What is Culture Essay Example For Students

What is Culture Essay With a diverse population existing in the United States today, our country is a melting pot of different cultures, each one unique in its own respect. Culture, distinguishing one societal group from another, includes beliefs, behaviors, language, traditions, art, fashion styles, food, religion, politics, and economic systems. Through lifelong and ever changing processes of learning, creativity, and sharing, culture shapes our patterns of behavior and thinking. A culture’s significance is so profound that it touches almost every aspect of who and what we are. â€Å"Culture becomes the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us† (Henslin, 1993). We will write a custom essay on What is Culture specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Trying to define the complex term of culture with varying elements of distinguishable characteristics is a difficult task. Perhaps, a description of a culture would be easier to explain. For instance, an Iranian woman has just appeared in your office for services and it is immediately evident that her culture is very different than yours. First, her dark colored clothing covers her entire body from head to toe, including a black veil over her face. Secondly, as she speaks, a cultural difference is detected in both, her language and gestures. Her accent and the non-visible facial expressions create a barrier for comprehending the communication. Later, as the service for the woman progresses, her beliefs, values, and norms of her culture are dispelled. For example, in order for the woman to show her face to another male in public, she must first request permission from her husband to unveil. During further discussion, it becomes even more apparent, that this Iranian woman is subservien t and possesses a lower level of status than that of Iranian males. All of these characteristics are indicative of this woman’s culture. As conveyed in the above description, the characteristics represent the unique symbols of one’s culture. Symbols, in representative form of communication, art, expressions, materials, and so on, allow a cultural group to develop complex thoughts and to exchange those thoughts with each other. Through the exchanging of symbols, one’s cultural ideas, beliefs, and values, are passed on from one generation to the next. People are not born with culture; they have to learn it. Throughout the development of the entire life span, culture is learned from the society in which we live. Furthermore, in the diverse population of the United States, ethnic groups or societies will have to interact with other groups outside the realm of their individual self. In order to do so, it is necessary for the societies to exchange languages, ideas, or even, technology. In addition, the changing environments of the world population requires a need for cultural adaptation for basic survival. For example, a move from the United States, where basic resources are plentiful, to Russia, where the resources are scarce, would force an adaptation to the cultural differences in order to develop a new lifestyle.In conclusion, culture defines who we are, how we think, and how we behave. Some kinds of culture are include better means of making life securer than others. Cultural traits that offer some advantages, utility, or even pl easures are sought and accepted by societies. According to a prominent anthropologist, â€Å"Culture is contagious.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"A culture is a means to an end: the security and continuity of life.† (Britannica.com, p.12).Henslin, J. (1993). Sociology: a down to earth approach. Needham Heights: Simon Schuster, Inc. Introduction to culture. Britannica Encyclopedia. Retrieved Sept. 8, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.britannica.com/bcom/ed/article/6/0,5716,118246+12+109857,00.htmlBibliography:

Standard Conditions Versus Standard State

Standard Conditions Versus Standard State Standard conditions, or STP, and standard state both are used in scientific calculations, but they dont always mean the same thing. Key Takeaways: Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP) vs Standard State Both STP and standard state conditions are commonly used for scientific calculations.STP stands for Standard Temperature and Pressure. It is defined to be  273 K (0 degrees Celsius) and 1 atm pressure (or 105  Pa).The definition of standard state conditions specifies 1 atm of pressure, that liquids and gases be pure, and that solutions be at 1 M concentration. Temperature is not specified, although most tables compile data at  25 degrees C (298 K).STP is used for calculations involving gases that approximate ideal gases.Standard conditions are used for any thermodynamic calculation.Values cited for STP and standard conditions are based on ideal conditions, so they may deviate slightly from experimental values. STP is short for Standard Temperature and Pressure, which is defined to be 273 K (0 degrees Celsius) and 1 atm pressure (or 105 Pa). STP describes standard conditions and is often used for measuring gas density and volume using the Ideal Gas Law. Here, 1 mole of an ideal gas occupies 22.4 L. An older definition used atmospheres for pressure, while modern calculations are for pascals. Standard state conditions are used for thermodynamic calculations. Several conditions are specified for the standard state: The standard state temperature is 25 degrees C (298 K). Note that temperature is not specified for standard state conditions, but most tables are compiled for this temperature.All gases are at 1 atm pressure.All liquids and gases are pure.All solutions are at 1M concentration.The energy of formation of an element in its normal state is defined as zero. Standard state calculations may be performed at another temperature, most commonly 273 K (0 degrees Celsius), so standard state calculations may be performed at STP. However, unless specified, assume standard state refers to the higher temperature. Standard Conditions Versus STP Both STP and standard state specify a gas pressure of 1 atmosphere. However, the standard state isnt usually at the same temperature as STP. The standard state also includes several additional restrictions. STP, SATP, and NTP While STP is useful for calculations, its not practical for most lab experiments because they arent usually conducted at  0 degrees C. SATP may be used, which means Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure. SATP is at 25 degrees C (298.15 K) and 101 kPa (essentially 1 atmosphere, 0.997 atm). Another standard is NTP, which stands for Normal Temperature and Pressure. This is defined for air at  20 degrees C (293.15 K, 68 degrees F) and 1 atm. There is also ISA, or International Standard Atmosphere, which is  101.325 kPa, 15 degrees C and 0 percent humidity, and ICAO Standard Atmosphere, which is atmospheric pressure of 760 mm Hg and a temperature of  5 degrees C (288.15 K or 59 degrees F). Which One to Use? Usually, the standard you use is either the one for which you can find data, the one closest to your actual conditions or the one required for a specific discipline. Remember, the standards are close to actual values, but wont exactly match real conditions.

