Independent Study Unit

HRE 4M1: INDEPENDENT STUDY UNIT This -A clear explanation of the issue -various ethical positions in society. (minimum -> 2 opposing positions) -consequences of each position (results of adopting this position) -underlying beliefs of each position (why this position is right) -explain why some positions may be stronger than others -quotes(or paraphrase) from the Catechism of the Catholic Church -includes a mix of at least 4 examples (case studies or questions to stimulate discussion. -any multimedia that enhances the presentation) Students must inform the teacher of needs at least one week before the presentation. Essay:The essay requires the author to adopt a position on the issue (researched for the presentation) and defend it with a logical and well researched argument. The argument should involve principle and practicality. The essay will be 4-5 pages long excluding title page, bibliography etc. A bibliography and referencing must be included or the essay may receive a grade of Z ERO. Topics: 1. Is capital punishment moral or immoral? 2. Is euthanasia moral or immoral? 3. Can child labour ever be ethical? 4. Is there such a thing as a just war? (Just War Theory) 5. What is the general population’s moral responsibility to the poor/homeless? . Can doctor assisted suicide ever be moral? 7. Is genetic engineering in human beings ever moral? 8. Are there any circumstances where abortions are justifiable? 9. Is animal testing moral justifiable? (medical/industrial) 10. Is genetic engineering of plants and animals justifiable? 11. Is stem cell research morally justifiable? 12. Is poverty in developing nations the moral responsibility of developed nations? 13. Is pornography (making/viewing) moral? 14. Is censorship ever morally correct? 15. Is prostitution ever moral? ( legalization of) 16. Is homosexuality a moral issue? (Why do some make it one? 17. Should there be limits on reproductive technology? (IVF) 18. Who is morally culpable for the use of performa nce enhancing drugs in sports? Is this practice justifiable? 19. What is our moral responsibility to the environment? 20. Is surrogacy morally permissible? 21. Is in vitro fertilization morally permissible? 22. Is food consumption a moral issue? (ie. Vegan/vegetarianism) 23. Other topic (rarely approved) Topic Selection: -must provide 3 sources (for websites print a page that demonstrates relevance) (5 Marks) -complete a sheet listing sources and a preliminary thesis. Essay |Presentation | |Outline *15 |Conference | |First Submission * (10) |Note Submission* (30) | |Conference |Presentation * (50) | |Final Submission * (100) | | * for marks Topics and Seminar Dates HRE 4M1-01Period 3/4 |Topic |Student(s) |Date | |1. Capital Punishment | | | |2. Euthanasia | | | |3.Child Labour | | | |4. Just War | | | |5. Resp. to the Poor | | | |6. Doc Assisted Suicide | | | |7. Gen. Eng. Human | | | |8.Abortion | | | |9. Animal Testing | | | |10. Gen. Eng Plant/Animal | | | |11. Stem Cells | | | |12. Poverty Dev. Nations | | | |13.Pornography | | | |14. Censorship | | | |15. Prostitution | | | |16. Sexual Orientation | | | |17. Reproductive Tech. | | | |18. Perf. Enhance drugs | | | |19.Environment | | | |20 Surrogacy | | | |21. In Vitro fertilization | | | |22. Food Supply | | | |22. Other | | | Topics and Seminar DatesHRE 4M1-04Period 6 |Topic |Student(s) |Date | |1.Capital Punishment | | | |2. Euthanasia | | | |3. Child Labour | | | |4. Just War | | | |5. Resp. to the Poor | | | |6.Doc Assisted Suicide | | | |7. Gen. Eng. Human | | | |8. Abortion | | | |9. Animal Testing | | | |10. Gen. Eng Plant/Animal | | | |11. Stem Cells | | | |12. Poverty Dev.Nations | | | |13. Pornography | | | |14. Censorship | | | |15. Prostitution | | | |16. Sexual Orientation | | | |17. Reproductive Tech. | | |18. Perf. Enhance drugs | | | |19. Environment | | | |20 Surrogacy | | | |21. | | | |22. | | | |23. | | Religion ISU Seminar Name: _____________________ |Note |Level R |Level 1 |Level 2 |Level 3 |Level 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |The note is poorly |The note is poorly |The note is organized |The note is well organized|The note is well organized and | |Comm. |organized and laid out. |organized and laid out. The|and laid out with some |and well laid out. The |well laid out. | | |The important info is |important info is not |competence |important info. is easily |The important info. is easily | |Org. |not available. easily accessible |The important info is |accessible |accessible and well highlighted | | | | |not easily accessible| | | | | | | | | | |/10 | | | | | | |Knowledge |The note contains |The note contains some |The note contains most|The note contains all |The note contains all information | |Content |little info. on most |info. on most aspects of |info. on most aspects |info. on every aspect of |on every aspect of the i ssue | | |aspects of the issue. |the issue including the |of the issue incl. the |the issue including the|including the Catholic view. | | |Some of the info. is |Catholic view. Some of the|Catholic view. The |Catholic view. All the |Every point is accurate and | |/20 |correct |info. Is correct |info. is mostly correct|info. s correct |presented in detail with | | | | | | |underlying beliefs and | | | | | | |consequences of each position | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Presentation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Knowledge |Lacks 3 or more of the |Lacks 2 or more of the |-Opp. Viewpoints Church|-Opp. |-Opp. Viewpoints/ | |Content |following: |following |view are presented with|Viewpoints are presented |Church view are presented in | | |-Opp. viewpoints |-Opp. iewpoints |some detail |in detail |detail with accurate analysis | | |-detail |-de tail |-Questions/ Case | |-Questions/Case studies are | |/10 |-Church view |-Church view |studies have some |-Church view |relevant to the topic and serve to| | |-Questions |-Questions/ Case studies |relevance | |illuminate the aspects of the | | |-Case Studies |are not relevant | |Questions/Case studies are|issue | | | | | |relevant and insightful | | |Communication |Voice is monotone. |Voice is monotone. |Voice is clear and |Voice is clear and |Voice is clear and confident. | | |Reads the pres. with |Pres. |confident. |confident. |Speaks with clarity with | | |clarity with a lack of |lacks focus & clarity & an |Speaks with clarity |Speaks with clarity with |appropriate vocabulary | | |under. |understanding of the issue |with an appropriate an appropriate vocabulary |Use of different media to engage | |/10 |Uses little to no media|Use different media to |vocabulary |Use different media to |the class in the presentation | | |to engage the class in |engage the class in the |Use diffe rent media to |engage the class in the |Little to no checking of notes | | |presentation |presentation |engage the class in the|presentation | | | |Reads notes |Frequently reads notes |presentation |Infrequently checks notes | | | | | |frequently checks notes| | | |Application |Student is unable to |Questions are answered |Questions are answered |Questions are answered |Questions are answered with | |Questions |answer any questions |without clarity and with a|with little clarity and|with clarity, with little |complete clarity, without | | | |great deal of hesitation |little attention to |hesitation, and in some |hesitation, and in great detail | | | | |detail |detail | |/10 | | | | | | DUE DATES: Outline: First Essay: One week after the outline is returned Final Essay: December 19, 2008 Submit Outline/ 1st Essay as well Presentation Date: Essay Outline: Genetic Screening Ian Gogolek: While there are possibilities that genetic screening procedures could provide great insight into def ects and disease in humans, the process (who has control and access to the information) needs to be very tightly controlled. The way genetic screening is currently used and promoted is immoral. Point One:Pre-birth genetic screening, how it is currently used is immoral because it leads to abortion based on gender and prejudice towards those who have special needs. Abortion based on gender: 7999/8000 abortions performed in the Bombay area between 1978-82 were on female fetuses. (Kimbrell, pg. 122) Abortions based on disabilities: Poll in New England 1% based on gender 6% based on Alzheimer’s in old age 11% based on obesity (Rifkin, pg. 147) -can lead to a genetic-based eugenics program (sterilization of those deemed unfit to have children) -violation of the integrity of the human being and a child as a gift (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2344) Point Two:Genetic Screening has the strong possibility of being used by corporations to determine hiring practices and insurance pre miums. Example: Reggie Lewis: Boston Celtics died of a genetic heart dysfunction Eddy Curry: Chicago Bulls had heart problems. Bulls wanted him to undergo genetic testing before signing him to a new contract The Bulls had insisted that Curry take a DNA test to determine whether he's a potentially fatal heart problem. Curry, who missed the final 13 games of the regular season susceptible to and the playoffs after experiencing an irregular heartbeat, balked, saying it violated his privacy. (www. nytimes. com/2005/10/03/sports/basketball/04curry) Employers may demand the right to genetic tests before hiring or promotion 981, the Bureau of labor statistics reported that occupational illness costs private sector employers 850,000 lost workdays. (http://www. scu. edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n2/genes. html) Corporations looking to improve their profits could demand that genetic tests be applicable to reduce waste. This could create a permanent underclass of the unemployable. predispositi on to genetically-based disease is often associated with race or ethnic background. For example, the sickle cell trait is found in 1 out of 12 blacks, but only in 1 out of 1,000 whites. (http://www. scu. edu/ethics/publications/iie/v4n2/genes. html) Insurance companies could deny access after a genetic screenGenetic screening may be performed on current or prospective employees when it is clear that the genetic trait directly affects job performance (http://www. acoem. org/guidelines) Point Three: Genetic Screening can be useful but most genetic diseases are untreatable or not properly diagnosed. Gen. screening often only demonstrates a predisposition or susceptibility to a certain disorder not a definitive Results can be misinterpreted Problems in diagnosis – both parents must have the gene Tay Sachs disease Cystic Fibrosis Sickle Cell Anemia Useful to inform couples concerning marriage (accepted by the Catholic Church) Conclusion: While there are some possible benefits to g en. screening, many of its current uses are unethical.For genetic screening to be ethical, access to results must be seriously restricted and must not be used to deny people health care, employment or other basic rights available to all people. Tips On Writing an Argumentative Paper Step One: Choose a Topic Choose a topic that is of interest to you. This will make the process of research much less painful. Step Two: Find Research Materials Gather information from as many sources as possible. You will need information(arguments, statistics) from different perspectives. Do not completely decide what your full argument will be before you complete your research. Step Three: Develop a Thesis Determine your stand on the issue. Be sure your stand can be defended by logic and/or statistical analysis.All your arguments for your essay must flow logically from your thesis. The claim in your essay may be a positive or negative claim. Step Four: Make An Outline Before you start writing it is imp ortant to make an outline. The outline should sketch out all your arguments and the structure of your paper. Each argument should logically flow from the argument before it. Expect to encounter problems with logic and flow. You will most probably have to revisit this more than once. Step Five: Take a Break Take a break from the work for a few days. This is important to gain some perspective on your arguments. Step Six: Revisit Your Argument With a Critical Eye Look at your argument from an opposing viewpoint.What objections would they raise to your arguments? Also, seek someone who has a skeptical mind who can evaluate your arguments objectively and without prejudice. Step Seven: Write Your Paper Write your paper following a revised outline. Write in a concise and formal manner. Your introduction should include your thesis and your reasoning behind your argument. Be sure to avoid common problems in language use, spelling, grammar etc.. Ex: tense agreement Step Eight: Proofread Your Paper After you finish writing your paper let it sit until the next day. Proofread it orally. Do not be afraid to rewrite sentences and restructure paragraphs to improve clarity. |Level 1 |Level 2 |Level 3 |Level 4 | |Thinking |This paper is unclear, or reflects |A clear position, but may not |A clear position, responding |A strong well articulated position, | |Soundness of |partial understanding or some |articulate it very clearly; |competently and comprehensively |responding precisely and | |Argument |distortion of the topic; exhibits |responds in a general way to the|to the topic, showing some depth|comprehensively to the topic: | | |faulty logic and/or stereotypical, |topic, showing broad |of thought; some claims may not |demonstrates excellent understanding | |30 |superficial thinking in some of its |understanding of major issues, |be strongly supported but this |and depth of thought supported by | | |supporting arguments, analysis and |but may address some ideas more |only sli ghtly undermines the |compelling and logically sound | | |examples; little or no effort to |effectively than others; support|main argument; some success at |arguments, analysis and examples; | | |anticipate and address problems |of main points is inconsistent, |anticipation of counter |Anticipates and addresses problems and| | | |sometimes adequate; minimal |arguments |counter-arguments effectively | | | |anticipation of counter | | | | | |arguments | | | |Comm. |This paper reads poorly, exhibiting a|This paper reads well showing |This paper reads well for the |This paper reads very well, exhibiting| |Focus, Organization |lack of control of focus and/or weak |some control of focus, |most part, exhibit control of |command of focus, organization and | |and Development |organizational and developmental |organization and development; it|focus, org. nd dev, but its |development | | |patterns; may ramble, be repetitious,|may rely to some extent on |elements are not as well managed|Its int roduction draws the reader into| |15 |hard to follow in places, or locked |formulaic devices for its |as at the command level (eg. The|the discussion, which presents a | | |into an organizational formula |structure, and it may wander or |intro. /concl. may be |sustained and logical progression of | | | |shift topics abruptly at times. |ineffective, or the argument may|ideas leading to an effective | | | | |not flow consistently) |conclusion. | |Comm. This paper exhibits a lack of control|This paper exhibits some control|This paper exhibits control of |This paper exhibits command of | |Clarity of |of expression, grammar, punctuation, |of expression, grammar, |expression, grammar, |expression (word choice, tone, | |Expression |and mechanics; many and significant |punctuation, and mechanics; may |punctuation, and mechanics; some|sentence structure, and sentence | | |errors, some of which interfere with |contain numerous errors, but |minor errors |sense), grammar, punctuation, and | |15 |the reader’s understanding or require|they are not such that they | |mechanics; no errors, or at most a few| | |the reader to supply meaning to make |interfere with the reader’s | |minor ones | | |the text intelligible |understanding | | | |Knowledge |Referencing |Referencing |Referencing |Referencing | | |Bibliography |Bibliography |Bibliography |Bibliography | |30 |Evidence |Evidence |Evidence |Evidence | | |Catholic Church |Catholic Church |Catholic Church |Catholic Church | Seminar Presentation Sign-Up | | | | | | | |Sun |Monday |Tuesday |Wednesday |Thursday |Friday |Sat | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Preliminary Sheet Name: __________________ Thesis: | | | | | | | | Sources:Include title/author(website)/ how info is relevant to the topic at hand/ pages that are relevant | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Communication Methods Essay

