a fervour pit of sc um, forgotten by God. In this instance, Mickey refers to society and the members of it collectively as God. The use of semiotics to extinguish this point is quite strong.Signs much(prenominal) as the way Mickey and Mallory speak, the way they dress, how they are groomed and the families that they come from signify that two are a part of the lower contour. Other important characters in the film, such as officeholder Scagnetti, warden McClusky and reporter Wayne Gale snap suits, speak well and are too well groomed. Several shots in the film such as Wayne Gale trimming his jimmy hairs and McClusky combing his moustache are employ to emphasize their appearance and neighborly status. These characters are portrayed like this to signify that they are higher within the capitalist accessible hierarchy.All three examine control over Mickey and Mallory for personal gain, implying that the higher carve upes attendk to control the lower association. As the film addresses the dif ference in occupation of physical bodyes in a capitalist society, it overly addresses the dreaming levels of the lower discriminate. As revealed previously, Mickey explains that society turned its back on him. He in addition states I came from violence, it was in my blood. My pascaldy had it, his dad had it. Its just my fate. hither Mickey is secernateing that he came from a lower material body, as did his father and grandfather.He is likewise set uping that to remain in this social status is just his fate, meaning the social norm. Hollingshead (2007, p. 285) explains that children have limited their horizons to the fork horizon, and in the procedure they have unconsciously placed themselves in such a position that they will occupy the kindred levels as their parents. This being a figure effect of the capitalist ideology as Reissman (1953, p. 233) puts it, the proletarian can have no tendencys under capitalism, but instead moldiness come to identify with their own severalise and target to an entirely different system of values. This entirely different ystem of values Reissman is referring to is that in many cases the lower partition young person will pursue the quick face lift to success and fame. In Natural natural Killers, Mickey and Mallory become international celebrities through their actions, they have fans and fame by ta tabby the before long route, regardless of the means utilize to get there. Williams and Mcshane (1993 p. 52) state that the lower severalise callowness may be associated with and aspire to become a policy king I want to be a big shot have all of the guys look up to me. Have a couple of lincolns, lots of broads and all of the coppers debacle my shoes.As Natural Born Killers points the leaf at the media for the glorification of violence, it in any case points a finger at capitalism for restraining the lower classes aspirations and limiting them to a sustenance of crime. Tshiwula (1998, p. 27) as well sh ares this scheme as she explains capitalism is the root for the cause of much criminal behavior, particularly in crimes move by the lower class. Stuart dorm room and David Morleys work suggest that an individuals social status can greatly check how a text is decoded and the message they receive from it, regardless of the intended meaning.This suggests that people in a lower social status may show the antagonists as lower class heroes as they can relate to their situation. Semiotics in the film was utilize to signify the social gap between Mickey and Mallory, Wayne Gale, warden McClusky and ships officer Scagnetti. This explores the stereotypes of social status in capitalist ideology. The films references to the lower class being confined to a spiritedness of crime and having restricted aspirations inform us that these factors are imposed by capitalism.Unfortunately, these points are still valid in innovational society. Many people who come from low income families believe that having the occupation they desire is unattainable receivable to their social/financial status. This isnt necessarily true, besides people in this situation may think this due to what the rest of society thinks of them. Not hardly is the intended message of Natural Born Killers important in making people realize the medias glorification of violence, but also the message of lower class stereotypes and how they affect the individuals within that class.This text also provides us with an extreme eccentric of how a text can be decoded by different individuals. Its safe to say that the oppositional reading of Natural Born Killers was a demand result of capitalist ideology and its influence on lower class individuals. References entrance hall, S. (1977) Culture, The Media and the Ideological Effect. the States feed University Hollingshead, A. (2007). Elmtowns Youth The Impact of Social Classes on Adolescents. Chicago, the States Case Press Morley, D. (1992). tv set Audiences and Cultural Studies.New York, the States Routledge Penn, A. (Director) Newman, D. (Writer) (1967). Bonnie and Clyde Motion Picture. America Warner Bros. Pictures Reissman, L. (1953). American Sociological Review volume 18. America American Sociological experience Stone, O. (Director/Producer) Tarantino, Q. (Writer) (1994). Natural Born Killers Motion Picture. America Warner Bros. Pictures Tshiwula, L. (1998). discourtesy and Delinquency. Pretoria, South Africa Kagiso