Stock Market Anomalies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stock Market Anomalies - Essay Example In finance, anomalies are market activities not in agreement with the forecasting of the efficient market hypothesis (EMH). In detail, these anomalies seem to breach premises of mean-variance ratio or no-arbitrage. If a multifarious adaptive scheme approach better depicts markets, the supposed anomalies investigators have keyed out may not be abnormal after all. The modern EMH model can be summed up in the "three P's of Total Investment Management" (Lo, 1999): prices, probabilities, and preferences. The three P's have originated from one of the most fundamental and vital estimates of modern economics, the rationale of supply and demand. This precept submits that the price of any goods and the quantity sold are fixed by the intersection of supply and demand arcs. The intersection of these two arcs influences "equilibrium" comprising the pair of price-quantity which might satisfy both the user and the producer at the same time. How or why do markets fail Several reasons can be attached to this question. But the simplest reason is the heterogeneity of the investors which breaks down and the every capitalist starts to act in harmony which leads to either extreme optimism which is greed or pessimism which is fear. The teachings of social psychology are that people like to imitate one another thus giving weightage when being in group rather than to individual's own reflections.

Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Essay

Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 - Essay Example The HSWA 1974 is divided into four key parts, and it is also divided into various sections. Part one of the Act focuses on the Health &Safety Commission and Executive, the general duties of the act, enforcement and penalties, codes of practice, and the power of making regulations. The second part of the act deals with the establishment of the employment medical advisory service. Part three on the other hand does the relations of the act to the building regulations. Finally, the forth part of the act does the coverage of other general issues and various amendments (Bennett 2012, p. 102).The 37th section of this legislation covers prosecution of managers/ directors, which is the main focus of this essay. The essay seeks to discuss the development of section 37 of the legislation analyzing the circumstance under which it operates. It also seeks to take considerations if the use of the legislation gives an effective mechanism for imposing secondary liability. Section 37(1) of the 1974 Ac t gives directives for the prosecution of managers/ directors. Section 37 of the HSWA States that in case a health and safety harm occurs to employees with the consent or connivance of a manager or director, then the manager or director together with the organization should be prosecuted under this particular section of the HSWA Act (Lofstedt 2011, p. 73). The section directs that employers should ensure that the safety and health of their employees is not affected by the work they do. Once the workers are affected by the kind of work they do in an industry in terms of their health and safety, then the act stipulates that the managers or directors be prosecuted. The act also tends to cover the employees’ duties at the work place. Employees in their duties at the work place are expected to take much care for good of their own safety and health and that of others who may be at risk of being affected by their acts. Employees are also expected to co-operate with their employers a nd other people at their work places when they are carrying out their statutory obligations (Lofstedt 2011, p. 73). The Health and Safety at Work act of 1974 provides that every organization or industry should have clearly stipulated health and safety policy if it has employed five and above employees. The organizations are also required to carry out assessments on their workers, partners, customers, and any other individual who may be at risk of being affected by the activities carried out by the organizations. The act also requires the organizations to have full access to health and safety advice that is competent. This is for the protection of its people or the staff members who may be affected by the activities carried out by the organization in terms of health and safety (Lofstedt 2011, p. 73). The HSWA act works alongside other regulations and Legislations in protection of health and safety of the workers. The Factories Act of 1961 and the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises A ct of 1963 are examples of Legislations that work alongside the HSWA act of 1974. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations of 1994, and the Health and Safety Regulations of 1992 are among the regulations that are operated together with the HSWA act of 1974 (Smith, 1998). In its other provisions, the act requires that employers have a working environment that is safe in operation and maintenance to avoid any harm related to health and saf

Macro economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro economics - Essay Example It categorically defined employee and enables the Federal government to enforce acceptable means necessary to promote employment for economic stability (McConnell and Brue 214). These statues as well as other directives from the government are factors that shape a country’s fiscal policy. Prior to the Great Depression, national government intervention was limited to foreign policy and national defense. Most of fiscal policies are determined in state levels of government who had ample discretion in the formation of their own guidelines. Economists often refer to another important factor in the determination of economic dynamics in the form of political influence as a major factor in the federal budget. When there is unsupervised spending by politicians into particular interests groups then this could lead to exhaustive government expenditure relative to the tax revenues and leads to federal budget deficits (Boyes and Melvin 248). Staggering budget deficits is a major problem fo r any economy that brings imbalance to the entire system and impedes growth bringing adverse effects to members of a country’s population. There are two broad categories of fiscal tools as enumerated by McEachern as automatic stabilizers and discretionary. The first are programs that regulate the economy by stabilizing disposable income through the real GDP and consumption. The best example of an automatic stabilizer is income tax which automatically modifies the disposable income of an individual. The second is a direct manipulation by the government to encourage its macroeconomic objectives including full employment, growth and price stability. They may differ in the length of execution and as to... This paper discusses such important macroeconomic concepts as business cycles, fiscal policy and fiscal tools. Business cycle is essentially the rise and decline of economic activity. There is no specific or clear-cut span of time that determines a business cycle and the same may range for several years. There are four phases of the business cycle that comprises of peak, recession, trough and recovery A widely used measurement of output is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country which sees peaks and lows The occurrence of business cycles and its concurrent effect on increasing unemployment and inflation prevents economic growth.The mandate of a country to influence economic activity is the central purpose of fiscal policy. Macroeconomic theories are utilized in the formulation of the scope and limitations of fiscal policy. An example of a direct reaction of the government founded on fiscal policy is the Employment Act of 1946 when unemployment became a major problem after World War II. Prior to the Great Depression, national government intervention was limited to foreign policy and national defense. There are two broad categories of fiscal tools as enumerated by McEachern as automatic stabilizers and discretionary The first are programs that regulate the economy by stabilizing disposable income through the real GDP and consumption. The second is a direct manipulation by the government to encourage its macroeconomic objectives including full employment, growth and price stability. The 2009 stimulus plan implemented by President Obama is a good example of a discretionary fiscal tool adopted by the U.S. Government

