Saturday, November 30, 2019

Personal Development Plan Effective Acculturation

Introduction Personal development entails diverse activities that aim at improving one’s awareness, talent, potential, identity, health, self-knowledge, and building one’s human capital. Additionally, personal development also contributes towards the realisation of an individual’s dreams and aspirations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Development Plan: Effective Acculturation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Chambers, Schwartz, and Boath (2003) emphasise the importance of incorporating a personal development plan in one’s quest to continue his or her professional development. A personal development plan outlines the actions that one intends to concentrate on in order to attain the intended level of development (Armstrong 2008). Consequently, it provides individuals with an opportunity to think in a structured manner the issues to address. Findings of previous studies conducte d emphasise the importance of students thinking about and planning their future. Personal development is only effective if a number of elements such as thinking deeply and in a structured manner about one’s life and ambitions, have access to the necessary information, people to trust on and share one’s reflections with, have an opportunity to test oneself in new areas, and develop the acquired skills and knowledge. This paper illustrates a personal development plan by taking into account a number of issues. Firstly, the paper realises the existence of culture shock in learning institution and workplaces and hence the importance of ensuring effective acculturation during the induction process. Secondly, the paper has illustrated the importance of developing effective teamwork and presentation skills in individuals’ personal development efforts coupled with developing a comparison of the report and academic journals. The personal development plan is illustrated by outlining the personal development objectives intended to be attained and the actions that will be undertaken in order to accomplish the stated objectives. Finally, the paper gives a conclusion and reflection on the course.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Acculturation and Culture Shock Culture is more than an asset of norms and customs. It is also composed of how individuals interact and relate (Rathje 2009). Culture is an important aspect in one’s personal development. In the contemporary society, interacting with individuals of diverse cultural background in individuals’ effort to develop their personal or professional portfolios through academics is inevitable (Mercer 2006). This aspect has emanated from the high rate of globalisation, which has made it easy for individuals to move across cultures (Rathje 2009). Existence of cultural differences presents a maj or challenge due to possible conflicts that might emanate due to cultural differences such as meanings, values, and rules. Consequently, developing intercultural competencies is paramount. The high rate of cultural diversity being experienced in the society has made is paramount for individuals to undergo through a comprehensive acculturation process. Ward, Bochner, and Furnham (2001) define acculturation to include the changes that occur due to continuous contact between individuals of diverse cultural background. The first phase towards the attainment of acculturation is culture shock. Rathje (2009) defines culture shock to include â€Å"a number of emotional reactions that emanate from loss of perceptual reinforcement associated with one’s culture to new cultural stimuli which have minimal or no meaning† (p.45). According to Yeomans and Sampson (2005), induction is a critical aspect in the student’s performance, which arises from the fact that it contributes towards students understanding the institutions practices, processes, and procedures. Induction and acculturation are closely related.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Development Plan: Effective Acculturation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Induction is concerned with ensuring that an individual fits in a particular organisation. Therefore, it is broadly concerned with acculturation. Through induction and acculturation, students can develop effective and sustained contact with their colleagues (Marx 2001). Ultimately, their performance is not adversely affected by the existence of cultural shock that might lead to anxiety and psychological discomfort (Passmore Cantore 2012). During the induction into the university, cultural diversity is one of the issues that were evident. On my part, I valued cultural diversity in a number of ways such as recognising the existence of a ‘mix of students’ , ‘mix of cultures and a wide variety of people from different background. Secondly, I appreciated the importance of cultural diversity in my learning process. Consequently, I was in a position to deal with cultural shock. Despite my ability to deal with cultural shock, one of the major challenges that I was faced with was how to become acculturated into the university. In a bid to become acculturated effectively, I was required to internalise other student’s values, beliefs, meanings, and norms. Due to effective acculturation, I would be in a position to develop a positive perception regarding the institution’s cultural diversity. The cultural diversity characterising the student population presented an opportunity for gaining new knowledge and ideas regarding other cultures (Gilbert 2004). Additionally, the cultural diversity in the school would provide me with a chance to expand my horizons and meet with individuals that I would not have met in my life, which is an important aspect towards my personal development and hence future success.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The induction process was also effective due to the lecturers’ responsiveness. Over the years, the institution has adopted an ‘open door policy’, which enables students to interact with lecturers freely. The lecturers’ responsiveness has made the institution very effective in making the students to become acculturated. Despite the effective induction and the lecturers’ responsiveness, one of the key improvement areas that I should focus on in my personal development relates to acculturation. From appendix 2, it is evident that I have been capable of nurturing a number of personal skills and knowledge. Some of the skills that I have developed relate to teamwork skills, flexibility/adaptability, and ability to understand statistics. Teamwork and Presentation Skills Over the years, scholars have been defining teamwork with reference to the classical systems theory. The theory asserts that outputs, processes, and inputs develop over time. Team inputs re fer to the individuality of tasks to be undertaken, and the team members’ attitude. Team