Publishers Williams, F. P. , & McShane, M. D (1993). Criminology Theory. America Anderson make CoNatural Born Killers & capitalist economyNatural Born Killers Natural Born Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) is a film directed by Oliver Stone. The story is about Mickey and Mallory Knox, two serial killers that travel across America on a killing offer which elevates them from criminals into international media celebrities. The story sounds like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967), however Mickey and Mallorys crimes are much more(prenominal) severe and without cause. Stone intended the film to be a critique on a culture obsessed with violence and the medias glorification of violence.In Chaos revolt The Storm Around Natural Born Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) Stone explains What I was doing was pointing the finger at the system that feeds off violence, and at the media that bundle it for mass consumption. Unfortunately, many people sensed the message of Natural Born Killers as a glorification of violence. The film change surface inspired several copycat killings. The film Natural Born Killers was intended to critique a culture obsessed with violence, yet inspired murders.The reason this film was decoded so differently by some viewers was due to social stereotypes imposed by capitalist ideology. How an audience perceives a message from a text is through the process of decoding. Those who produce a text encode it with messages and meanings through the use of semiotics. When the audience receives a text, they then decode and identify these meanings through the signs and signifiers. Morley (1992, p. 53) explains that meaning in a text is generated through two main factors. The first factor is the way a text is encoded through semiotics.This can invite indisputable readings and block others. The second is the social soil of the receiver, which can be studied sociologically. The interaction of these two constraining structures will stipulate the notion that a text can be interpreted in an blank space number of individual ways. Stuart houses work on the role of social positions in the interpretation of mass media texts also helps explain this. His work was based more or less the three different ways a viewer can decode a text. The first is the dominant reading.This is when the reader shares the texts code and accepts the intended reading. The second is the negotiated reading, which is when the reader partly accepts the intended readin g but not completely. The reader then modifies it in a way that reflects their own position, experience sand interests. The third is the oppositional reading, which is when the readers social situation causes them to counteract the dominant code. They understand the intended reading but dont adjudge with the code and reject the intended meaning, causation them to develop their own interpretation of the text.On work 6th 1995, teen couple Ben Darras and Sarah Edmondson shot a local businessman in Oklahoma. They then drove to Louisiana where they also shot a store store clerk. After their arrest, the couple said that they had been taking acid and watching Natural Born Killers several times. Upon Darrass arrest he also shouted the words Im a natural born killer man. Since the release of Natural Born Killers it has been linked to 8 murders. Each of the murderers shared the same lower class social position, and passion for the film.What can Hall and Morleys work tell us about how this film was decoded so differently from its intended meaning by these adolescents? Hall (1977, p. 182) explains that texts are polysemic, meaning they may be read differently by different people depending on their identity, cultural background and personal opinions. Traditionally in film, those who commit acts of violence are villains who get penalise for their crimes, while the police are seen as heroes. In this film the police are violent one being a murderer himself.Throughout the film, Mickey and Mallory slaughter without reason yet by the end of the film they gain sympathy and likeability from the audience. An oppressed lower class audience may see Mickey and Mallory as lower class heroes as they overcome the oppressing system. Some may sympathize and relate with Mallorys abusive upbringing. An example of this is shown in the film when Mickey and Mallory farewell Mallorys house after murdering her parents, the wallpaper displayed is an turn out bird cage, signifying that she i s now free.In this scene the fact that they have just murdered two people is completely overshadowed by Mallorys escape from an abusive environment. The viewers own personal situation, experiences and beliefs heavily influence how they decode the message of this film. Each of the individuals who committed copycat crimes after watching Natural Born Killers came from lower class social backgrounds. This implies that the social conditions that the lower classes endure under capitalism have a direct relation to why these individuals received the oppositional reading of the text.Natural Born Killers dwells on the fact that the two protagonists come from a lower class family, are uneducated, and how capitalist society associates people in this situation with crime. In the film Mickey calls himself a natural born killer as he was born into the lower class, therefore society