A Revolutionary Road | Analysis

A Revolutionary Road | Analysis In a society that promotes conformity it is hard enough to come to find oneself as an individual and to find your own identity. In a society that sucks the best out of our personality. Maintaining your own identity has little chance when being around a false image of affluence. This place is known as the suburbs. The ideas of deception pulled in a lot of people that were raised around nice families that only had the American Dream in their mind. In Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates, Frank and April Wheeler are sucked into suburbia with the dream of raising their two kids in a safe and comfortable area. But, as the two quickly find out, suburbia is not all its cracked up to be. Soon, suburbia and the complimentary standard gender role poses a problem for the couple as their relationship begins to deteriorate over time. But, in order to understand the situation, you must first understand the times. The suburbs were created as an escape from the hectic and, sometimes, dangerous life in the city. As time went on, the suburbs became known as a middles class paradise with ties to a nearby big city. Along with the suburbs came the stereotypical suburban family. The father was the head of the family while his wife was completely under his rule. Her main job was to take care of the kids and cook for the tired man when he got home. This family was supposed to have everything together and be the picture perfect example of the achievement of the American Dream. This stereotypical view of the suburbs created a strong misconception that attracted many families to the area and created a place void of individualism. The fantasy of the American Dream in the 1950s formed a naive view of suburban life and its equivalent standard gender roles and rigid view of the ideal family structure. The American Dream in the 1950s produced an idealistic view of life in the suburbs. In Dwight D. Eisenhowers State of the Union address in 1954, he describes what is the beginning of suburbia when he says, The details of a program to enlarge and improve the opportunities for our people to acquire good homes will be presented to the Congress by special message on January 25. This program will include: Modernization of the home mortgage insurance program of the Federal Government (Eisenhower). This place, as endorsed by one of the most popular presidents of all time, was sugar-coated from its inception. When Eisenhower spoke, people listened. When he endorses a housing development that will improve the opportunities for anyone living there that can help them achieve the American Dream, the public was willing to jump on the bandwagon in a moments notice. So began the false advertisement of the suburbs that ensnared so many families with good intentions of bringing up a beautiful family in a place that was supposed to ease them along the way. In an article about the history of American families, the author describes how people derived their beliefs on the typical suburban family by saying, The Leave It to Beaver ideal of breadwinner father, full-time homemaker mother and dependent children was a fiction of the 1950s, she shows. Real families of that period were rife with conflict, repression and anxiety, frequently poor and much less idyllic than many assume; teen pregnancy rates in the 50s were higher than today (The Way). The false impression that a popular television show had on 1950s society contributed to the even greater fallacy that all suburban families had everything together. The reality is that the suburbs was a place stricken with the same basic problems that everyone else had and maybe even more. Many families were under the impression that everything was going fine because they had all the elements of a traditional suburban family: a breadwinning dad, a stay-at-home mom, and servile children. But, simply being able to claim these things does not make a family tantamount to the perfect family that they are perceived to be as evidenced by the conflict, repression, and anxiety. In Richard Portons article on the American Dream and the suburban nightmare, he describes the delusion that many families drowned in when he argues, Lewis Mumford maintained that the suburb served as an asylum for the preservation of illusion. He fumed that suburbia was not merely a child-centered environment; it was based on a childish view of the world' (Porton). Since the suburbs were associated with prosperity and happiness, they also became linked to the American Dream. When families entered this suburban paradise they immediately became seduced by the lore and awe of finally achieving that dream. Unfortunately, many never came out of that dream and continued to be deceived by this fantasy land that was almost juvenile at times. It is easy, now, to be o n the outside looking in and wonder how they fail to see that things crashing down around them. But since they were so deeply rooted in their dream world, it seemed that everything was going perfectly when, in reality, their personal life was a disaster. The American Dream provided the fuel that led to the conflagration that was the impractical view of suburbia. The American Dream in the suburbs formed absurd family roles that were usually stereotypical. In an article about the role of women in the 1950s, the author explains, Women who spent too much time outside the home, social commentators were quick to warn, were endangering their families, neglecting their husbands and especially their children. Life magazine, in a special issue devoted to the American woman, deplored the changing roles of married couples and placed most of the blame on the increasingly aggressive wife (Womens Roles). The fact that women had to be regulated shows how they were mistreated and forced to fit into a role that no one could be completely happy with. A woman who wanted pursue a career was viewed as overaggressive and held responsible for the breakdown of the family. Women were expected to sacrifice themselves for the family and become stay-at-home mothers all because that is what American society says a perfect mother should do. In the same article, the author says, The belief in a womans destined social role was reinforced by the popular media of the dayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The magazines of the time were filled with images of dedicated housewives whose only pleasures were that their families were satisfied and their chores made easier (Womens Roles). From the start, women never really had a chance to become what they wanted or pursue a career. From an early age, it was drilled into them that they would become a mother and that they would look to their husband to bring home the bread and make important decisions. The American Dream stripped women of their ability to overcome the status quo by sending a relentless message that their purpose in life was to become a housewife and nothing more or less. In another article about the plight of the 1950s woman, the author says, When women started complaining of boredom, society invented the sowing and quilt making clubs. They would do anything to please their men because their life depended on them s o much. To disagree with her husband would have been the gravest of all errors. The men had almost total control over their wives (A Womans Role). Women who tried to establish themselves as an individual and stand up against societys twisted view of what a suburban family should look like were repeatedly shoved back into their rightful place. When women started getting out of line, men were quick to invent something to occupy their time and get their minds back on their tasks. Disagreeing with the man was an unforgiveable mistake that could have negative consequences in the future. In spite of their will to change, efforts to change the system were kept at bay by the scheming man who did not want to see his power diminished by a lowly, rebellious wife. Overall, the American Dream shaped