process entails the coordination and interaction required between team members in order to achieve the desired goals (Kanki, Helmreich Anca 2010). On the other hand, team outputs entail the outcome of the team performance. Alternatively, teamwork entails a set of interpersonal, communication, and problem solving skills required by individuals in the course of executing a particular task whose objective is to achieve a common goal. Teamwork is one of the elements that employers are increasingly valuing in the course of hiring new graduate employees. The increment in its relevance has emanated from increased shift to projects teams in organisations’ operational process (Gilbert 2004). Development of teamwork skills enables individuals to put their teams’ objectives first. Griffith Graduate Project members assert, â€Å"The ability to work in cross-disciplinary team is the mo st prised workplace attribute† (Griffith University 2012, p.2). Most institutions of higher learning organise their study practices as an individual process. However, the employers value people skills. Due to this transformation, learning institutions are increasingly adjusting their practices by incorporating group and team projects in their study programs. Irrespective of learning institutions incorporating or not incorporating such programmes, it is vital for individuals to be concerned with how to develop their inter-personal skills. One of the most important aspects in becoming an effective team member is effective communication. Communication enables one to express himself or herself orally, by writing, or using other visual aids. There are diverse people skills that an individual should focus on in their effort to attain personal development. Some of these skills include listening skills, leadership skills, speaking skills, being a team member and negotiation skills (Av ery, Walker Murphy 2001). Additionally, individuals can incorporate a number of elements in a bid to nurture effective presentation skills. Currently, governments, community groups, and businesses are increasingly shifting to teams in an effort to enhance participation, streamline processes, and improve performance (Carayon 2011). Considering the changes in the workplace, development of teamwork skills competencies and presentation skills is paramount in my personal development. In a bid to become an effective team player, I will focus on a number of aspects. As a postgraduate student, I appreciate the existence of diverse roles in a team. As a result, I will integrate a number of determinants in accordance with Dr. Meredith Belbin’s team roles. Some of the aspects that I will focus on include being a problem solver, cognisant of team members’ feelings, and being an implementer. Additionally, I will be in a position to be an effective coordinator, implementer, sharper , finisher, a planter, teamwork, specialist, investigator, and a monitor. This aspect will enhance my ability to develop a balanced team. In the course of undertaking their tasks, team members face situations that may adversely affect their effectiveness. In a bid to deal with such situation, I will focus on nurturing effective situation monitoring competencies, which will enhance my ability to evaluate the performance of fellow team members. Ultimately, I will be in a position to ensure that the team is operating in accordance with the expected procedures. Moreover, I will also ensure the provision of effective mutual support to team members, which will be achieved by ensuring effective coaching and feedback. In a bid to enhance a positive outcome of team projects, I will ensure that sufficient assistance is provided to team members in the course of performing the assigned tasks. In addition to the above teamwork skill competencies, I will also focus on development of effective lea dership and communication. Upon attending the residential, I gained a number of skills on leadership. Some of the leadership skills that I gained relate to how to coordinate and direct team members, task allocation, organising and developing a positive working environment. Additionally, I gained a number of skills on how to deal with conflict that might arise amongst team members. In a bid to ensure that I become an effective team leader, effective communication will be ensured. One of the aspects that I will ensure entails effective initiation of the intended message, its acknowledgement, and verification before sending to the intended sender. Additionally, I will also ensure that effective communication in the team is nurtured. This aspect will contribute towards the team members developing sufficient understanding of their colleagues’ abilities and roles (Kanki, Helmreich Anca2010). Report and Academic Journal Comparisons Numerous issues can contribute towards personal de velopment. Some of the issues that other scholars have focused on entail appreciating the existence of cultural diversity in the society. Cultural diversity has come out as one of the most important aspects individuals’ effort to attain a high level of personal development, which arises from the fact that it enables individuals to appreciate and respect the diversity that exists in our society. The authors have emphasised on the importance of utilising the cultural differences across individuals for their personal development. One of the ways through which this goal is achievable is by gaining new knowledge and skills from the diverse culture. Consequently, the authors have concurred that cultural differences is an important asset in learning institutions, workplaces and the society. Another key driver that stands out in individuals’ effort to attain personal development relates to ensuring that an optimal social learning environment is developed. This element will imp rove the effectiveness with which individuals interact and share ideas. Effective interaction stands out as an important aspect in teaching and learning. Considering the high rate of technological development, technology comes out as one of the most important elements that should be incorporated in individuals’ development process. Personal Planning and Action Plan To achieve the desired level of personal development, effective action planning is necessary (Everard Morris 2004). The first step towards personal development entails identifying the goals that one intends to focus on in order to succeed in life. In my quest to achieve personal development, I intend to attain a number of goals, which include educational attainment, development of my strengths, improving interpersonal relationships, developing a high level of self-awareness and improving my health. Attainment of the above personal development goals will be dependent on how effective they will be implemented. Conse quently, an action plan will be incorporated. The action plan will outline the personal development objectives, the priority associated