Drugs are constantly under scrutiny from various organizations. The removal of medication is costly in product and reputation. However, it is important that withdrawal of a drug, which may affect the safety of patient’s withdrawal from the market, is imperative. Usually this prompts unexpected adverse effects that were not detected during clinical trials and apparent from surveillance of the data from the patient community. The scenario outlined involves the removal of medication from the shelves of hospitals, drugstores, and individuals home. It is imperative that communication reaches the masses in a concise and timely manner. The different types of communication are verbal, non-verbal, written and visual. Verbal communication simply involves face-to-face communication with another or group of people or communication over the telephone. For verbal communication, success requires the sender and receiver obtain what is required to make communication effective. When communicating verbally tone, dialect, and language are important factors (Cheesboro, O’Connor, Rios, 2010). Non-Verbal communication involves communicating without words. Non-Verbal communication ultimately ties in with verbal communication, without even speaking your body language, eye contact, posture, and facial expressions are all communicating. Cultures also exist with non-verbal communication. Cultural difference exist in the way people greet each other, what gestures mean, how far or how close to stand when interacting with someone and so forth (Cheesboro, O’Connor, & Rios 2010). Written communication involves writing letters and emails. Written communication skills are just as important as verbal communication skills. Last, there is visual communication and the portrayal is through some form of visual aid such as; signs, drawings, power points, graphs and many others. When using visual communication verbal and written communication may be involved (Chessbor , O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). Communication has advantages and disadvantages and traditional communication is still the number one form of communication to use if clarity is a primary factor. Traditional communication usually includes face to face or over the phone. When communicating face to face you always receives the opportunity to interact in a back and forth discussion. The use of non -verbal’s, facials and gestures maybe an advantage to some and a disadvantage to others. Disadvantages of traditional communication can be that conflict can be more intense and difficult to diffuse. Electronic communication is more prevalent but it still has its pros and cons. Many companies depend on electronic communication because information delivery occurs within different locations. There are also people that travel on their job and have no choice but to communicate through electronics. Not only is electronic communication fast and convenient it is the source of communication which allows for the responses and flexibility in replying. Despite the many advantages of electronic technology in the workplace, there are potential disadvantages including, the possibility of decreases patient safety, and breach of confidentiality (Broussard 2013). Many caregivers or physicians have mobile devices usually supplied by their organization. The concern with phones at one’s use at all time is the employee focus on sending a text or responding to an email versus delivery the appropriate care to the patient. Confidentiality concerns can come about form a simple phone conversation where names may not be spoken, but enough patient history and information is more than enough details. There is also the use of language. Being precise and complete is necessary when sending any form of electronic message (Cheesboro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). Remembering basic grammar and formatting can go completely wrong. A professional email can become very unprofessional fast especially if the sender fails to review it prior to pressing send. With this concern comes the major issue of decrease in patient safety, possible violation of the HIPPA, patient safety, and breach of confidentiality.. Social media plays a major part in daily life for most people. Many advantages and disadvantages come along with using social media especially in a health care setting. First, the use of social media depends on the organization. Not every health organization is equipped or in need of the use of social media. However, when an organization does choose to use social media advantages can be the use of improved communication. Employees and others can discuss post and view new ideas and plans for the company (Society for Human Resources, 2012). There is an opportunity to gain more clients and reach a wider range of people especially if the organization is worldwide. Marketing opportunities are everywhere on social networks. Disadvantages can be employees misusing the social network. Potentially results in negative comments from employees  about the company or potential legal consequences if employees use these sites to view objectionable, illicit or offensive material (Society for Human Resources 2012). Technology is not perfect and is still prone to malfunctions. There is also the possibility of virus’ or hackers to come about when organizations are using social media. When a health organization uses social media it is important to have basic rules and regulation set in place to help ensure efficiency versus misuse. In the health care world, patient confidentiality is a primary concern. HIPPA is what help to protect patient’s personal medical information. Electronic and social media communication use in health care communication enforces patient security and adherence to Joint Commission guidelines and rules. Maintaining confidentiality, however, is becoming more difficult. It was easy to ensure the protection of individual privacy when files are in paper folders. It was not a perfect method, but it worked because information is powerful and it must be available for all to review. Information systems and other technology now allow instant retrieval of medical information, along with widening access for a greater number of people (McCall, 2000). The use of electronic and social media communication will ultimately affect HIPPA, because these forms of technology evolve in the health care world the HIPPA law must also transform and change continuously protect patients (McCall, 2000). The HIPPA law is in place to protect patients and although communicating through social media or any other form of electronics. The use of these forms of communication does put the exposure of private information risks. However, it is important for every health care organization to have their own set of rules and regulations to help prevent exposures. Each entity engaged in electronic transmission of health information must assess potential risks and vulnerabilities to the individual electronic health data. Organizations must develop, implement, maintain, and document appropriate security measures based on the risk assessment (Peterson 2001). In conclusion, health care and communication go hand in hand. Traditional communication is still at the forefront in health care when it comes to efficient communication. Electronic communication is very convenient and necessary when it comes to many different job types. Lastly, social media helps to market and bring in new ideas to the health care field. Overall, Traditional, Electronic, and social media will  continue to play a part in health care communication. As health care evolves communication, as well privacy and security methods must evolve as well. References Broussard, B. S., & Broussard, A. B. (2013). Using Electronic Communication Safely in Health Care Settings. Nursing For Women’s Health, 17(1), 59-62. doi:10.1111/1751-486X.12007. Retrieved from http://www.EBSCOhost.com Cheesboro, O’Connor, Rios. (2010) Communicating in the workplace. New York, New York: Pearson Education. McCall, M. (2000). HIPPA regulations:Challenges for perspective leaders. Surgical Services Management, 6(10), 18. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237194292?accountid=458 Petersen, C. (2001). How private is private? HIPPA. SSM, 7(6), 49. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237195101?accountid=458 Society For Human Resources, 2012. Social Media:What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking sites? What should we include in a policy? Retrieved from http://www.societforhumanresources.org