an unjust role for women in suburban society. In Revolutionary Road, the foolish quest for the American Dream creates an unbalanced family with identity problems and, quite often, complete subjugation. As Frank finally convinces April that having an abortion would be a terrible mistake, she cries in his arms as he proudly thinks, And it seemed to him now that no single moment of his life had ever contained a better proof of manhood than that, if any proof were needed: holding that tamed, submissive girl and saying, Oh, my lovely; oh, my lovely, while she promised she would bear his child (Yates 52). The head of the family in the ideal suburban household was the father. This father was supposed to have everything in complete control and solve every problem that crossed his family. By conquering his wifes emotions and desires, Frank establishes himself as the rightful head of the family because that is what he thinks he is supposed to do. His actions were influenced by the ridiculous thinking of that time period and not because he truly believes that was how he should have handled the situation. When Frank tries to diagnose Aprils problems, he rants on and on about a story of a girl who wished to be a boy and says, I think we can assume, though, he said, just on the basis of common sense, that if the most little girls do have this thing about wanting to be boys, they probably get over it in time by observing and admiring and wanting to emulate their mothers- I mean you know, attract a man, establish a home, have children and so on' (Yates 245). Franks ignorant comments show the fallacy in the thinking of the 1950s. He says that their goal in life was to attract men and bear their children. Franks comments show the misunderstanding of suburban families because it is hard to believe that someones lifelong goals would be that shallow and without any other ambitions. Women probably wanted more than that but were sucked into believing that that was all they should want which eliminated them as an individual and l ed them to be controlled by men. After a fight with April, Frank leaves to go do yard work and thinks to himself, Even so, once the first puffing and dizziness was over, he began to like the muscular pull and the sweat of it, and the smell of the earth. At least it was a mans work. At least, squatting to rest on the wooded slope, he could look down and see his house the way a house ought to look on a fine spring day, safe on its carpet of green, the frail white sanctuary of a mans love, a mans wife and children (Yates 47). Under the influence of suburban folklore, Frank feels that he needs to establish his identity as a man by physically exerting himself and doing something that no woman could do. The sweat on his brow and the strain of a good days work are what make Frank feel like a man all because someone said that was how a man should act and how a man should feel. The immense workload gives Frank a feeling of masculinity that no woman can give him. Instead of solving his proble ms with April, he decides to do what a man was supposed to do in that situation instead of the right thinking to do. By and large, the ideal suburban family was so heavily influenced by the American Dream that they failed to find themselves and, instead, fell into a general role that they did not belong nor function well in. In Revolutionary Road, the American Dream has also created a warped and impractical view in the minds of suburban families. When April tries to convince Frank to move to Paris, she tries to pry him from his suburban way of thinking by arguing, Because you see I happen to think this is unrealistic. I think its unrealistic for a man with a fine mind to go on working like a dog year after year at a job he cant stand, coming home to a house he cant stand in a place he cant stand either, to a wife whos equally unable to stand the same things, living among a bunch of frightened little my God, Frank, I dont have to tell you whats wrong with this environment Im practically quoting you. Just last night when the Campbells were here, remember what you said about the whole idea of suburbia being to keep reality at bay? You said everybody wanted to bring up their children in a bath of sentimentality. You said - (Yates 115). At this point, April finally sees the lies that they were sucked into when they first bought a home in the suburbs. She is trying to convince Frank who, although he has realized the same lies, is still having trouble letting go of a doctrine that he has held fast to for so long. She realizes that what she and Frank have been experiencing in the past few years is not reality and that they need to find a way to break free and Paris would be a great place to do so. In the same instance, April goes further to say, Thats how we both got committed to this enormous delusion- because thats what it is, an enormous, obscene delusion- this idea that people have to resign from real life and settle down when they have families. Its the great sentimental lie of the suburbs, and Ive been making you subscribe to it all this time (Yates 117). April continues to elaborate on the lies that were told to the couple when they entered the fabled suburbia. When they first got there, they were led to believe that starting a family was the end to real life. The whole time they had been living a lie that neither of them was willing to admit which caused a loss in crucial years of their lives that could have been spent establishing their family as a unique tight-knit group that was not influenced by the ignorance of the time period. When Frank and April go on a walk with John Givings, he fumes on and on about the self-deception of suburbia and the failures of society by stating, Its as if everybodyd made this tacit agreement to live in a state of total self-deception. The hell with reality! Lets have a whole bunch of cute little winding roads and cute little houses painted white and pink and baby blue; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and if old reality ever does pop out and say Boo well all get busy and pretend it never happened (Yates 68-69). John hits the nail on the head when he describes the fantasy that the people of the 1950s live in. He describes suburbia as a flowery place where everything looks t he same and everyone lives far away from reality. When confronted with reality, they act as if it never occurred and go back to the dream that they never want to wake up from never mind the fact that it is destroying them as a person. The American Dream in their lives has distorted their take on reality and led to them to believe that their way of life is real. By listening to the lies of the American Dream, suburban families were deceived into creating a dream world away from bona fide life that the rest of the world had to face every day. The desire for the American Dream in the mid-1900s created an immature outlook on suburban life and its corresponding gender roles and unyielding doctrine of the perfect family. Ever since its creation, suburbia has been sugarcoated to please potential home buyers and consequentially ensnared many families during the 1950s through its bold but enticing lies and the twisted view on what a real American family should look like. It produced absurd roles for a family that made it hard to function properly and took advantage of the wife by forcing her to subject to her husband. Furthermore, the suburbs distracted its residents from real life by giving them a false euphoria that rarely lasted long. Finally, it made many people give up their dreams and sacrifice their individuality in order to conform to its views. Its never beneficial to give up your identity which is why so many families have suffered and continue to suffer even today. Rather, it is always best to preserve the individual inside rather than change your beliefs and morals to fit society. Posttramatic Stress Disorder: Causes and Effects Posttramatic Stress Disorder: Causes and Effects A War Without End:  The Struggle of