with the identified objective, activities that will enable achievement of the objective, the necessary resources, the target date for attainment of the objective and evidence that the milestone has been achieved. The chart below illustrates the action plan that will be utilised in attaining personal development. Goal Milestone (activities to be undertaken) By Date By whom Resources needed Evidence that milestone is completed Educational attainment -Successful completion of my postgraduate degree -Cooperating with the lecturers and fellow students -Within 2 years -The assistance of lecturers will be sought so as successfully undertake my studies -Reading resources such as books -Internet for undertaking research -A high pass mark in the postgraduate course Improving interpersonal relationships -Nurturing good communication -Embracing teamwork -Appreciating the prevalence of cultural diversity in the workplace, institution and the society -Within the remaining period of my postgraduate course -Team project coordinator -Effective time allocation to attend and be involved in team projects -Successful completion of team project within the set duration -Lack of major conflicts between team members that might affect team performance Developing my personal strengths and self-awareness Identifying my weaknesses in various areas of personal development such as emotional, habits, values, needs, and emotions -Focusing on the most important areas of self-awareness, which include personality, values, habits, needs, and emotions During the duration of my master’s course -I will seek the opinion of fellow students by developing a questionnaire. -Effective questionnaire -Fellow students as respondents -Understanding of my personality, habits, needs, emotions, Improving my health -Ensuring that I balance my work and personal l ife in order to avoid stress Within 2 months – Lecturers -Fellow students Seeking the assistance of the lecturers and fellow students Effective time management –Low level or no stress in the course of undertaking my duties Conclusion and Reflection Personal development planning is an important aspect in individuals’ quest to achieve their professional and career goals, which arises from the fact that the planning contributes towards effort improvement in individuals to attain the personal development goals. A number of issues might hinder individuals’ ability to attain the desired level of personal development. One such issue relates to the existence of cultural shock. The high rate of globalisation has led to increased cultural movement. Consequently, it is paramount for individuals to be effectively acculturated. This aspect will aid in dealing with the cultural differences prevailing amongst individuals. Personal development planning enables effecti ve identification of the personal development goals and formulation of an action plan to be followed in the quest to achieve the goals. This move increases the probability of attaining a high level of personal development. The module has been of great importance in my quest to achieve personal development. Firstly, it has provided me with an opportunity to interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds. As a result, I have appreciated the importance of being an effective team player and developing sufficient communication skills. Reference List Armstrong, M 2008, How to be an even better manager; a complete A-Z techniques and essential skills, Kogan Page, Philadelphia. Avery, C, Walker, M Murphy, E 2001, Teamwork is an individual skill: getting your work done when sharing responsibility, Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco. Carayon, P 2011, Handbook of human factors and ergonomics inn healthcare and patient safety, CRC Press, California. Chambers, R, Schwartz, A Boath, E 2 003, Beating stress in the NHS, Radcliffe Medical, Abingdon. Everard, K Morris, G 2004, Effective school management, Paul Chapman, London. Gilbert, N 2004, The best 143 business schools, Princeton Review Publishers, New York. Griffith University: Teamwork skills toolkit 2012, https://www.griffith.edu.au/ Kanki, B, Helmreich, R Anca, J 2010, Crew resource management, Academic Press Elsevier, Boston. Marx, E 2001, Breaking through culture shock: What you need to succeed in international business, Nicholas Braeley, London. Passmore, J Cantore, S 2012, Top business psychology models: 50 transforming ideas for leaders, consultants, and coaches, Kogan, London. Rathje, S 2009, ‘The definition of culture: an application-oriented overhaul’, Inter-culture Journal, vol. 8 no.1, pp. 1-25. Ward, C, Bochner, S Furnham, A 2001, Culture shock, Routledge, New York. Yeomans, R Sampson, J 2005, Mentorship in the primary school: Mentorship in action, Routledge, New York. Appendices Ap pendix 1: SWOT Analysis The chart below illustrates an evaluation of my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths -Being open-minded, thoughtful and careful -Good communication and presentation skills -Very effective in analysing issues and situations before making a conclusion. Weaknesses Taking unnecessary risks Too much planning with no action Tendency to getting bored with implementation and consolidation Opportunities -The high rate of cultural diversity in the society presents an opportunity to develop my interpersonal relationship. -Developing effective teamwork and presentation skills will improve my competitiveness with regard to human labour. Threats –Cultural changes in the society due to increased cultural movement present a challenge in my acculturation efforts. -Possible conflicts due to cultural differences may hinder my ability to develop interpersonal relationships. Appendix 2: Skills, Knowledge Audit Skills Scale 1 2 3 4 5 Level of motivation Flexibility and adaptability Verbal communication Being an effective team worker Being initiative Competency of understanding numerical data and statistics Effective expression through writing Commitment to learning –Willingness to continue learning Self-confidence Appendix 3: Personal Development Statement The course has helped me to appreciate the importance of developing a number of personal skills as a student of business and economics. Some of the key important skills that I have appreciated relate to teamwork, self-awareness, presentation skills, and the need to appreciate cultural diversity. Considering the changes in the workplace, the course has contributed towards a greater appreciation of the importance of developing teamwork and presentation skills. In a bid to be an effective team leader, my personal development strategy will focus on becoming an all-round team leader. This go al will be achievable by appreciating the various team roles. Considering the increased incorporation of teamwork, there is a high probability of being a member of a team that is characterised by diverse team roles. By being an effective team leader, I will be