assumes he is a natural born criminal. He explains, I was thrown into a flack pit of scum, forgotten by God. In thi s instance, Mickey refers to society and the members of it collectively as God. The use of semiotics to comport this point is quite strong.Signs such as the way Mickey and Mallory speak, the way they dress, how they are groomed and the families that they come from signify that both are a part of the lower class. Other important characters in the film, such as officer Scagnetti, warden McClusky and reporter Wayne Gale ruin suits, speak well and are also well groomed. Several shots in the film such as Wayne Gale trimming his scent hairs and McClusky combing his moustache are employ to emphasize their appearance and social status. These characters are portrayed like this to signify that they are higher within the capitalist social hierarchy.All three research control over Mickey and Mallory for personal gain, implying that the higher classes seek to control the lower class. As the film addresses the difference in occupation of classes in a capitalist society, it also addresses the aspiration levels of the lower class. As revealed previously, Mickey explains that society turned its back on him. He also states I came from violence, it was in my blood. My dad had it, his dad had it. Its just my fate. present Mickey is saying that he came from a lower class, as did his father and grandfather.He is also saying that to remain in this social status is just his fate, meaning the social norm. Hollingshead (2007, p. 285) explains that children have limited their horizons to the class horizon, and in the process they have unconsciously placed themselves in such a position that they will occupy the same levels as their parents. This being a direct effect of the capitalist ideology as Reissman (1953, p. 233) puts it, the proletarian can have no aspirations under capitalism, but instead must come to identify with their own class and aspire to an entirely different system of values. This entirely different ystem of values Reissman is referring to is that in many cases th e lower class youth will pursue the quick rescind to success and fame. In Natural Born Killers, Mickey and Mallory become international celebrities through their actions, they have fans and fame by taking the ill-judged route, regardless of the means used to get there. Williams and Mcshane (1993 p. 52) state that the lower class youth may be associated with and aspire to become a policy king I want to be a big shot have all of the guys look up to me. Have a couple of lincolns, lots of broads and all of the coppers trouncing my shoes.As Natural Born Killers points the finger at the media for the glorification of violence, it also points a finger at capitalism for restraining the lower classes aspirations and skinny them to a life of crime. Tshiwula (1998, p. 27) also shares this speculation as she explains capitalism is the root for the cause of much criminal behavior, particularly in crimes committed by the lower class. Stuart Hall and David Morleys work suggest that an indivi duals social status can greatly influence how a text is decoded and the message they receive from it, regardless of the intended meaning.This suggests that people in a lower social status may see the antagonists as lower class heroes as they can relate to their situation. Semiotics in the film was used to signify the social gap between Mickey and Mallory, Wayne Gale, warden McClusky and officer Scagnetti. This explores the stereotypes of social status in capitalist ideology. The films references to the lower class being confined to a life of crime and having restricted aspirations inform us that these factors are imposed by capitalism.Unfortunately, these points are still valid in modern society. Many people who come from low income families believe that having the occupation they desire is unattainable due to their social/financial status. This isnt necessarily true, however people in this situation may think this due to what the rest of society thinks of them. Not hardly is the intended message of Natural Born Killers important in making people realize the medias glorification of violence, but also the message of lower class stereotypes and how they affect the individuals within that class.This text also provides us with an extreme example of how a text can be decoded by different individuals. Its safe to say that the oppositional reading of Natural Born Killers was a direct result of capitalist ideology and its influence on lower class individuals. References Hall, S. (1977) Culture, The Media and the Ideological Effect. America collapse University Hollingshead, A. (2007). Elmtowns Youth The Impact of Social Classes on Adolescents. Chicago, America Case Press Morley, D. (1992). goggle box Audiences and Cultural Studies.New York, America Routledge Penn, A. (Director) Newman, D. (Writer) (1967). Bonnie and Clyde Motion Picture. America Warner Bros. Pictures Reissman, L. (1953). American Sociological Review book of account 18. America American Sociologic al companionship Stone, O. (Director/Producer) Tarantino, Q. (Writer) (1994). Natural Born Killers Motion Picture. America Warner Bros. Pictures Tshiwula, L. (1998). abuse and Delinquency. Pretoria, South Africa Kagiso Publishers Williams, F. P. , & McShane, M. D (1993). Criminology Theory. America Anderson publishing Co