Posttramatic Stress Disorder Abstract This analysis is divided into two major parts. The first portion is dedicated to describing  posttramatic stress disorder, as well as the stress response and its contribution to developing PTSD. Along with describing PTSD is a reaction to a Frontline Documentary on veterans struggling with the  disorder. The second portion is an analysis of a personal friend that is currently undergoing treatment  for PTSD. Though the information of his treatment is true, information about his identity or personal  life will be altered. Part I. The issue of PTSD has gained a lot of attention with the United States fourteen year endeavor in  the middle east. The number of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD is quite  staggering. To better understand PTSD it is important to look at stress and trauma, and how these two  mechanisms manifest. Their manifestation is crucial to our understanding of PTSD. Stress Stress can best be exemplified as our natural physiological response to a treat. To say that stress  itself is a bad thing would imply that our survival is bad. The stress response is what has allowed our  species to adapt and reach our current status. So what is the stress response? It all starts at the hypothalamus which sits dorsal to the limbic system, the system that is  responsible for our stress response. The hypothalamus than triggers our endocrine system by relaying  electrical signals to the pituitary gland, also know as the master gland of the endocrine system. When  the stimulation of the pituitary is that of a perceived threat, adrenocorticotropic hormone is released  stimulating the adrenal glands (Cohen, 2013). The adrenal cortex responds by releasing cortisol, and  the adrenal medulla releases epinephrine. Cortisol is responsible for raising glucose levels by  stimulating the release of stored glycogen in the liver. Epinephrines response is what raises heart rate,  dilates blood vessels, and prepares us for the situation that of which caused the initial reaction. All of  what falls under this description of stress results from the sympathetic nervous system, and its effect on  what is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal ( HPA) axes (Siegel, et al. 2005). Trauma When people experience a traumatic event, in more cases than not, they attach an emotional  response to said event. Looking at traumas long term effects, we see that these responses can be acted  out through unpredictable behavior/emotion, flashbacks, unstable relationships, and even physical  pains (APA, 2013). Trauma can affect anyone at any age, and can result from events such as rape,  abuse, and as it is most prevalent to this topic, combat. When someone suffers from trauma, a nonthreatening  event can set off a stress response if triggered in some way (Comer, 2014). PTSD In a simplified explanation of posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD could be seen as an over  active stress response that follows a traumatic, or series of traumatic events. As is common with those  who see combat or the gruesome consequences of combat, PTSD has left psychological scars on the  veterans who return home after serving. A 2005 Frontline documentary depicted PTSD in a way that was both informative and  emotional. One point that stood out about the documentary was the culture of military life, especially in  the army and marines. The culture is basically this; Being violent and reactive is very much  encouraged, showing empathy is weakness, disobeying an order is cowardice, and showing signs of  psychological issues is as cowardice as it is weak. Because of this disturbing belief system it is really  not a topic to stay politically correct on. Let us start with the fact that violence and reactivity are  considered virtues of a soldier. Finding a peaceful resolution has never resulted from fighting fire with  fire. Attempts to find peace are crushed by the surge of reaction (Martin Luther King Jr., 1965), and for  a very obvious reason. When someone is reactive in a situation that does not readily call for it, more  times than not mistakes are made. In the case of Rob, this issue came center stage when he opened fire  on a civilian women after hearing reports of suicide bombers. She fell with a white flag in her hand  (Frontline, 2005). It is not Robs fault that this civilian died, but rather a consequence of war. He felt  that the threat of a suicide bombing was approaching, and instinctively tried to preserve his life, and the  men he fought along side. When he began to struggle with the event, the men around him labeled him a  coward. Robs story is not uncommon for those who have fought in this war. Turning to a soldier by the  name of Jeff, we see the consequences of not seeking help after a traumatic event. According to the  Frontline documentary, Jeff told his family of a haunting memory which seems to depict the  consequece of blindly following orders. Jeff was commanded to execute two unarmed prisoners of  war, and his obedience cost him his sanity. Jeffs mental decline was shown through his abuse and  excessive use of alcohol (Frontline, 2005). Jeff committed suicide roughly about a year after serving,  which alcohol could be seen as a contributing factor. The experiences of those interviewed in the Frontline Documentary provided great insight in  terms of PTSD, and with this insight the signs and symptoms can easily be spotted. With this  information a brief diagnostic assessment will be attempted, and as stated earlier, some of the  information about this particular individual has been altered. Part II. Background John is a white male in his mid-twenties. He was released from active duty in the Army July,  2013. John has been receiving psychiatric care for PTSD for a year and a half, and he claims that he has  been improving. His psychiatrist has him undergoing drug treatment to help with the symptoms. As is  common with those suffering from PTSD, John takes Lithium to help with his anxiety and feelings of  depression attributed to stress. As an adolescent John was diagnosed with ADHD, and had been  prescribed Adderall up until 10th grade. He has been back on Adderall for the past six month to help  with concentration, and also for the anti-anxiety benefits of taking a low dose stimulant. Behavior John is rather evasive when talking about his time in Afghanistan. When asked about his  experience, John seems to steer the conversation towards boot camp, seemingly as an attempt to keep  his mind off of his duty served in Afghanistan. The only thing that could be confirmed is that John had  seen combat on a number of occasions. At times his speech seems disorganized and forced. He looses  attention during conversation quite often, and has trouble holding eye contact. When John initially  returned to civilian status he began using methamphetamines for a short duration before seeking help.   John has also been trying to limit his consumption of alcohol since being releaved of duty, and though  he has stopped drinking every night, his troubles with alcohol have persisted. Summary Johns behaviors that of which can be observed fall in line with most of the behaviors of those  mentioned earlier in the Frontline Documentary. Drug abuse has been the most prevalent issue in Johns  life after serving, but he has shown signs of progress with his current treatment plan. References Comer, R. J. (2014). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.  Revised July 2014 Fulton, Germer, Siegel. (2005). Mindfulness and psychotherapy. New York: The Guilford Press. Cohen, B. J. (2013). The human body in health and disease. 12th Edition. Baltimore, MD:  Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Aronson, Raney (2014) A Soldier’s Heart [Video]. Retrieved February 2015 from  http://www/pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heart/view King, M. L. (1965). The three evils of society. (Speech). Retrieved from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8d-IYSM-08