in a position to deal with the differences and challenges associated with these roles. Ultimately, I will be in a position to contribute to attainment of team project goals and objectives in the future. One of the requirements for being an effective team leader entails being analytical. This element will improve the probability of identifying possible deviations and gaps that might arise in the course of executing team projects. Additionally, effective presentation skills will ensure that team members share intelligence necessary for attainment of the goals. By being an effective team leader, I will be proactive in making decisions that will mitigate and eliminate negative effects that might arise. In addition to being an effe ctive team leader, the personal development strategy adopted will also contribute towards improvement in my problem solving skills. Problem solving skills is one of the most important personal development elements. This assertion arises from the fact that the ability to resolve issues that arise increases the probability of achieving the desired goals. In the course of team operation, conflicts are inevitable. However, the effectiveness with which team leaders solve team issues determines the success of the team. In my personal development, I intend to be an effective problem-solver and implementer. In a bid to achieve this goal, it is necessary that I incorporate a high level of creativity. One of the issues that I will focus on in ensuring harmony within the team is brainstorming. This aspect will aid in identifying possible alternative courses of action. By taking into account these issues, I will become an effective team player. In my course of personal development, communicatio n will play a very significant role. This arises from the fact that it will enhance my presentation skills. In a bid to deal with this issue, I will incorporate diverse communication methods and tools. Some of the aspects that will be considered in developing effective communication include being a good listener, being confident, effective handling of the audience, and being audible. Additionally, I will incorporate various communication aids such as visual aids such as PowerPoint, storytelling, and writing. By incorporating the above communication and presentation skills, a high degree of assertiveness will be developed. Ultimately, I will become an effective communicator, which is a key requirement in succeeding in the complex work environment. This essay on Personal Development Plan: Effective Acculturation was written and submitted by user Edith Martin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Historical Method essays

Historical Method essays History is the study of the past. For historians the past dates back to 4,000 B.C., when events were first marked by writing, until present day. In its content history is everything. Historians spend their whole lives figuring out which events are more substancial than others. In order to achieve this, the historical method is put into practice. A problem solving technique using the gatheration of data, classification, interpretation and the most essential step, writing and teaching. The first step to studying the past events is gathering data. There are two types known as primary and secondary resources. Although both play an important role in gathering information, primary is the one you can not omit. In order to decipher which is primary and which is secondary there is a criteria that must be met. Person and time are the two categories under criteria. An example of primary resources would be a journal entry written by a person during that specific event. A historian could use a victim of the Holocausts diary as a primary source. Being that the victim experienced those actual events. Secondary resources would be a text book or magazine article written about a past event. The writer however, was not present at that point in time. Secondary resources eventually evolve into primary. The second step deals with classification. Every historians way of classifying is different. Their frame of reference is based on genetics and their environment. The way a person is raised to believe in certain aspects or taught by the people around them determines their point of view. The first way to classify events is chronologically. A historian might take World War II for example, and list all the events from when the war began to the final battle that ended the war. Another approach is concepts and ideas. A historian might group events according to religious aspects, social, economical, environmental, etc....

Friday, November 22, 2019

Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives

Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives By Mark Nichol Hyphens have been erroneously omitted from phrasal adjectives in the following three examples, each of which is followed by an explanation of the error and a corrected version of the sentence. 1. Three of those assembly members face a tough reelection in a Republican heavy district or represent the economically hard hit Central Valley. A lack of hyphenation in the phrase â€Å"Republican heavy district† prompts the reading â€Å"a heavy district inhabited by Republicans,† but the phrase means â€Å"a district populated mostly by Republicans,† so the phrase â€Å"Republican heavy,† as a phrasal adjective modifying district, should be hyphenated; the same rule applies for the final phrase: â€Å"Three of those assembly members face a tough reelection in a Republican-heavy district or represent the economically hard-hit Central Valley.† 2. The objective is to enhance focus and character work on a scene to scene basis. The phrase â€Å"scene to scene† modifies basis, so it should be hyphenated: â€Å"The objective is to enhance focus and character work on a scene-to-scene basis.† (However, just as one would write â€Å"a district heavy in Republicans† or â€Å"the Central Valley was hard hit,† the phrasal adjective should not be hyphenated when it follows the noun, as in â€Å"we worked on the script scene to scene† (or, better, â€Å"scene by scene†). 3. A weary customer said, â€Å"This is a serious shop until you drop situation, and I am dropping.† What kind of a situation is it? One in which the customer shops until he or she drops. The idiomatic phrase â€Å"shop until you drop† is a phrasal adjective modifying situation, so it should be hyphenated: â€Å"A weary customer said, ‘This is a serious shop-until-you-drop situation, and I am dropping.’† If that train of four hyphenated words seems too cumbersome, enclose it in single quotation marks: â€Å"This is a serious ‘shop until you drop’ situation, and I am dropping.