Domestic Bathtubs Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Domestic Bathtubs - Lab Report Example According to Wright, (1980), today, 62% of bathtubs, 28% of lavatories and 92% of whirlpool baths are made of plastic. According to Mazzurco (1986), the American National Standards Institute has set standards that manufacturers should observe when designing bath tubs. They may use enameled cast steel or iron besides plastic. Consumers are however taking into account the aesthetic features, safety, durability and environmental aspects when choosing bathtub materials. Customers and manufactures are now taking advantage of enameled or plastic bathtubs to design one-unit bathtubs. Safety, being an important factor to consider, is ensured in modern bathtubs by the use of prefabricated slip-resistant surfaces. The bath tabs should be leak free, the potential problem being solved by the provision of a moisture barrier between the subfloor and the bathtub, or ensuring that the base and the wall are integral parts of the bathtub. Bathtub Materials It is very important to choose the best mater ials for making bath tubs, just as it is important to consider its functions (Mazzurco 1986, pp.57). A wide range of materials that can be used to make bath tubs are readily available. However, they all have their own cons and pros of use. Other factors to consider in material selection are their cleanliness as well as longevity. These materials are in most cases available for spas, basic bath tubs and whirlpools. Examples of materials that are used to manufacture bath tubs are acrylic, cast iron, porcelain/ ceramic tiles, concrete, copper, cultured marble, fiberglass, granite, and porcelain on steel. Acrylic bath tubs normally chip and crack. Therefore, this material is reinforced by fiberglass to make it resistant. However, it is cost effective and light in weight thus allowing easier mass production. Bath tubs made of cast iron are very costly and heavy in weight. Manufacturing bath tubs with cast iron involves creating a mold according to the desired design, and then melting iro n and pouring it into the mold. Though they are expensive, they have two big advantages: many chemicals will not destroy the surface, and they firmly withstand abuse because it is nearly impossible to dent or scratch a bath tub made of cast iron. In its construction of porcelain or ceramic tile bath tubs, a wood form is produced and then covered in concrete. A gentle slope is essential as it ensures the right drainage. A water proof adhesive is used to glue the tiles to the concrete while cracks are sealed with grout. Unfortunately, they are often prone to small cracks that can cause leaks as a result of shifting of the whole house or form. Concrete is not a common material in the manufacture of bath tubs because of its high cost of labor. Concrete is either created in the factory or molded on site and then the finished product is delivered and placed in position. The biggest advantage of constructing bath tubs using tiles is that different textures and colors can be applied on the concrete. Furthermore, the material can conceive almost any color and shape. For a bath tub, copper is very costly to use. Another material that is normally used to manufacture bath tubs is cultured marble. Cultured marble is created by mixing polyester resin with limestone together and then coating it with gel. It is less expensive than cast iron but more

Mathematics Curriculum in Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mathematics Curriculum in Education - Assignment Example Teachers did not realize the importance of relating the lesson to the real life experience of the students. Later, educators and philosophers realized that the content of math education should be close to the students’ personal experience or to realia, hence math education geared towards a more practical approach in which learning concepts were discussed and examples from real life experiences were given. Today, efforts to improve mathematics teaching have grown immeasurably, thus allowing teachers to teach math effectively. This paper discusses some of the modern approaches useful for attaining goals in the upper primary math classrooms. In particular, the approaches mentioned are relevant to the teaching of Mathematics in the upper primary level in (name of school), which is located in Brunei Darussalam. The Mathematics curriculum in (name of school) adopts a modern approach to teaching. In particular, the curriculum emphasizes the teaching of math in relation to the real life setting. This means giving particular attention to how math is used in the real world, such as government, business, home, and school. In the curriculum for upper primary (Grades 4–6) students, the syllabus includes topics that relate to real life experiences of using numbers and math concepts. Specifically, the goals of instruction include the following: †¢ Communication of math ideas in oral and written form ... This denotes the use of modern approaches that promote communication among students, especially in spoken language. Such approaches include Cooperative Learning, Cooperative Learning entails class activities that allow students to interact with each other and perform tasks in groups. Murdoch and Wilson (n.d.) define cooperative learning as an approach that requires students to work together towards a common goal. Merely working in groups without specific goals and measurements cannot be considered cooperative learning. For activities to be considered as cooperative learning activities, they should have clearly set goals and rules, for instance, each student in the group plays an important role in the performance of a particular activity. One way of applying Cooperative Learning is asking students to solve math problems. For example, students will be asked to solve for the average of annual GDP growth of the country in 10 years. In the given problem, each member of the group will be a ssigned to solve the GDP growth for (a) particular year/s. Hence, in a group of four, one can be assigned to solve for the growth from 2002-2005, another for 2005-2008, still another for 2008-2012, then finally another member averages the total GDP growth from his/her classmates. This way, each member of the group contributes effort and knowledge to come up with the final answer. The answer to the problem cannot be obtained without the output of each individual. Thus, assigning each member a role will make the student collaborate with others. Without the contribution of each member, the group will not be able to arrive at the final answer. Brown and Ciuffetelli (2009) and Siltala (2010) identify five basic and

The assassination John F. Kennedy Research Paper

The assassination John F. Kennedy - Research Paper Example F. Kennedy, though there are certain reliable evidences which point out to the action of a single assassin. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a murder-case of John F. Kennedy. First, it will highlight some biographical details about the president. Further, it will present the information about the assassination and the offender. Also, it will try to investigate the political goals behind the crime. John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He got a higher education at Harvard. After the graduation, Kennedy fought in a war having joined the U. S. Navy. In the period from 1947 to 1953 he served as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts. In 1953 he worked as a senator for the same state (â€Å"John F. Kennedy†). While establishing the political career, he wrote a book about prominent senators named â€Å"Profiles in Courage† and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for it in 1957. Then, in 1960 John F. Kennedy won the 35th presidential elections and became the youngest and the most favored President of the Unites States. He was also the first Roman Catholic to be chosen for this high post (â€Å"Life of John F. Kennedy†). During his presidency, J. F. Kennedy had to deal with several crises on the international level including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the creation of the Berlin Wall at the initiative of the Soviet Union leader which turned into the most powerful symbol of the Cold War. These events are often associated with the reasons of the President’s murder. However, John Kennedy accomplished great success in the U. S. foreign policy as well. His most remarkable achievements involve the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, the creation of Peace Crops and the Alliance for Progress with Latin America. He was also a great proponent of the Civil Rights Movement (â€Å"John F. Kennedy†). On November 21, 1963 John F. Kennedy went to Dallas, Texas, for the promotion of his election campaign. The next day, at around

Business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business analysis - Essay Example The company owns more than 700 stores which are operating in United Kingdom and more than 300 of these stores are spread in around 40 countries. The company possesses expertise and specialists in the production and selling of luxury, food, and clothing products. Marks and Spencer was initiated by Thomas Spencer and Michael Marks in the year 1884 in Leeds (M&S, 2012). Later, during the late 1990s, the company gained the status of being the first British retailer to earn a pre-tax profit of more than  £1 billion. Afterwards, within a period of two years, it was caught in the economic and financial crises which took many years for the company to recover. At the moment, the company is the leading retailer of UK and, every week, over 21 million people visit the stores of M&S. The company offers high quality, creative and great value products for home and clothing along with the food of an outstanding quality. The products of the company are responsibly sourced from over 20,000 suppliers from all over the world (M&S, 2012). Moreover, an M&D employee 78,000 people from and outside UK, and possesses an international business which is expanding on an enormous rate. The concept of business environment pertains to the environment in which a business organization performs its activities and functions. It may be defined as an environment which comprises of the economic, political, social, and legal factors which impact the functions and operations of business either directly or indirectly. These factors have a direct bearing on the activities of business processes (Richard Pelly, 2011). A business environment of an organization is of two types: This environment is related to the internal aspects of the organization and affects the functions and activities directly. It includes the elements such as man, machinery, material, management, and marketing (Francisco, 2011). These factors are controllable and can change the other

Discussion of Dance for Life Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discussion of Dance for Life Program - Essay Example The 40 different weekly sessions involved in the program have drawn an initial 1,500 people in the first year to its current 20,000. Most of the people involved are under 18 and almost half come from minority ethnic communities. Classes in Dance For Life include salsa, street dance, modern dance and dance exercise, as well as others. (Dance for Life). The program has only been funded for three years but Middleton has gotten the support of many civic groups and has the program running strong. Their website discusses their objectives in detail, which include their focus on empowering young people to deal with obesity and stress. In addition to these weekly classes, Dance For Life has a professional dance group, Stance, that has workshops in the Bradford District at schools and youth groups. This company of 5 dancers have arrangements that "talk" about social issues including bullying, communication and how they feel "living in their own skin" (Dance for Life). Teachers comments have included: "Children all enjoyed the workshops and were fully engaged throughout" and "Excellent performance - pupils totally absorbed". The kids involved have commented positively as well. The following is an example of the classe s offered: 1. Asian Women's Exercise Women only; informal classes run by Dance for Life for Asian women; Thursday mornings at Attock Community Association 2. Belly Dancing @ Cafe West Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; Thursday evenings at Cafe West, Allerton 3. Breakdance for Children and Young People Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; YMCA, Little Horton 4. Classes for Children and Young People Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; various times and locations throughout the Bradford area 5. Contemporary Dance Informal classes run by Dance for Life; Tuesday evenings at Bradford College Using multiple agencies as support has been one of Middleton's primary efforts, and has organizations such as the Health Improvement Fund, the Children's Fund, the Bradford Council and other community service groups included. A common agenda among these groups is disease prevention and health education of the public, especially about non-communicable diseases that have surpassed communicable disease in global mortality (Scriven 2003:2). A new public health agenda in the UK has emerged and building multi-professional understanding and capabilities has become crucial to the success of their programs. Health promotion The whole idea of health promotion was only coined in the 1970's and has loosely been explained as a confluence of "health education, self-care movements, public health, preventative medicine and the women's movement" (Scriven 2003:1). But defining health promotion has brought about many different points of views from egalitarian to radical politics. In the article by Scriven, health promotion is called "the radical militant wing" of public health. There are four types of health promotion (Scriven 2003:6). The primary level focuses all of its energy toward the