Capital Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

Capital Punishment Many positions can be defended when debating the issue of capital punishment. In Jonathan Glover's essay "Executions," he maintains that there are three views that a person may have in regard to capital punishment: the retributivist, the absolutist, and the utilitarian. Although Glover recognizes that both statistical and intuitive evidence cannot validate the benefits of capital punishment, he can be considered a utilitarian because he believes that social usefulness is the only way to justify it. Martin Perlmutter on the other hand, maintains the retributivist view of capital punishment, which states that a murderer deserves to be punished because of a conscious decision to break the law with knowledge of the consequences. He even goes as far to claim that just as a winner of a contest has a right to a prize, a murderer has a right to be executed. Despite the fact that retributivism is not a position that I maintain, I agree with Perlmutter in his claim that social u tility cannot be used to settle the debate about capital punishment. At the same time, I do not believe that retributivism justifies the death penalty either. In Martin Perlmutter's essay "Desert and Capital Punishment," he attempts to illustrate that social utility is a poor method of evaluating the legitimacy of it. Perlmutter claims that a punishment must be "backward looking," meaning that it is based on a past wrongdoing. A utilitarian justification of capital punishment strays from the definition of the term "punishment" because it is "forward looking." An argument for social utility maintains that the death penalty should result in a greater good and the consequences must outweigh the harm, thereby increasing overall happiness in the world. Perlmutter recognizes the three potential benefits of a punishment as the rehabilitation of an offender, protection for other possible victims, and deterring other people from committing the same crime. The death penalty however, obviously does not rehabilitate a victim nor does it do a better job at protecting other potential victims than life impriso nment. Since a punishment must inflict harm on an individual, deterrence is the only argument that utilitarians can use to defend the death penalty. The question then ari... ...able to murder someone because twelve rational people in a courtroom decided that it should be so? By the same token, a murderer can claim that their victim had violated their rights and did not deserve to live. Obviously that cannot be rationalized in any manner. No matter from what perspective it is viewed, capital punishment is murdering another human being. Even if a law is broken and the person has made the world a worse place to live, killing someone else can never be justified, especially by measuring its social utility. The world would be a better place if many people did not exist, but it would not be legitimate to exterminate everyone who does not increase the happiness in the world. Social utility cannot justify the existence of capital punishment, nor can it be used as rationale to reject it. Retributivism fails as well because the death penalty may be regarded as cruel and unusual punishment. Absolutism seems to be the only school of thought that cannot be logically dismantled. No evidence exists that would demonstrate the benefits of capital punishment and statistically the only thing that is accomplished is another death in society.