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?In Search of a 4-Dot Ellipsis50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing - Essay Example Either way, each person needs to look at the facts and decide for themselves if the treatment is worthy or worthless. Understanding exactly what EMDR is and how it works is needed before being able to make an informed decision as to whether it works or not. Developed in 1989 by Francine Shapiro, the concept was that by focusing on a traumatic event while either refocusing on following an object causing eye movement, tapping, or touching an object over time would alleviate the stress and traumatic feelings associated with the memory (Kitchiner, Roberts, & Bisson, 2006). The eye movement was supposed to refocus the memory or desensitize it and reprocess with a new positive affirmation or memory (Devilly, 2005; Karatzias, Power, McGoldrick, Brown, Buchanan, Sharp, et al, 2007; Kitchiner et al, 2006; Lee, Taylor, & Drummond, 2006; Taylor, Thordarson, Fedoroff, Maxfield, Lovell, & Ogrodniczuk, 2003). Much research has been conducted in regard to this therapy and there seems to be no middle ground in the fall out of the results. People either believe the treatment works or not. Proponents of EDMR have conducted studies, both observational and empirical and have found that the rapid eye movement is an investigatory action which is known to help disassociate the patient from the traumatic memory.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Special observances enhance mission readiness and unit cohesion Article

Special observances enhance mission readiness and unit cohesion - Article Example They form part of the continuous equal opportunity process of educating the relevant stakeholders. Special observances create an opportunity for the commander to promote human relations within the unit. They enhance unity within the unit, awareness, as well as, a deep understanding of the contributions that every member of the unit makes, and the unit’s accomplishments. It is the responsibility of the commander to ensure that the unit takes part in these observations. During the special observances, there is recognition of the unit’s accomplishment and achievements (Fort Jackson, 26). This boosts motivation amongst the unit members, who work towards maintaining their exceptional performance and accomplishing all that the unit has planned. It not only enhances the mission readiness, but also promotes the unit cohesion. The fact that all the members of the unit become aware of what they need to accomplish promotes the mission readiness. Additionally, after the recognition of the unit’s performance, the members continue working hard, which as well promotes the mission readiness. Being aware of what the commander expects from the unit, promotes cohesion within the unit since every member works towards achieving a common goal. Observances enhance cross-gender awareness and cross-cultural awareness. It enhances harmony amongst the members of the military, as well as, their families. All these promote cohesion within the unit. The military has members from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and, therefore, enhancing multi-cultural awareness promotes togetherness within the unit. The members of the unit work together as one team without focusing on the fact that they are from different cultural backgrounds. By bringing their families together, they recognize the fact that they share a lot in common what contributes to deepening their relationship. The members of the military not only work together while on their official duties, but as well help each other on the personal level i.e. helping each other tackle personal problems. This brings them together as one united family. Special observances are part of extensions of the training objectives. For example, by observing some tragedies that occurred in the past, the members of the military would be in a position to respond to such tragedies effectively in the future (Henderson 102). Members of the unit go through training to equip them with skills that are in line with the mission readiness. Special observations are as well part of educating the unit members about equal opportunities and other affirmative actions. This enhances cohesion and hard work within the team since it makes members recognize the fact that the unit embraces the equal opportunity affirmative actions, as well as, the fact that promotions within the unit are on merit. The focus of the observance is not only on the recognition, but also on encouraging interaction amongst the members of the unit. Interaction is critical in the unit as far as cohesion and mission readiness is concerned. For example, it is through the interaction that the members of the unit share experiences and ideas relating to not only their official duties, but also their personal lives. Interactions allow members to share their personal problems whereby all the unit members join hands to help their colleagues who are experiencing problems (Washington 59). This is one of the key ways through, which the observances promote cohesion within the unit. It is the responsibility of the commander to ensure that observances are successful and that the interaction within the unit is effective. Effective communication within the un

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Transsexualism Case Essay Example for Free

Transsexualism Case Essay Introduction Transsexualism deals with the basic features for the identification of human gender. This aspect has not received much understanding. Popular media has not shown the clear image of transsexualism and stories about the possibility for the occurrence of changes in sex has been explained in a very sensational way. These stories have led people towards the misconception about transsexualism and they do not know what the term ‘transsexualism’ really means. The term ‘transsexualism’ refers to the condition of a person in which a person’s psychological sex is quite different from the physiological sex of that person. Such people think that their soul has been put in the wrong gender body (Butler, 2001). This paper provides information about transsexualism, reality and myths about transsexualism, possible causes of transsexualism, treatment of transsexualism, social, legal and economic implications of transsexualism. What Does Transsexualism Mean? It is very important to understand few terms before the detailed explanation of transsexualism. People usually consider the terms gender and sex as the same concept but in fact they are quite different from each other. The term ‘sex’ provides information about the type of genital organs of a person. Thus this term is specific with the anatomical sex of a person. The term ‘gender’ explains how a person determines himself/herself in terms of female, male or others. The two terms are considered as one by a large number of people because majority of the people think about their gender that is in accordance with their anatomical sex. Anatomical sex has been explained to a greater extent as compared to gender. Some people get confused when they are