Holistic Care in Relation to Adult Nursing and Child Nursing Essay

Holistic Care in Relation to Adult Nursing and Child Nursing - Essay Example This study will focus on discussing the significance of holistic care in relation to adult nursing and child nursing. As part of discussing the significance of holistic care in adult and child nursing, some real-life clinical examples will be provided when practicing spirituality in holistic care for adult and child patients. Eventually, several reasons will be provided as to why nurses should exert an effort to incorporate spirituality when giving holistic care to the patients. Significance of Holistic Care in Relation to Adult Nursing and Child Nursing Holistic care is all about being able to deliver caring service that will uplift not only the physical health of the patients but also their mental, social, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being (Broker and Nicol, 2003, p. 4). There are quite a lot of similarities and differences with regards to the provision of holistic care to adult and child patients. Similar to child nursing, the adult nursing aims to promote a healt hy lifestyle and prevent diseases. Before planning, delivering, and evaluating the quality of healthcare services given to each patient, holistic care in adult nursing and child nursing aims to identify the specific healthcare needs of the patients (Broker and Nicol, 2003, p. 4). ... that the family members are experiencing when taking care of an adult patient who has insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the family members are more stressed out when caring for children who are suffering from chronic disease (Hobson and Noyes, 2011). Since the parents of the child has other important obligation to do during day time, it is expected that the child’s parents will be experiencing excessive stress when taking care of a sick child. Therefore, healthcare professional should incorporate the practice of spirituality when providing holistic care to a child patient. Healthcare professionals should consider all possible interventions that can effectively improve such resilience. For instance, when dealing with young patients, healthcare professionals should develop a balanced coping strategy that will allow the parents of a sick child to maintain a good physical and mental health and meet the medical and emotional needs of the child (Major, 2003). By doing so, the nur ses will be able to make the family members easily cope with the child’s chronic illness. Examining how the patient’s family function will also make it easier on the part of the nurse(s) to gain better idea on how they can effectively manage or lessen the physical and emotional stress that the parents and the child’s siblings may be experiencing in times of dealing with the patient’s chronic disease. Upon developing a list of effective nursing intervention, healthcare professionals could more or less be able to lessen and minimize the chances wherein the family members would experience negative emotions such as anger and depression. Another good way of providing spirituality in holistic care is for the healthcare professionals to be able to identify the risk factors that may trigger

The Role of PsychiatricNurse Practitioner Essay

The Role of PsychiatricNurse Practitioner - Essay Example However, after liberalization of advanced nurses, some of the researches have revealed that this carder of nurses are being underutilized especially within the realism of mental health. The area that they cover is wide since they are based in the communities where the mental disease burden is notable. The following are the prescribed area of services that the nurses they offer in the community. The role ranges across from admission to discharge and comprehensive pharmacotherapy that is involved. On admission, the advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse, evaluates the patient’s status. This helps the nurse to know whether the patient is for the admission or discharge on evaluation. The other role is taking overnight calls and coverage when there is shortage of psychiatrist. More importantly, it’s the ability of this nurses to perfume extensive diagnostic skills and come up with psychiatric and mental disorders with precision of psychiatrists that are perfect. Such competencies are developed during their preparation and education which they undertake role plays in order to have a clear understanding of their environment from all angles (Hubbard, 2014). More so, they carry out interventions and implementation of the treatment plans for a caseload patients that are under isolations. Such interventions includes psychopharmacology, individual family or gr oup psychotherapy. They have the ability of covering on emergence psychiatric patient. Muxworthy and Bowllan (2007), the realization of knowledge that nurses with advanced credential are needed is paramount since the medical field is overarched by the physicians who are less than the disease. Nursing profession is slowly being revolutionized and the dominance is slowly being suppressed by the increased disease burden and the capacity of nurses to perform at advanced levels. The disease burden of the mentally patients is rising due to a number of factors such as substance abuse,

Evolution of Affirmative Action in America Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Affirmative Action in America Essay Affirmative action in America refers to policies that take ethnicity, race, and gender into consideration in an effort to encourage equal opportunity. It started as a device to deal with the enduring discriminations among African-Americans in the 1960s. Focusing particularly on jobs and education, affirmative action policies mandated that active measures should be taken to make sure that blacks and other minorities benefited from equal opportunities for financial aid, scholarships, school admissions, career advancement, salary increase, and promotions that had been practically the whites’ exclusive province. The thrust towards affirmative action is twofold; including the rectification as a result of involuntary, institutional, or blatant discrimination, and the maximization of the advantages of diversity in every levels of society. In 1964, the landmark legislation of Civil Rights Act was signed into law, which prohibited employment discrimination by large employers, regardless of their previous contracts with the government. President Johnson developed and enforced for the first time the country’s affirmative action through the Executive Order 11246 of 1965 and amended it in 1967 through Executive Order 11246 requiring every government contractors and subcontractors to observe affirmative action so as to expand employment opportunities for ethnic minorities and women. However, the 1978 decision of the United States Supreme Court in the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U. S. 912 ruled illegal the practice of the University Medical School of setting aside 18 seats for minority students in every incoming class of 100, but upheld the use of race as one aspect in selecting qualified applicants for admission. Opposition to affirmative action has resulted to numerous legal challenges, which required local and states governments to draw on more comprehensive evidence of inequalities to validate the need for the programs. In 1998, both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives prevented efforts to abolish particular programs of affirmative action. Amendments to eliminate the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program sponsored through the Transportation Bill were rejected by both houses, and the upper house rejected an endeavor to abolish the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions programs supported through the Higher Education Act. Throughout these periods, affirmative action has been both ridiculed and praised as a response to racial inequalities. The opinions of the Supreme Court justices in affirmative action cases have been generally divided partly because of conflicting political beliefs but moreover because the issue is basically so complicated. But in 2003, the landmark case involving the affirmative action policies of University of Michigan, which became one of the most imperative rulings on the issue in 25 years, the Supreme Court finally and positively supported higher education’s right of affirmative action. The Court held as constitutional the use of race, among other aspects, of the University of Michigan in its law school admissions program given that the program advanced a compelling interest in achieving an educational advantage that flows from the diversity of student body. At present, statistics proved that affirmative action has helped strengthen the black professionals’ ranks, yet African-American in general has been left behind. Notwithstanding all the discussions of the establishment of a black middle class, the position of the black community to white American has relatively remained the same. As such, affirmative action must be continually asserted to put in place mandatory and voluntary efforts by local, state, and federal governments, schools, and private employers to combat inequalities and encourage fair hiring and promotions of qualified individuals.