Motivation affects learning

IntroductionMotivating employees in an organization means helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors, and solving problems that arise. Consequently, human resource management plays a central role in this especially since they are responsible for how people are treated in their own unique kind of organization. Effective managers are concerned about their employees.It has been revealed that by applying techniques to motivation and training, people will be inspired to examine the incentive and recognition programs. These programs can improve employees’ life. This way, proper reporting is done and the staff are not disillusioned. Managers provide reward programs promptly. It states that â€Å"When training is linked to a reward program, employees are motivated to absorb the content, and that translates it into improved performance. This paper looks into the different ways of motivation especially in the organizational aspects so that learning is facilitat ed and hastened.Gellerman (1992) defines motivation as the â€Å"art of helping people to focus their minds and energies on doing their work as effectively as possible.† The task is to motivate everyone, at all times, through every possible technique or approach available and apt for the situations. They need to enjoy themselves in the process. There are many questions that have to be answered, such as who are the people, what are their job tasks, how do they get paid, with whom do they work? Because of these varied and ever-changing elements in motivation, this is not a simple or easy task†.   The difficulty is that all people are different from one another in many ways; hence what might motivate one person does not necessarily work for another person – different strokes for different folks.Effects of Good Relations with EmployeesGood motivational techniques with the employees result in good service of the company because the employees feel good and satisfied and they deliver their service better than those who are not contented with their jobs.  By providing good human relations with the employees, they will be highly satisfied and they will be more productive.  The management that provides opportunities for the employees to grow and develop will be more successful as the employees will be challenged to do better.Employees can also feel their value when they are motivated accordingly and when they are given programs that would make them feel they deserve the job responsibility.  As a result, the workers will support the management more and in the end everybody benefits, the employees develop their potentials and gain high job satisfaction giving the management less problems and a higher productivity turnover, and in due course the business thrives. As part of your â€Å"welcome to our fastfoods business,† find out what their dreams  Ã‚   are, how they think that business should work for the customers, what they hate, and what they like. Ask how they have used technology in the past.The entrepreneur’s perception on subordinates will greatly affect decisions between the two dimensions they are going to emphasize. If they assume that their people are responsible and capable, there would be less control and leaders would put more reliance on their people. Otherwise there would be a large amount of control on their workers.   But more than the well-established organizational design and properly selected leadership style, Beer emphasized the importance of people because without the capabilities of these people, the goal of effective organization would be difficult to attain, or worse, would never be reached (Beer, Michael).Organizational behavior’s emphasis on people makes the management understand their employees more and make them committed in pursuing a common organizational goal of productivity and effectiveness. One of the strategies in building the performance of a worker is through motivation. People who are satisfied with their job are motivated to be more productive. In order for the manager to effectively motivate his employees, he must have knowledge on what determines their motivation.Again, under the principle of cause and effect, and the studies on the behavior of organization, an effective leader could formulate a motivation technique that would fit into the needs of the workers and encourage them to be more productive. Understanding what moves workers to work more productively would make the decision of the leaders in coming up with a motivational technique more acceptable to the workers and in turn would give favorable results for the whole organization.Businesses continue to succeed because of the value it places in their service and the clients.  However, without its human resources, no one will be able to deliver its service.  No technology can take the place of human resources.  The employees are the most important resource in any way.  H umans can adapt and improve, be taught and learn.  Technology will always be mere tools of humans, either using it to improve himself or to destroy himself.Good management see their employees grow in the company and as persons of their own rights.  They see them highly motivated to â€Å"achieve their goals, gain positive perspective, have that power to change, build self esteem and capacity, manage their own development and help others with theirs.† (Goleman, 2005) Moreover, they appreciate the value of building a climate of honesty, openness and trust; understand what they want from work so they can be aligned with each other in terms of expectations and aspirations; encouraging others  to do well and complimenting those who perform well and who work at best in an effective organization. (Goleman, 2005)Importance of Employee Motivation and TrainingPeople experience failure in one way or another. But if there is a positive consistency in one’s life (that is, if one consistently learns from his mistakes and mature through them to bring harmony and balance in his life), one can, for the most part, avoid repeating the same mistakes. Time is the vehicle that allows one to make course corrections, and time allows him to recover and improve. High achievers will see the future as an endless opportunity because of all they can learn and accomplish – rather than seeing doom and disaster because of missed opportunities and   â€Å"what might have been† in the past.Things are clarified and the process is checked if well understood. People are not left clueless about how things need to be done. Clearly, if the process is well understood, it stands a chance of being described and automated. A chain of reactions and influences causes a very fast ripple effect and things are controlled early on especially if it is in connection with rumor mills. But, whether it is rumors racing through the company at warp speed or a change in how people r elate to each other after reorganization, one cannot help but be conscious of the effect. What is important is that things are communication well to everyone (Cheese and Thomas 2003).Based on research on entrepreneurial and diversified businesses successful firms have competitive markets that have fast, high-quality, and widely supported strategic decision making processes.   Indeed, the remarkable success of high performance teams is not the result of luck. It is the predictable outcome of intense concentration on values, proper motivation and strategies on cultivating what the German writer Goethe called â€Å"the genius, power and magic† in ourselves.We have been burdening managers for years with an impossible task, telling them they ought to motivate others single-handedly, when the most a manager can do for others is to jump-start them – inspire them. Real motivation catches internally, after the mission is clear. Peak performers draw productivity from deeper re serves that are inexhaustible – from the sources of motivation. You can tell people to value excellence. You can insist that they increase their productivity. You can emphasize the need for changing their behavior. You can attempt to train people and motivate them to upgrade their job skills and increase their effectiveness. But until an individual makes a personal commitment to achieving peak performance or makes that internal decision to excel, nothing much will happen (McClelland, D. 1955).REFERENCESBeer, Michael. â€Å"Organizational Behavior and Development.† (n.d.) Retrieved Jan. 13, 2007 at

Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Example

Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Example Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay What is the outcome of a scheme devised by two desperate men in need of money? The outcome can be just preposterous, as in the comical short story â€Å"The Ransom of Red Chief† by O. Henry. In this story, Sam and Bill are two-bit con men who need money to pull off a scheme. The con men are faced with unexpected obstacles that cause them to take extreme measures to obtain what they want. The author uses literary devices such as figurative language, allusions, and irony to create a humorous and amusing tale. One literary technique the author uses throughout the story to illustrate comedy is figurative language. This paints vivid pictures for the reader on what is occurring in essential scenes. Bill said, â€Å"the boy put up a fight like a welter-weight cinnamon bear.†(pg.) This is a humorous simile that gives the reader a clear picture of a small boy putting such a struggle that he resembles a professional fighter. This simile also refers to a red colored bear of North America that is wild and ferocious. The combination illustrates quite a fight. Also, when Johnny asks to keep on playing a â€Å"look comes† into Bill’s eyes â€Å"like a rabbit’s when you catch it in a trap† (pg.55) This illustrates how poor Bill feels about having to play with Johnny again. The continued belittling and badgering by the boy and the surrender that Bill feels are expounded upon when the boy speaks.The dialect and language used in the text provide humor and exaggeration to the actions and tone of the characters. Furthermore, another way the author establishes humor is through the utilization of allusions. The ideas and emotions created by allusions contribute to what the author is conveying. When Bill recuperates from Johnnys assault with the slingshot, Bill states that his â€Å"favorite Biblical character is â€Å"King Herod† (pg.53).This allusion is a reference to King Herod, who once ordered the deaths of all boys under the age of two. This offers the re