asked to explain their gender as they do not consider them as a clear male or a clear female. There are two further terms that arise from the term ‘gender’. ‘Gender identity’ shows how a person experience and percept internally about his or her gender. ‘Gender role’ determines how a person spends his or her life in society and how he or she socializes that is dependent on the gender identity of that person (Campbell, 2001). Reality of Transsexualism Transsexualism is a condition in which a person does not like his or her genital sex and feels highly uncomfortable with it. Such feelings are long lasting. Such persons want their genital sex to be opposite of their actual genital sex. They feel that they would live a better and comfortable life with the genital sex opposite to their actual one. They want this change to be on permanent basis. A large number of people consider transsexualism as a psychiatric problem but it has been found that in reality a female body may have a male brain or vice versa. A psychiatrist consultant is assigned to make sure that the person who claims to be a transsexual and wants to change his or her genital sex is indeed a real transsexual. It is also determined that whether the person wishing to change his or her genital sex is mentally stable to cope up with the new gender in the society. Transgenderists is another term that is used by people who feel that their genital sex is not according to their gender and they wish to live their life the way that is opposite to their genital sex. Such people do not go through the process of genital surgery. Myths about Transsexualism Transsexualism is often misunderstood with some conditions that have some common points among them. Transvertism: People in this condition do not wish to change their genital sex though they often get dressed as the opposite sex. Homosexuals and Bisexuals: Such people do not wish to have the sex opposite to their actual genital sex. They attract same sex people. Hermaphrodites: Hermaphroditism is a condition which is very rare. In this condition, the person does not wish to change his or her genital sex neither he nor she considers himself or herself as a person with a gender that is opposite to his or her actual genital sex. Such people have genital sex organs that are not completely developed either in males or females. There is no mismatch of their body with their mind. They just have a body that is strongly intersexed (Elliot, 2001). Possible Causes of Transsexualism Unusual combinations in chromosomes lead to transsexualism though the possibility is 1 in 400. The chromosomes of transsexuals are not standard karyotype like standard karyotype of male (XY) and standard karyotype of female (XX). This is due to some confusion in the hormones when the development of fetus was taking place. Chemicals are another cause for the occurrence of transsexualism. Transsexualism may occur when a woman takes oral contraceptives without knowing that she has already conceived. Some drugs are also responsible for transsexualism when the drugs were given to pregnant women. The most common drug in this regard is diethylstilboestrol. Hormonal disturbance due to oral contraceptives or drugs lead to the birth of transsexual babies. There are some chemical pollutants responsible for the occurrence of transsexualism. Such chemical pollutants are man-made. Some of them are dibenzodioxins and polychlorobiphenyls that are found to bring disruption in androgen and / or estrogen receptors. Transsexualism may also occur without any biochemical reason. Sometimes, transsexualism occurs due to the anemic expectant mother. Sometimes, sufficient amount of nourishment is not received by the fetus, or sometimes sufficient quantity of material hormones become the cause of transsexualism when these hormones result in the disruption of the development of fetus by crossing the placenta in a large quantity. The gender and brain sex of the fetus can not be changed once pregnancy has passed the relevant stage. The brain can never be changed even when some changes may happen in the body due to the alteration in hormones. For this reason, the transsexuals undergo surgery to change their genital sex to match their gender as the brain had been developed (Heyes, 2000). Treatment of Transsexualism Sex reassignment therapy is the only effective treatment of transsexuals. No psychological treatment has been found effective enough for transsexual people. The mental health of transsexual people determines the extent to which the sex reassignment therapy is required. Transsexuals that are suffering from severe anxiety, depression, addictions of different types and possessing suicidal behavior often get much relieved from their problems when they go through the sex reassignment therapy. Gender identity disorder is the way to diagnose transsexualism among people who are ready to be treated psychologically. Transsexual people must have to go through psychological treatment before the sex reassignment therapy. Once they get the label of gender identity disorder, the rest of the way towards the sex reassignment therapy becomes easier for them. There may be some people who have been found with gender identity disorder but they do not wish to change their genital sex. Transsexuals usually do not prefer to undergo psychological treatment as they consider their desire of the sex reassignment therapy as their physical need (Hird, 2000). Social, Legal and Economic Implications of Transsexualism Transsexual people usually face harassment and assault when people around them come to know about their history. Transsexuals prefer to quit their previous job and leave their social circles after the sex reassignment therapy and they start living their life from the scratch. By doing so, they think that no body would ever come to know about their past. Sometimes, the family members and very close friends leave transsexuals after the sex reassignment therapy. The problems of transsexuals become worse when they have to face the legal issues. Such problems vary from country to country. In Britain, transsexuals are not allowed to make any amendment or change in their birth certificate. Where as, in the United States, some state jurisdiction allow transsexuals to make necessary amendments and changes in their birth certificates. They can even replace their original birth certificates with new ones. Other state jurisdictions help transsexuals by sealing their previous records so that their privacy can be maintained. Transsexual people had to face economic crisis after the sex reassignment therapy. They had to quit their previous job as the employers were not at all cooperative with transsexual employees. Now, the situation of economic issues for transsexuals varies from country to country. In the United States, anti-discrimination laws have been passed in California for protecting transsexual employees. The employers are forced to treat their transsexual employees equally. They cannot be terminated (Butler, 2001). Conclusion Transsexualism is a medical reality and it should not be treated psychologically. Transsexuals should be allowed to decide whether they want to go through psychiatric treatment. They should be treated as normal humans socially, legally and economically. References Butler, Judith. (2001). Doing Justice to Someone: Sex Reassignment and Allegories of Transsexuality. GLQ 7, no. 4: 621-36. Campbell, Carolyn. (2001). Transversing across the Genders. Transgender Tapestry 94: 63-68. Elliot, Patricia. (2001). A Psychoanalytic Reading of Transsexual Embodiment. Studies in Gender and Sexuality 2, no. 4: 295-325. Heyes, Cressida. (2000). Reading Transgender, Rethinking Womens Studies. NWSA Journal 12, no. 2: 170-80. Hird, Myra. (2000). Genders Nature: Intersexuality, Transsexualism and the Sex/Gender Binary. Feminist Theory: An International Interdisciplinary journal 1, no. 3.