The Argument Of Contingency Theories

The Argument Of Contingency Theories Organizations operate in many different environments and it is vital to assess how they influence their structures. Effective and efficient organizing has become increasingly important in the modern world characterized by rapid changes. Contingency approaches emphasize that in order for organizations to succeed they must adopt a structure suitable for the environment in which they operate. Two types of theories are referred as contingency theories: theories of organizational structure and theories of leadership. In general, contingency theories are a class of behavioral theory that state that there is no best way to organize a corporation and the organizational structure of the company. An organizational or leadership style that is effective in some situations may not be successful in others. Therefore, the best way of organizing the company, is contingent upon the internal and external situation of the company. External environments influence organizations in a varied number of ways. Critical external factors include, but are not limited to, the size of the organization, labor markets, availability and cost of capital, competitors, governmental laws and policies, ecological concerns, managerial assumptions about employees, strategies, technologies used, etc. The main ideas of contingency theory are: There is no one best way of organizing or managing the company Organizations are open systems that need careful management to satisfy and balance internal needs and to adapt to environmental circumstances Different types of organizations are needed in different types of the environment Different approaches to management may be necessary to perform different tasks within the same organization Effective organizations not only have a proper fit with the environment but also between its subsystems Several contingency approaches were developed simultaneously in the late 1960s. The emergence of the theory was the result of criticisms of the classical theories such as Webers bureaucracy (Weber, 1946) and Taylors scientific management (Taylor, 1911) which had failed because they neglected that management style and organizational structure were influenced by various aspects of the environment: the contingency factors. The contingency approach originated with the work of Joan Woodward (1958), who declared that successful organizations in different industries with different technologies were characterized by different organizational structures. In this essay I will discuss three influential contingency theories, those of Burns and Stalker (1961), Lawrence and Lorsch (1967), Fiedler (1967) and I will try to assess the relevance of contingency approach in organizations today. Tom Burns and Graham Stalker in their book, The Management of Innovation (1961) studied about 20 Scottish and British electronics companies operating in increasingly competitive and innovative technological markets. Their findings demonstrated that organizations operating in stable environments are very different from those which have to face a changing and dynamic environment. The authors have discovered that differences in the way firms approached change and innovation related to the values and mission of the firms. Burns and Stalker classified the firms into 2 categories on the basis of their managerial structures and practices: mechanistic and organic. The authors found that mechanistic organizations are similar to bureaucracies and suited for relatively stable environmental conditions. Such organizations are clearly programmed, strictly controlled and hierarchically structured. Often they do not have mission and vision statements, and instead depend on established rules for guidance, measuring success by the degree to which staff conforms to process and procedure. Organizational tasks are typically broken down into specialized activities. Individuals are responsible for their specific functions in a relative isolation from the overall organizational goal. The organic organizations are appropriate in unstable, turbulent, unpredictable environments. Organic organizations are orientated towards results, have a flat organization structure instead of a hierarchy, and little structure in terms of process and rules. They focus on results and employees receive positive rewards for creative and pragmatic contributions. Given these conditions it becomes necessary to review and redefine the responsibilities, methods, inter-role relationships, and even goals on a continual basis. Burns and Stalker emphasized that each system is appropriate under its own specific conditions. Neither system was superior to the other under all situations. Since the 1960s much of writings in organization theories field is a constant debate between the machine/organ analogies, and attempts to develop growth models of how simple mechanistic forms can grow into the more complex organic forms. Another significant study to demonstrate the relationships between environmental characteristics and effective organizational structures was conducted by Paul Lawrence and Jay Lorsch (1967). They studied ten US firms in three industries (plastics, food, containers) that confronted varying degrees of uncertainty, complexity and change. The researchers found that successful firms in each industry had a different degree of differentiation. The firms operating in uncertain, complex, rapidly changing environments had more highly differentiated internal structures such as sales, production and RD departments. Such organizations require the greater need for suitable mechanisms for integrating and resolving conflicts between various segments. Successful firms in more homogeneous and stable environment were more formalized and hierarchical in their forms. Authors concluded that in order to succeed firms must have internal structures as complex as environments in which they operate. This seminal work of Lawrence and Lorsch refined the contingency theory by demonstrating that different markets and technological environments require different kinds of organizations, and that subunits or functional departments within an organization might be managed in different ways, due to variations resulting from their sub-environments. Managerial leadership has influenced organizational activities in many ways. These influences include motivating subordinates, budgeting scarce resources, and serving as a source of communication. Contingency theories of leadership argue that no single leadership style is effective in all circumstances, but the leadership styles are contingent on the organizational and situational context. Fred Fiedlers theory (1967) is the earliest and most extensively researched is also known as contingency model of leadership effectiveness. Fiedlers ideas, originated from trait and behavioral models, underline the importance of both the leaders personality known as leadership style and the situation in which that leader operates situational favorableness. Fiedler was the first theorist who said that leadership effectiveness depends on the situation. The leadership style is the consistent system of interaction that takes place between a leader and work group. In order to classify leadership styles, Fiedler has developed an index called the Least-Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale. To get an LPC score a leader is asked to think of co-workers with whom he/she has ever worked and choose the one with whom the work was the most difficult. Then this person is rated on a number of eight-point bipolar scales (friendly/unfriendly, hostile/supportive, etc.). The responses are then summed and averaged: high LPC scores are interpreted as an indication of human relations orientation of a leader, while low LPC scores show a task orientation. The situational favorableness is a measure of the degree to which the situation of the work group affects the leaders ability to influence group members. Fiedler then extends his analysis by focusing on three key situational factors, which are leader-member, task structure and position power. In leader-member relations Fiedler states that leaders will have more influence if they maintain good relationships with group members who like, respect, and trust them, than if they do not. Fiedler determines the task structure as the second most important factor in structural favorableness. He argues that highly structured tasks, which specify how a job is to be done in detail, provide a leader with more influences over group actions than do unstructured tasks. Leaders, who are authorized to hire and fire, to discipline and reward, have more power than those who do not. For example, front office manager has more power than a room clerk. By classifying a group according to three variables, it is possible to identify eight different group situations or leadership style. According to Fiedler, there is no ideal leader. Both low-LPC (task-oriented) and high-LPC (relationship-oriented) leaders can be effective if their leadership orientation fits the situation. Fiedler stated that it would be easier to change the situation (i.e. the work environment) to fit the leaders style. As such, the organization should not choose the leader who fits the situation but should change the situation to agree with the style of its leader since the leaders personality is not likely to change. The following aspects can be considered as strengths of Fiedlers theory: it is predictive and supported by a lot of empirical research; it does not require that people be effective in all situations and provides a way to assess leader style that could be useful to an organization. However, among the theorys weaknesses are the fact that it is cumbersome to use, it doesnt explain what to do when there is a mismatch between style and situation; it doesnt take into account situational variables, like training and experience, which also have an impact in a leaders effectiveness. Finally, the LPC measure has a low reliability and its meaning is unclear, which put in doubt whether it is a true measure of leadership style. Todays organizations are quite complex and there cannot be one correct strategy that works in all situations. The contingency approach stresses the absence of a single best way to manage and emphasizes the need for managerial strategies based in all relevant facts. In other words, each managers situation must be viewed separately, a wide range of external and internal factors must be considered and then the focus should be on action that best fits the given situation. Contingency theory is often called the it all depends theory, because when a contingency theorist is being asked for an answer, the typical response will be that it all depends. While this may sound simplistic, assessing the contingencies on which decisions depend can be a very complex. The appropriate management style and organizational structure depend on the environmental context of the organization concerned. The ability to manage change is now recognized as a core organizational competence. In order to prove the relevance of contingency theory to the modern enterprises I would like to analyze what has happened to the offshore banking industry from 2001 up today and how these changes has influenced to redesign completely the organizational structures of offshore banks and how this change was managed and implemented. Increasing pressure from FATF and OECD on tax evasion issues, anti-money laundering concerns as well as prevention of the terrorism financing from the end of 2001 started to change the environment in which offshore banking was operating. Therefore offshore banks had to adjust their organizational structures and the way these banks have been managed. Increasing importance of the role of compliance processes at offshore banks has changed the organization structures of banks as well as operations processes in the way, where the importance of the compliance departments have become a necessity to survive. Compliance officers have become managers of one of the most important internal processes compliance with the laws and regulations. Therefore now offshore banks operations are centered on the compliance department, rather that business/client management department. This issue in fact is going beyond just offshore banking sector; it has influenced drastic changes of many countries legislation, supervisory and regulation processes as well. So a massive task of reorganizing not just internal organizational structures of banks, but regulating agencies was undertaken in a very short period of time. Those countries and their financial institutions which were able to adapt to the changes rapidly, survived, but entire industries and dozens of banks went out of business because of their failure to act as open systems and balance internal needs and external environmental forces. The change was massive and organizations had to deal with many important issues, interrelated and so interdependent, that in many cases organization have failed to manage the change in order to deal with the following problems: Lack of suitable qualified compliance personnel no professionals available; Lack of appropriate training and educational programs no educational institutions; Increased expenses for appropriate compliance practices lower profitability, dilemma of choice for the CEOs continue as usual to satisfy shareholders needs and create financial benefits for themselves in a short term rather than comply with the demanded change but reduce the performance of the company; Resistance of business departments to accept the necessity of increased compliance interference struggle for power within companies; Insufficient laws and regulations government agencies lagging behind with legislative change, banks had to establish their new internal rules and procedures for compliance; Those offshore banks which where managing their organizations consciously or unconsciously employing contingency theories of organizations, have managed to adopt to the new environment, therefore the relevance of these theories is undisputed to the modern companies, at least in the offshore banking sector.

Animal Farm as a Fable Essay -- Animal Farm

Animal Farm as a Fable Traditional fables are moral stories that usually feature animals. Aesop's Fables, which are probably the most well known, tell tales about animals that have clearly human characteristics, like the sly fox, the patient crow and the selfish dog. Since Aesop's stories have been told for over 2,500 years, they are clearly a form well suited to telling a universal truth in a way that is accessible to children and memorable for adults. In writing Animal Farm, Orwell wanted to express a particular set of ideas about revolutions - ideas that he thought were more or less universal. The success of the book since its publication would seem to indicate that he had the right idea. The plot of Animal Farm is clearly based on the events of the Russian Revolution. Old Major's ideas about animalism correspond to those of Karl Marx, and the way in which they are taken up and put into action represents the activities of Leon Trotsky (Snowball) and a combination of Lenin and Stalin (Napoleon). The haphazard nature of the rebellion closely parallels the opportunistic response to events that brought the Bolsheviks to power in 1917, and the history of the farm roughly follows events in European history up to the Second World War. The fact that we are still reading Animal Farm long after these events have passed into history again suggests something of Orwell's achievement. The fable format allowed Orwell to reduce complicated events to a level that almost anyone could understand - the workings of the Russian Politburo or of the NKVD (the secret police) are complex matters but the story of Squealer and Napoleon's trained dogs is much more accessible. Similarly, the lives an... ...such as when he speaks of Squealer, "who had unaccountably been absent during the fighting." Again, young readers are likely to enjoy this kind of statement where the real meaning is only slightly below the surface. Fables are meant to have a moral, and the moral of Animal Farm is that all revolutions fail in the end. Orwell could have written a long essay expressing such ideas but it is doubtful that many people would now be reading it. The success of Animal Farm is that it tells the sad tale of a group of creatures we care about, and how their hopes and dreams were dashed. Beyond the surface story, however, is the message that for ordinary people revolutions simply change one set of rulers for another. It is a depressing message but people are prepared to listen to it because it is told in a simple and entertaining way like all the best fables.