Absolute and Relative Error Calculation

Absolute and Relative Error Calculation Absolute error and relative error are two types of experimental error. Youll need to calculate both types of error in science, so its good to understand the difference between them and how to calculate them. Absolute Error Absolute error is a measure of how far off a measurement is from a true value or an indication of the uncertainty in a measurement. For example, if you measure the width of a book using a ruler with millimeter marks, the best you can do is measure the width of the book to the nearest millimeter. You measure the book and find it to be 75 mm. You report the absolute error in the measurement as 75 mm /- 1 mm. The absolute error is 1 mm. Note that absolute error is reported in the same units as the measurement. Alternatively, you may have a known or calculated value and you want to use absolute error to express how close your measurement is to the ideal value. Here absolute error is expressed as the difference between the expected and actual values. Absolute Error Actual Value - Measured Value For example, if you know a procedure is supposed to yield 1.0 liters of solution and you obtain 0.9 liters of solution, your absolute error is 1.0 - 0.9 0.1 liters. Relative Error You first need to determine absolute error to calculate relative error.  Relative error expresses how large the absolute error is compared with the total size of the object you are measuring. Relative error is expressed as a fraction or is multiplied by 100 and expressed as  a percent. Relative Error Absolute Error / Known Value For example, a drivers speedometer says his car is going 60 miles per hour (mph) when its actually going 62 mph. The absolute error of his speedometer is 62 mph - 60 mph 2 mph. The relative error of the measurement is 2 mph / 60 mph 0.033 or 3.3%

Target Audience & Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Target Audience & Competition - Essay Example Maslow’s Theory of Needs and its Application to Marketing In case where an individual worker like for example needs more money for meeting his needs it is obvious that he needs to work harder for doing so. According to Maslow there are physiological, safety and security, social, esteem and self-actualization needs that happen to be really important (Adair, 1996). By putting in the hard work the individual can try to meet his need and later can also put in the necessary effort and time to win the desired reward. Here we can also use the Expectancy theory where an individual worker puts in efforts to adjust his personal motivational levels to that of her or his colleagues. Maslow's hierarchy of needs identify five basic areas of needs that most humans experience. First is the physiological or the basic life survival needs then comes the safety and security need after that is the social need that includes belongingness and love after which comes the self-esteem and the fifth need is the self-actualization. Maslow found out that a person moves form one need to another after he has met a need. Like if he meets the needs at level one, then he moves toward the next, and then the next and so on. Maslow found out that decision making and human behaviour are motivated by one of any five need levels in the hierarchy model he presented. If we apply these needs to the marketing theory it will not be wrong to say that the marketers by effectively appealing to one of the motivational drivers can be really successful. The social and self esteem needs can be fulfilled by the marketers by using strong marketing campaigns and building a strong brand image. People are in search of recognition so if marketers fulfil this need they can always make good profit out of their businesses. Maslow's fundamental principles link marketing and human psychology. It is important for the marketer to find out the level of need which the customer is looking to meet, and then market the prod uct in a way that convinces him that he particular need will be fulfilled like that. Performing periodic evaluations of the marketing techniques as the target audience are not likely to stay static is very important. It is very important for the marketers to be aware of the place where Maslow's hierarchy of needs of the customer base is and the place where the product fits in. By paying more attention to this marketing can be more effective. Stages of the Consumer Behaviour Model and its Application to Marketing Researchers have proven that that motivation factors play a significant role in stages of purchasing process and possess positive influence on the internal factors that is the information search, alternatives evaluation, and post purchasing and purchasing. All these internal factors can have an impact on each other in positive direction and are strongly correlated. Consumer happens to be one of the very significant and complicated units of the marketing system. As many exter nal and internal factors impact consumer behaviour within this system, the measuring and evaluating of purchasing process proves to be comparatively difficult. Consumer behaviour is not as straightforward as the purchasing of a service or product by paying its price but at the same time it is a procedure that has post-purchasing dimensions. Understanding of the consumer behaviour in all the stage of consumer behaviour model that consist of recognising the problem, searching the information, evaluating the alternatives, purchasing and also

Explain the role of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Explain the role of management - Essay Example Managers look specifically at the individual's performance at any one time while leaders look at a team and their future prospects (Maundy, 2001) Managers within an organization do the planning for most of the sectors such as policy formulation, financial, marketing of products, and control of major assets. They also exercise their power on any issue arising such as the decision making processes. The leaders in an organization are responsible for building the large workforce and human resources within the company. These leaders also inspire, innovate, mentor, set examples, and revolutionize all the employees within the organization in order to achieve the best from them and also achieve the organization goals and objectives. (Maundy, 2001) The first function is planning-it can be defined as the process of developing the objectives and mission of the organization. A manager must also organize-this involves coordinating and dividing tasks among members of the organization. Here, the manager assigns responsibilities to team members. Staffing is another managerial function and can be defined as the filling and maintaining of all the positions available in a company. Some of the activities involved in this function include: recruiting, training, hiring, evaluation and compensation. Managers are also expected to control members of staff. This involves measuring performances, setting performance standards and taking corrective or preventive measures to ensure that the standards set are adhered to. Communication is another vital element in management and involves the transfer of information from management down to other members of the organizational structure. Lastly, managers are expected to motivate their team members, this involves influencing or channelling people's behaviour to accomplish the missions and objectives of the organization. (Mullin, 2007) Importance of team approach in achieving organisation's goals The model below is a pictorial representation of John Adair's action centred leadership. He believed that a manger has three roles; 1) he must plan, assign, review tasks of the organisation 2) he must communicate, create a culture of ethics, hive feedback to the team 3) he must understand individuals, develop, train and recognise each individual's efforts An organisation can be viewed as a combination of two sets of workers i.e. management and subordinates. Both categories have their own goals that have to be directed towards overall goals of the organisation. It is important for management to try and align employee goals with organisational goals. This means that everyone in the organisation will be working towards the same direction. This can be achieved by creating a sense of loyalty among employees and through communication. This implies that workers will work hand in hand with management thus achieving overall goals. In contrast, if every member of the organisation focuses on their own needs and did not consider their work group as a team, resources will be drained and losses will occur. Case study Taking an example of a hospital like