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Containment Of Communism Essay -- Communism Essays

The Cold War is the closest the world has ever come to complete destruction. In this period of time, two world super powers were in a stalemate economically and militarily and were constantly competing to be the superior. The Cold War started as result of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had some differences on their perspectives of the world. United States being the richest country in the world promoted democracy and capitalism in the world. The newly formed Soviet Union thought that communism was a better political system because it transformed their economy and status in the world from nothing but a declining empire to a super power once again. The Cold War was a long series of events in which the communist tried to spread their ideas of government and socialist economy, known as expansionism, and the United States and some of the other Western powers such as Great Britain tried to contain it. Containment, a term introduced by George F. Kennan, was the foreign policy the United States practiced from 1946 to 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. The United States saw the Soviet Union to be a direct threat to the free world. During president Truman and Eisenhower’s administration the policy of containment evolved so drastically that American presidents would put anything on the line, including world peace. It started with the Truman Doctrine (1947) that stated the United States would help any country financially and militarily that was interested in keeping the world free for democracy. The Truman Doctrine came about as direct result of communist guerillas in Greece trying to take over the government. American advisers believed that the guerillas were taking orders from the Soviets after they launched a civil war against the government. The United States decided to assist the standing government in Greece because they believed it would have a large impact on Europe and most importantly Turkey that was having its own problems with communism and was strategically located next to large oil reserves of Iran. Congress approved $300 million to aid Greece and $100 million in food and military expenses to aid Turkey. The second large step in containment was the Marshall Plan. Proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall, it would provide economic relief to rebuilding Western European nations such as Great Britain, France, Belgium and even... ...ed to nationalize the Suez Canal through which three fourths of all European oil is passed. After several months of negotiations Britain, France and Israel attacked Egypt and retook the canal. United Nations condemned their actions and forced them to give up the canal to Egypt once again. As a result of the Eisenhower convinced Congress to approve the Eisenhower Doctrine that would â€Å"assist any nation in the region that required aid against aggression from any nation controlled by International Communism.† The Eisenhower administration was very careful not to alienate any Middle Eastern countries that could provide the country with a steady supply of oil and this affected his foreign policy and the policy of containment. During the Truman and Eisenhower administration a policy of containment served to save the free world from communism. But at times these two administrations put world peace on the line to prove its superiority as a nation. One cannot judge these events to being wrong or right because values of a nation and people change with time, we can just learn from these events and know that the next time United States has a contest of superiority it could cost us the world.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 7

I've been looking everywhere for you,† Blaise said. â€Å"I had to call Mrs. Ross to find out you were here.† Her black hair was wild and windblown, tumbling over her shoulders. She had taken off her red bow tie and unbuttoned the top button of her dress shirt. There was color in her cheeks and dark light in her gray eyes. She looked extremely beautiful and very, very witchy. Thea and Eric had moved apart and Thea had the feeling they were both blushing. â€Å"We were just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric said. â€Å"Um. Heh.† While Blaise scrutinized him, he picked up the blue blanket and started refolding it. â€Å"Uh, can I show you around?† â€Å"I don't care much for animals unless they've been shish-kebabed.† Blaise surveyed the room with one hand on her hip. Oh, she's in a terrific mood. Thea's palms were getting damp. She wasn't sure what Blaise thought of the embrace she'd walked in on†¦ but Thea was supposed to be leading Eric on, wasn't she? Her eye fell on the Kleenex daubed with Eric's blood. Unobtrusively, she reached for it and crumpled it in her hand. â€Å"So you left the dance,† she said to Blaise. â€Å"Where's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Who'd actually been Blaise's date tonight? Sergio? Kevin? Someone else? â€Å"There is no dance,† Blaise said. â€Å"They shut it down. Leave it to Randy-he was always a royal pain.† Then her face changed; she blinked and put on a sweet smile. â€Å"And who are you, darling?† In the doorway to the corridor, Rosamund backed up, Madame Curie clutched to her chest. She didn't say a word, but her hostile green eyes never left Blaise. â€Å"Uh, sorry,† Eric said. â€Å"That's my sister. She's- shy.† â€Å"So this is a family affair,† Blaise said. â€Å"How nice.† Thea said, â€Å"I think it's time to be going home.† She needed to talk to Eric, but alone, not with a disgruntled munchkin and a suspicious witch looking on. She glanced at Eric, feeling a little shy herself. He looked the same. â€Å"Well-see you at school.† â€Å"Yeah.† Suddenly he smiled. â€Å"You know, that's something else I was going to mention. If you're even thinking about going to Davis, you might want to get into honors zoology. It's a good class.