The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. :: Botany

The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. Quite surprisingly, historians know little about Hippocrates, the physician often referred to as "the father of medicine". However, we do know that he was a strong advocate of the use of medicinal plants to prevent and cure diseases. He recorded between three hundred and four hundred plant remedies in his writing and during the middle ages herbal remedies were passed down from generation to generation. Although the church emphasized faith healing over other forms of healing, Christian monks would preserve many of the early Greek and Roman medical texts, later growing their own herbs in the monasteries. By the time the colonizers settled in the new world, they brought with them some knowledge of herbal medicine. This in turn was shared with the Native Americans and other indigenous peoples of the new world who practiced ethnobotanical rituals as a daily and integral part of their lives. Most recently beginning in the 1800's, while chemical drugs became popular with the medical establishment and those who could afford it, herbal medicine continued to be practiced by those who could not afford the later or who were strong believers in natural medicine. While chemotherapy has brought us many life-saving drugs, today nearly fifty percent of commonly used drugs are either plant derivatives or contain the equivalent of a chemical imitation of a plant compound. Indeed Digitalis, Aspirin, Reserpine, Quinine, Tetracycline and the ever useful Penicillin are all members of this list. In fact according to the World Health Organization, herbal medicine today is still the primary source of health care for approximately eighty percent of the worlds population. Papaya/Pawpaw Carica papaya L., more commonly known as the papaya, belongs to the Caricaceae. Its classification is as follows: Division: Magnoliophyta, Class: Magnoliopside, Subclass: Dilleniidae, Order: Violales and as previously mentioned Family: Caricaceae. It was first described by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo in 1526, from the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia. Soon after it was grown throughout the tropics, its distribution being aided by the abundance of its seeds. The Papaya seed is viable for up to three years under cool, dry conditions and it is a herbaceous , dicotyledonous plant that may produce fruits for more than twenty years. The plant usually has a single trunk with several well developed branches. The melon-like fruit varies in size and shape, and hangs from short, thick peduncles at the leaf axil. The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. :: Botany The Medicinal Properties of the Papaya, Carica papaya L. Quite surprisingly, historians know little about Hippocrates, the physician often referred to as "the father of medicine". However, we do know that he was a strong advocate of the use of medicinal plants to prevent and cure diseases. He recorded between three hundred and four hundred plant remedies in his writing and during the middle ages herbal remedies were passed down from generation to generation. Although the church emphasized faith healing over other forms of healing, Christian monks would preserve many of the early Greek and Roman medical texts, later growing their own herbs in the monasteries. By the time the colonizers settled in the new world, they brought with them some knowledge of herbal medicine. This in turn was shared with the Native Americans and other indigenous peoples of the new world who practiced ethnobotanical rituals as a daily and integral part of their lives. Most recently beginning in the 1800's, while chemical drugs became popular with the medical establishment and those who could afford it, herbal medicine continued to be practiced by those who could not afford the later or who were strong believers in natural medicine. While chemotherapy has brought us many life-saving drugs, today nearly fifty percent of commonly used drugs are either plant derivatives or contain the equivalent of a chemical imitation of a plant compound. Indeed Digitalis, Aspirin, Reserpine, Quinine, Tetracycline and the ever useful Penicillin are all members of this list. In fact according to the World Health Organization, herbal medicine today is still the primary source of health care for approximately eighty percent of the worlds population. Papaya/Pawpaw Carica papaya L., more commonly known as the papaya, belongs to the Caricaceae. Its classification is as follows: Division: Magnoliophyta, Class: Magnoliopside, Subclass: Dilleniidae, Order: Violales and as previously mentioned Family: Caricaceae. It was first described by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo in 1526, from the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia. Soon after it was grown throughout the tropics, its distribution being aided by the abundance of its seeds. The Papaya seed is viable for up to three years under cool, dry conditions and it is a herbaceous , dicotyledonous plant that may produce fruits for more than twenty years. The plant usually has a single trunk with several well developed branches. The melon-like fruit varies in size and shape, and hangs from short, thick peduncles at the leaf axil.

Korean Economic Crisis Essay -- Korea Asia Economy Papers

Korean Economic Crisis problems with format The Korean economy did an important role in the remarkable economic growth, which was so called  ¡Ã‚ °East Asia ¡Ã‚ ¯s miracle ¡Ã‚ ±. At the end of 1997, however, the Korean economy fell into a crisis of default and finally received IMF ¡Ã‚ ¯s relief aid. After that, Korea has been struggling not only to reform its monetary system but also to promote drastic reforms in its economic structure in order to improve the productivity of the Korean industry. Given this context, understanding what truly caused the Korean economic crisis is very important. Without identifying and remedying the fundamental problems, nobody can be sure that Korea will not have the similar kind of economic crisis never again. So, we need to identify what caused the crisis in 1997 and what the Korean government has to do. Therefore, this paper will examine the root cause of Korea's economic crisis in 1997 and present solutions for the stable growth of the Korean economy in the future. 2. Causes of the Korean economic crisis On November 21, 1997, the Korean government formally asked the International Monetary Fund for stand-by loans. With this request, the Korean government admitted its inability to meet international debt payments with its own means. The followings are three popular views about the cause of the Korean economic crisis in 1997(Cho, 1999): First, the currency crisis in Southeast Asian countries mainly Thailand and Indonesia in the summer of 1997 made Korea vulnerable to the attacks of currency speculators. So, the currency speculators turned their attention to Korea after having devoured the Southeast Asian countries. Second, the root cause of the... ...1998. Press Release IV.  ¡Ã‚ °Economic Crisis and Restructuring in Korea, ¡Ã‚ ± International Conference, Dec.3, 1999, Seoul, Korea .(http://www.idep.org/conference12/default_eng.htm) Underwood, Peter(1998), Korea ¡Ã‚ ¯s Current Economic Crisis, Industrial Research & Consulting, Affiliate of Fry Consultants Atlanta, (http://www.fryconsultants.com/new.html) Yang , Woo Jin(2002),  ¡Ã‚ °Roots of the Economic Crisis in Post-Democratization Korea ¡Ã‚ ±. By Eileen Sir, UCLA International Institute, (http://www.isop.ucla.edu/research.asp) http://www.nira.go.jp/newse/research/a151.html http://www.res.org.uk/media/annconf99/demet.htm http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/homepage/Books/koreareform.html http://www.hankooki.com/kt_op/200011/t20001129171159481174.htm http://www.nira.go.jp/newse/research/a151.html http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55a/index-g.html

How Effective Would an Increase in Government Spending Be at Promoting Economic Growth?

How effective would an increase in government spending be at promoting economic growth? Economic growth is best defined as a long-term expansion of the productive potential of the economy. Sustained economic growth should lead higher real living standards and rising employment. Short term growth is measured by the annual % change in real GDP. Government spending is a way of increasing aggregate demand, and if successful can help boost economic growth. Government spending tends to be directed at infrastructure and maintenance, as this not only creates jobs but creates a valuable asset. (AD DIAGRAM) (AS DIAGRAM) DESCRIPTION) Some government spending is necessary for economic growth as if it were zero, enforcing contracts, protecting property and developing infrastructure would be extremely difficult. Another way of putting this is that some government spending is necessary for successfully enforcing the law. There are of course costs to increasing government spending, but there are als o many benefits. One cost is that for governments to spend money, they must first take it from someone. This is commonly achieved through taxation, which discourages productive behaviour. A balance must also be made when increasing tax.This is because an increase in tax means that businesses must either charge more or make smaller profits, so inflation will occur at an increased rate as a by product. Borrowing money is another option, but brings with it interest rates and this money must be paid back. Government spending also has the effect of displacing private-sector activity. Every pound sterling the government spends effectively means one less pound in the productive sector of the economy. There are some ways government spending can have a high rate of return, such as the maintenance of a well-functioning legal system.Unforunately governments tend not to use resources efficiently. Destructive choices are often made as a result of government spending, often through subsidising ec onomically undesirable programs. Examples of this welfare programs that encourage people not to work, as they prefer not to take the risk of being unable to find a better job, and would rather choose leisure over work. Flood insurance programs encourage construction on flood plains. Government programs likes this reduce economic growth and national output because they promote underutilisation and misallocation of national resources.One could argue that government programs that subsidise retirement and housing are bad for the economy as a person will feel that there is not need to set aside income if there are government programs that will finance these for them. Goverment spending also reduces competition. Those working in the private sector are constantly searching for ways to improve their products and reduce the cost in order to stand out from the rest, and this provides competition for others attempting to do the same, and this is a large contributor to innovation.However govern ment programs are often provided for free, or are subsidised to a certain extent, so reduce the need for competition. This does not mean that there are no positives to increased government spending. If government spending increases there can be many ancillary effects. For example, if a government were to invest in infrastructure jobs would be created in the construction of this building, and then this could be bought for (as an example) office space which would create more jobs as people would need to work in this office.With these people having jobs they would then inject more money themselves in to the economy through increased consumption. Maintenance is also necessary and increased spending on the matter can have positive effects, such as a rise in value of the area. If an area is left unmaintained the value will quickly depreciate and will negatively affect both those who work in the area, and those who live there. Low value areas often attract crime, which can be a threat to c ompanies and people.Increasing government spending on education that means that better quality education can be provided to those who can't afford private education and can only be a positive for the future. If more of us are educated well then the opportunity for a successful career increase, although it does not mean that one WILL have a successful career. However by better educating people we can increase the likelihood of long term economic growth for a country.This will be because better educated people will make better economic choices and have larger positive effects (better paid jobs mean more disposable income to flow back in to the economy, and more tax paid etc). Increases in government spending affects the aggregate demane, and these policies are known as â€Å"expansionary fiscal policy†. Expansionary fiscal policy is unlikely to affect the long term growth rate of an economy; but it likely to (in the short term) increase aggregate demand, leading to a higher out put. Unfortunately there is the side effect of increasing inflation growth rates as well.The Keynesian view states that the effectiveness of fiscal policy depends upon how close the economy is to full employment. Below a certain point, expansionary fiscal policy will increase output and reduce unemployment without increasing inflation, but as this continues it will eventually increase both output and inflation. At the point of full employment, the Keynesian view states that expasionary fiscal policy will result only in inflation. Many people would argue that the UK cannot afford to increase government spending as taxes are already very high for most people, and we simply can't afford to increase public debt.If we are to agree that increased government spending will not in the long term boost the economy, then one might argue that our efforts might be directed elsewhere. On the other hand, if we are to follow the Keynesian view we might agree that an increase in fiscal policy might b e what we need. Currently unemployment rates are very high in much of the western world, and this would be at the early stages of the model. By increasing fiscal policy we could increase output and reduce employment with little to no inflation. If money were to be invested by the government into our economy there is the possibility that it could go wrong.This could boil down either to poor handling of the money by the government, or by a negative reaction or both. If the money is spent where it is not needed, such as subsidising the low-end manufacturing industry we could see no increase in real output, as we are no longer able to compete with other parts of the world. However if the money was invested wisely, such as in high-end manufacturing and high-end services, we could see a real benefit. As was mentioned previously, there could be a lack of sufficient reaction to government spending to make it worthwhile.For example if infrastructure is built, but then nobody purchases it (e. g. it's in an undesirable area or companies can't afford the extra space/manpower). To conclude I think an increase in government spending could be successful at promoting economic growth, although this is likely to only be in the short term. However what is most important is that the money is spent wisely, where it is most needed and can be most beneficial. Too often governmental spending is inefficient (such as the subsidy of food production which led to a food surplus which was donated to Africa, meaning money was wasted).

Marketing Applications Essay

Which environmental forces sociocultural, economic, political, legal, regulatory social ethical, competitive, or technical, might a marketer need to consider when marketing the following products in the international marketplace and why? †¢Barbie Dolls †¢Beer †¢Financial Services †¢Televisions International Marketing involves developing and performing marketing activities across national boundaries. Marketing is the process of creating, distributing, promoting, and pricing goods, services and ideas to facilitate satisfying exchange relationships with customers and to develop and maintain favorable relationships with stakeholders in a dynamic environment. Therefore, I believe all the forces sociocultural, economic, political, legal, regulatory social ethical, competitive, or technical would apply to the above mentioned products. A marketer would need to recognize the products and services customers in the home country would want and need then provide them at the right price and place. A marketer should also be able to assess the risk involved and have the ability to function and spot opportunities and threats in business matters internationally. Sociocultural: it is vital that a marketer understand the country’s people and their attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, and lifestyles preferences. A marketer may need to change the product or product label to meet the conditions, wants or the wishes of the foreign country. Economic forces: considerations would include a country’s buying power and what resources it has at its immediate disposal such as money or the ability to trade. Unemployment, recession, and a willingness to buy products are international economic forces too. Other forces are currency fluctuations, Tariff Barriers and currency exchange rates. Changes in customer buying habits and labor costs around the world are forces as well. Political, Legal and Regulatory: Understanding how laws, policies, government regulations, and self regulatory agencies affect marketing forces is a necessity. A marketer would need to be educated on how certain laws (as well as a country’s interpretations of the laws) and compliances are enforced ,such as the Federal Food & Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission and Government controls etc, before marketing internationally. Any obstacle that makes it difficult for a business to enter a product into an international market such as slow customs, Government regulations, natural barriers, bureaucratic inactivity in processing licenses means no productivity for a business. Socioethics; how a marketer deals with international issues has a considerable impact on the businesses success. A Marketers’ standards of conduct and moral values could make or break a business deal. The marketer should do business and behave ethically. Customer may be concerned about privacy, truth in pricing and advertizing be concerned how they market their products to children and young adults. Competitive: In order to be stay on top of international competition a marketer should totally understand why, how, where, and when to do business in specific international business markets. I believe it is important to know the company’s strategic mission, its strengths and its weaknesses too. A marketer should make the product stand out from the competitor’s products by creating competitive pricing and value. The product should also be difficult to duplicate or substitute and be able to meet differences in the country’s tastes and demands. Technology: A marketer needs to be able to build efficient connections with customers and suppliers and to have the awareness and tools i.e. computer, satellite, cell phones, voice mail and faxing to solve problems and perform the job more efficiently. Other businesses may not have the latest technological knowhow or the most up to date technology. A marketer would need to understand how to get around those types of problems or it could create barriers in marketing products. Marketing Applications # 3 The shoe manufacturer would need to establish a clearly defined competitive strategy to put their efforts into motion. They would need to learn about international markets and select an appropriate field to do business in. Since domestic marketing is doing business within the borders of the local or home market it would be a good idea to first attempt limited exporting as it is usually the first step before getting into the international arena. It is also a good way to practice and establish business relationships in a different country. Limited exporting can give the shoe manufacturer an idea for how the shoes will sell where. It will also give them a feel for international trends. Limited exporting is less risky when a company wants to expand with existing products and it requires the least amount of effort and obligation on the part of the shoe manufacturer’s resources. The next step of the shoe manufacturer going international is the initial entry where the shoe manufacturer hires foreign representation or contracts with foreign manufacturers. Then they should pursue international markets, at that point they may license or franchise to another company the right to use the shoe manufacturer’s brand name or other terms. When the shoe manufacturer decides to go global they should become more aggressive in their importing and exporting business. They should explore contract manufacturing and hire a broker or send employees to foreign countries as salespeople and build upon strategic alliances or joint ventures where the shoe manufacturer buys or joins a foreign company to create new entity.

European Crisis

Meanwhile, it has greatly magnified its intensity as well as its scale; Italian, Portugal, and Spain have recently come its next victims after Greece and Ireland. An apt and practical remedy is what we desperately need at this time of harshness. In the scope of this essay, the three most commonly accepted solutions to the Crisis will be presented and discussed. Germany, the only European country having a growth in economy during the previous year, plays the central role in two of them. Greece, on the other hand, might also have the chance to resolve its shameful ‘legacy.Despite the diversity of routes and methods, all these strategy have the same objectives: save the Rezone from a possible break-up and bring prosperity back to the Continent. . Seeking for the cure Since the collapse of Greek economy in 2009, two bailout loan packages for this country, which valued ? ¬110 billion and ? ¬130 billion, respectively, have been signed off by European leaders. In addition, a ? ¬ 85 billion loan to Ireland and another ? ¬78 billion to Portugal were made shortly afterward.While these loans' expected effects are still miles away, its counter effect has been so obvious to Europe: the enormous burden borne by other members will pull even financially healthy countries back into crisis. Governments is on its way down. In the worst scenario, if Italian goes defaulted, the added bailout loan for the fourth largest economy in Europe is estimated to cost more than ? ¬1,000 billion, a terribly huge number which surpasses many countries' GAP and amounts to over a half of French GAP in 2011.Bailout now appears to be only a temporarily fire-fighting solution, because if things keep going on this way, the Rezone will, sooner or later, find it getting trapped in the vicious circle of crisis- bailout-more crisis. An ultimate rescue plan for the Rezone is now more desirable than ever before. One of the most concerned and most controversial proposals was about the Rebound' – a bond issued by the whole Rezone countries as an effort to share debts among members in a more comprehensive way.If exist, that new bond would be guaranteed by the confidence in the powerful economic engine of Germany. The risk premium on that bond would reduce significantly, which could translate into a lower interest rate and a more acceptable burden, whereas it would also be more attractive to investors than separate governmental bonds of Greece, Italian or Spain. In case the bonds grow to maturity, the peripheral countries would not have to bear the obligation of payment alone, as the whole region's economies would share that indebtedness.In brief, ‘Rebound' is a way of transferring the abundant wealth from rich countries to troubled countries which are in need of that money, and simultaneously, sharing the burden among Rezone members more equally. Of course, this requires a high level of solidarity and mutual trust within Europe, since it may turn the Rezone in to the most fiscally and politically cohesive union in the human history. The idea of ‘Rebound' was immediately in favor of new French President, Franà §ois Hollander, and MIFF President, Christine Laggard.These two French people know that, although always being considered the second largest economy in Europe, France is now at the edge of recession, due to its closely financial relationship with Greece and other peripheral countries (before the Crisis, France was Grace's largest creditor, holding nearly $60 billion Greek direct debts). ‘Rebound' appears to be the best solution for France to avoid the destructive orbit of crisis. However, Angela Marker and Germany did not find this idea interesting. From the very beginning, German people have blamed other countries' profligacy for the Crisis.They argued that they had always worked diligently, and paid one of the highest tax levels in the world, with the belief that these taxes would better off their social welfare, as it actually did. They were tired of watching their tax money dedicated to hopeless bailout loans to countries, which had pursued reckless expenditure policies. They simply did not want to take another chance with that so-called ‘Rebound', since it directly targeted at them as the main player, so they would, eventually, have to work and pay for most of the living of the whole region.The profound disagreement only exist on paper. Gary Silverman of Swordfish Research says Germany would only budge ‘at one minute to midnight if the alternative was a complete collapse of the system'. 3. The ‘Credit' plan On November 2011, Lord Wolfs, chief executive of retailer Next, launched a competition and offered a prize of IEEE,OHO for the best idea to get Europe out of the current situation. Many proposals had been submitted from all over the world, and the winning one was the entry of Roger Bottle and his team at Capital Economics.Their plan suggested that Greece and other countrie s which are currently at the edge f default should leave the Rezone and introduce a new currency. A ‘Credit'-a combination of ‘Greece' and ‘exit' implying the escape of Greece from the Rezone-is believed to be vital for the restructuring of Greek economy as well as for the stability of other countries' financial systems. According to this plan, the transformation process has to be prepared thoroughly and secretly, and the action must be carried out promptly and straightly without prior public announcement.Right after the introduction of the new currency, called the ‘drachma', the Greek government has to reclaim the conversion rate between Euro and drachma. An initial one-for-one rate would be appropriate and widely acceptable. For example, a book which used to cost ? ¬2 would now simply cost 2 drachmas. This would be helpful in avoiding confusion among the public, as well as reducing the ‘menu costs' in business transactions. In addition, people would probably want to withdraw their Euro holdings in banks because they have little confidence in the new drachma.Therefore, governmental controls are necessary to prevent a capital flight, which could instantly cause a vegetating collapse in Greek ailing bank industry. Until withdrawals in Euro and in drachma could be told apart, the whole withdrawing system, including banks and ATM, need to be shut down. In the next step, the Greek government could negotiate the redefinition of its Euro-denominated debts right after the transformation. Although the conversion rate appears to be understandable for the creditors, they would surely claim a substantial extra payment from Greece as the compensation for changing the terms of debt contracts.The strategic aim of this whole meticulous plan would only take its toll hourly later. As being issued by such a weak state as Greece, drachma would soon experience a devaluation compared to Euro, followed up by a high inflation rate. Inflation is exactl y what Greece currently needs. First, debts now denominated in drachma would significantly reduce in value, making them more likely to be repaid at a more acceptable cost for Greece. Additional, a high inflation rate meaner a lower real interest rate, which would stimulate borrowings and spending.Devaluation would also make Greek exports more competitive in the global market, which greatly contributes to the national income. Finally, according to macroeconomic theory, inflation could reduce the unemployment, and create more Jobs for a quarter of Greek labor force. Conundrums Greece is faced with, but will also assuage the burden to the rest of Europe. The regional stability will partly recover, and concerns about the health of Euro will probably be replaced by a slight increase in creditworthiness of Italian, Spain or Portugal.On its side, Germany can be relieved from the bad affects of the Crisis, as well as the duty of sharing Grace's debts. It can focus more on internal affairs a nd other peripheral countries. However, such a risky plan with perfect timing requirements would not happen without the nod and the intervention of Germany, Greek current main creditor. 4. The return of Deutsche Mark Another newly raised proposal suggests Germany exit the Rezone and reintroduce the Deutsche Mark (DAM). At the first glance, it seems to be inconceivable, as Germany is now considered the only power left which can save the Rezone from a complete collapse.However, there is a potential opportunity of reform lying beneath the contradiction. This plan states that Germany's exit would immediately weaken the Euro, and that event would create the crucial breathing space needed for other countries' self-renovate plans. The depreciation in Euro would have similar consequences as a ‘Credit'. It would make the real value of debts in Euro reduce, while increase Rezone countries' competitiveness in exporting, including France's and the Netherlands'.Despite of Germany's withdra wal these states would be more likely to stay, and their manufacturing industries would benefit a lot from a weaker Euro. This stimulation would become the main inspiration for an uprising of the hole monetary union and each of its members. As the regional economies foster, there would have a great demand of labor force, which would ultimately solve the issue of unemployment in troubled countries. Also, Spanish lower priced real estate would become a bargain for foreign investors, provided the Euros devaluation.That inflow of capital would be a precious resource for Spain to take necessary steps out of the Crisis. As opposed to the ‘Credit', supporters of this plan claims that Greek exit could surely result in uncontrollable panic for peripheral countries, which is followed by bank nuns, failures and a tremendous trend of escaping. Meanwhile, a strong nation like Germany could ‘execute a swift exit that would be over before anyone could panic'. Additional, if Germany exi ts, it would not have to act as secretly as Greece would do.It would simply start the process by issuing government bonds denominated in DAM, while still live up to all previous assets, liabilities or contracts in Euro. A transition period would be necessary for Germany to get rid of the old Euro currency, but it would be less shocking and less risky than a Greek redefinition. Although Germany would initially suffer a considerable decrease in exports, since the DAM, which is much stronger than the Euro, would make German goods more expensive, the German powerful economy could promptly revive shortly after the exit.This action might appear to be agonizing, but people believe that it would completely end the lingering pain of the Crisis. Polls conducted recently have pointed out that many German people will be happy if they can return to the old currency. Like Britain, although Germany would not be in the Rezone anymore, its important position in the soundness of European economy woul d not diminish. He region, Germany is currently the only nation that can use its exclusive prosperity to save the rest of Europe from the haunt of crisis.Alternatively, it may choose to abandon the Euro, return to its Deutsche Mark, and leave an adequately necessary space for the reform of other countries. Or it may even do nothing but watch Greek people get out of the union and take their chance with the drachma. The time left is not much. Spain is on the edge. Italian may be the next one. George Sorbs, the legendary investor, says that Germany has only three month to save both the Rezone and ‘a lost decade'. Whatever the decision of Germany is going to be, it must be made promptly and wisely enough.

People Are Just as Happy as They Make Up

â€Å"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be. † (F) What is happiness and how is it achieved? Simple questions, with different complex answers, none of which can be proved to be right or wrong. Happiness is an individual state of being of each person, acquired by one’s perception in that special moment in time. It simply depends on the individual and how they try to obtain it. Thousands of people try different paths in order to successfully achieve happiness; some of them finding it, some of them never reaching the goal. There are thousands of different answers and meanings for happiness.In this paper, I will argue that the most necessary virtue an individual needs to be have to be happy, is the virtue of mind. Aristotle, one of the most important Greek philosophers in history, defined happiness as the activity of the mind in accordance with virtue. He did not think of happiness as just a state of being; he thought of happiness to be the highest form of good. Everything people do has a specific purpose in life; it aims at something, at a final good. Happiness is an end sufficient in itself, is the end at which all our actions aim.In order to reach this perfect state, he thought the individual should possess; external, mind and bodily virtues and living and acting in accordance to them. By doing so, achieving total happiness. Virtue is what aids proper functioning, since when possessed makes the possessor good. Virtue is a matter of having an apt attitude towards pleasure and pain; therefore it lies in a mean between two extremes. Aristotle implied the mean or balance to be between two vices, the excess which is the one that exceeds and defect the one that falls short, of what is right in our desires and actions.Whereas virtue, finds and chooses what is intermediate. The idea of the virtue then, is for the desires to set the situation and for the individual to be able to choose the intermediate and act like a virtuous person. Ex ternal pleasures; such as honor, wealth and power. Physical pleasures such as beauty, health, and fertility. And mental pleasures such as; patience, intelligence and honesty, are the virtues he believed lead to a good life. In order to achieve happiness, is necessary to be a virtuous person. If the individual does not have virtues, then it does not have anything to guide heir lives by. That being said, the most important virtue to possess is the virtue of the mind, which refers to peace of mind. After being able to attain peace of mind, accomplishing the other virtues and making good use of them is much easier, since mental pleasure is the basis of every other virtue. Positive thoughts, security, believing and accepting oneself, high self-esteem and more, is what makes one happy and leads the individual in the pursuit of more positive actions, therefore making the individual more likely to obtain the other virtues.The way one thinks of themselves and the attitude that one has about life tells a lot about a person. People who have virtue of the mind are going to be happy no matter what, because they know how to react towards life, even in the moments of misfortune or disgrace. For example, people who are going through hard times know how to handle the situation better because they have a positive outlook on life and are able to cope with those situations better. People who have virtue of the mind also know their various challenges and obstacles and are still able to overcome them.Having peace of mind, and knowing how to make good use of one’s internal virtues, is an effortless way to live one’s life and have a better future. By accepting oneself intellectually, physically and interiorly, as well as accepting the environment in which one lives, including the people, the traditions and society, to the point where one respects the other people, including their acts, their way of thinking and their way of living. Peace of mind is not worrying about th e future or for the things that happened in the past.But to live the present in an authentic and exceptional manner, to not worry some day about the things you should have done before but to be satisfied and happy of how has lived their lives. Virtue of the mind also means to love oneself more than anything and anyone, since to love and care for someone one must first learn how to know, care and love themselves. Someone might object that the virtue of the mind is not the most important virtue to have since nowadays to have positive thoughts and a peaceful mind it’s not enough to make someone happy, but wealth and influence.Being beautiful, honest, intelligent, and healthy is nothing if one does not have money. Most people are always in the persistent struggle to be prosperous, given that the people who do not have money are miserable because they do not have â€Å"anything. † Poor people for example, are not happy, even though they possess physical and mind virtues; th ey lack external ones, such as money and are unfortunate because without wealth you are nothing. In the society of nowadays, being wealthy is not an option, but a must to be happy. One might object to it, but how can one explain that some wealthy and influence people are unhappy.Wealth and influence does not give people happiness. Just a positive attitude towards life would give someone the final good. There are some famous people that despite great wealth seem miserable. Some of them don’t even have a stable partner, usually get in trouble with the law all the time, fall in the live drugs, and some of them even commit suicide. Heath Ledger, for example, known as one of the best actors in history for the leading role of the joker in â€Å"The Dark Night†, recognized as one of the best-selling movies of all time.Famous, with family, wealthy and in the media everywhere, but despite all that â€Å"happiness† he had, he still committed suicide, possibly caused by a depression of not fulfilling the expectations of the fans or even not knowing how to cope with the pressure of the role. For some people money can bring a lot of happiness in the sense of stability, freedom and independence. However, money with lack of peace of mind is nothing and would get the individual nowhere.A survey titled â€Å"Joys and Dilemma of Wealth† by Boston College revealed that the wealthiest people are unhappy because they are worried about seeming ungrateful, rearing spoiled children and failing to meet expectations. These people are in the mouth of everyone; their names appear in the media with false gossip, and their privacy is always intruded. This a mistake where the individuals centered their lives on the external, and are concerned too much about what other people think without believing in themselves, leading them not only to auto destructive acts but violent actions for them and their families.For some, money and wealth gives happiness, but definitel y not the truly one. Only mental pleasure; believing in oneself, having a positive attitude, having high self-esteem and loving oneself like no other, would lead one to complete happiness. Material or external possessions are not essential, if the individual knows and recognizes what their goals in live are. To corroborate the importance of the virtues of mind to reach happiness, first of all the individual needs to realize and be aware that happiness is an internal state of being of each person.There are numerous amounts of people in the world who could serve as examples to support the importance of the virtue of mind in the path of achieving happiness. Nelson Mandela, for example, one of the most recognized, respected and admired political leaders of our time. In spite of the extremely poor conditions he had to live in during his early life and nearly three decades of imprisonment, he still struggle and did everything he could to fight for his believes against racial oppression.Hi s heroic acts made him win the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. By this and many other important things that he has done, is when he saw his ideals and purpose in life, coming true. Most likely, giving him the complete happiness he has always fought for. Nick Vujicic is an admirable person, and another great example of the importance of just having a positive attitude towards life to be happy. Nick was born with no limbs, he is practically just torso, and has a small foot on his left hip which helps him with balance.Nick’s father taught him to swim at 18 months, to type with his little toe at just 6 years of age, and his mom invented a special plastic device for him to hold a pen or pencil with his mouth to be able to write. He plays golf, swims and surfs. Even though it was really difficult for him to adapt to his difference when little, he overcame every issue he had and nowadays is an admirable person, who has traveled to 24 countries of the world shari ng how this problem has become a blessing for him, and how just by changing your attitude towards life makes a great difference in every individual.Just like these examples, there are many more cases of people that just by having a positive attitude towards life have been able to succeed or overcome obstacles even though they have had a hard life. Supporting that if an individual has virtue of the mind, and has always a positive view, fights for their ideals and know what they want for their life they will achieve happiness. DO NOT USE â€Å"YOU†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Works Cited Little, Lyneka. Miseries of the Rich and Famous: The Concerns of the Super Rich: Wealth Does Not Bring Happiness-ABC.Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Calibre Wealth Management, Boston College. 21 March. 2011. Web October 14. http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/aristotle/ http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20080716235657AAyU5iY http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/34560/Aristotle/254722/Happine ss#ref923103 http://abcnews. go. com/Business/concerns-super-rich-wealth-bring-happiness/story? id=13167578#. UHsgpMVYuSo ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Abraham Lincoln