† â€Å"Um-we'll see.† She was aware of Blaise watching her. But outside, all Blaise said was, â€Å"Sorry if I was rude. But I've been looking all over for you, so I could tell you what a great time I wasn't having. And†-she shook her midnight hair out with a charming smile;-â€Å"it's so much fun to be a bitch when you want to be.† Thea sighed, then stopped in her tracks. â€Å"Blaise, the car!† Kevin's silver-gray Porsche looked as if it had been through a war. The front bumper was caved in, the passenger door was mangled, and the windshield was cracked. â€Å"I had a little trouble,† Blaise said coolly. â€Å"It's all right, though; I met a guy tonight named Luke Price, who's got a Maserati.† She looked at Thea, then added, â€Å"You don't disapprove, do you? Of treating humans that way?† â€Å"No-of course not. I just don't want to get expelled again.† â€Å"It's not illegal to have an accident. Here, you have to get in through the driver's side now.† She drove, not seeming to choose any particular direction. Thea sat quietly, acutely aware of the probing glances cast her way every so often. â€Å"So,† Blaise said at last in her silkiest voice, â€Å"did you get it?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Don't be funny.† Thea held out her hand with the crumpled Kleenex on her palm. â€Å"I didn't fill the vial; that was ridiculous. But I used my ingenuity and got enough.† â€Å"Hmm.† Blaise's tapering fingers, tipped with blood-red nails, dosed delicately on the tissue. Startled, Thea snatched it back and the Kleenex tore. She ended up with only a corner. â€Å"Hey-â€Å" â€Å"What's the problem? I just want it for safekeeping,† Blaise said smoothly. â€Å"And so how did everything else go?† â€Å"Fine,† Thea said. Her palms were getting damp, but she managed to keep her voice airy. â€Å"I think he's hooked,† she added, trying to imitate Blaise's most languid and arrogant tones. â€Å"Oh, really?† They had ended up on the strip, which meant the car was now crawling through traffic. Neon highlighted the curious half-smile on Blaise's lips. â€Å"And what was that about Davis?† â€Å"Nothing. It's where he's going to college, so of course he'd like me to be with him.† â€Å"He's already thinking about the future. Well, that was fast work. Congratulations.† Thea didn't like the way she said it. More than ever, she wanted to protect Eric from Blaise-but she wasn't sure how. It depended on how much Blaise suspected. â€Å"You know, I think it's the pop that's the most fun,† Blaise went on reminiscently. â€Å"Human boys are all different-but in the end, they're all the same. And when they give in completely, you can almost hear it. There's a ‘pop.' Like a balloon breaking.† Thea swallowed, staring at the huge golden lion in front of the MGM Grand Hotel. Its green eyes reminded her of Eric. â€Å"Really? Sounds interesting.† â€Å"Oh, it is. And after the pop, they just kind of collapse, and everything they are, their whole self, just sort of pours out in this internal hemorrhage. And after that, of course, they're useless. Like a stag that's too old to mate. They're just-over.† â€Å"How nice.† â€Å"You know, I think Eric's ready for that pop. He's already in love with you; I could see that. I think it's time.† Thea just sat. A vampire girl, wearing a dress with a black rose design, threaded her way through stopped traffic. Finally, Thea said, â€Å"Blaise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What, is that a problem with you? Are you having difficulty with that? Are you a little soft on him, maybe? Are you a little too fond of him?† â€Å"Blaise-â€Å" â€Å"Are you in love with him?† Shock waves went through Thea, and the last question seemed to vibrate in the air. At last she whispered, â€Å"Don't be ridiculous.† â€Å"And don't you try to fool me. Remember who you're talking to. I know that dopey look you get when you're mooning over some animal. I saw the way you were holding him.† Thea felt desperate. It wasn't just Blaise she was afraid of here. Night World law couldn't be clearer about the penalty for loving a human. Death. Not only for her, but for Eric, too. There was only one thing Thea could do. She turned and looked at her cousin directly. â€Å"All right, Blaise, you do know me. We've always been like sisters, and I know that however you act sometimes, you still love me-â€Å" â€Å"Of course I do,† Blaise said impatiently, and Thea realized that was part of the problem. In the changing light of the Bally hotel's neon pillars, she could see that Blaise's eyes were wet. She was frightened for Thea-and angry at being frightened. Thea grabbed her cousin's hand. â€Å"Then you have to listen to me.† It was a naked plea. â€Å"Blaise-when I first met Eric, something happened. I can't explain it-I can't even really describe it. But there was a connection. And I know this is going to sound insane, and I know you're not going to like it, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She had to stop to breathe. â€Å"Blaise, what if you found your soulmate, and they were something that everybody said you shouldn't love†¦.† She stopped again, this time because Blaise had frozen. For a moment they both just sat, and then, very slowly, Blaise withdrew her hand from Thea's. â€Å"Found†¦ your†¦ soulmate?† she said. Warmth pooled in Thea's eyes. She had never felt so alone. â€Å"I think so,† she whispered. Blaise turned to face the windshield. Purple light shone on her black hair. â€Å"This is more serious than I thought.† The tears overflowed. â€Å"But will you help me?† Blaise tapped her slender fingers on the steering wheel a few times. Finally she said, â€Å"Of course I'll help you. I have to. We're like sisters-I would never abandon you when you're in trouble.† Thea was so relieved she felt dizzy. Paradoxically, it made her cry more. â€Å"I've just been so scared†¦. Ever since it happened, I've been trying to figure things out.† She hiccupped. Blaise was looking at her again, smiling, gray eyes glittering oddly. â€Å"Blaise?† â€Å"I'm going to help you,† Blaise said, still smiling, â€Å"by getting him myself. And then I'm going to kill him for putting my sister in danger.† There was a moment when everything inside Thea seemed absolutely still-and the next instant it all exploded into chaos. â€Å"Never,† she said. â€Å"Do you hear me, sister? Never.† Blaise stayed calm, driving. â€Å"I know you don't think it's best-now. But one day you'll thank me.† â€Å"Blaise, listen to me. If you do anything to him-if you hurt him-it's me you're hurting.† â€Å"You'll get over it.† In the rainbow light of the Riviera, Blaise looked like some ancient goddess of fate. â€Å"It's better to hurt a little now than to be executed later.† Thea was so angry she was shaking. So angry that she made a mistake. If she'd kept on arguing the same points, she thought later, Blaise might eventually have started to listen. But she was furious and terrified and she blurted out, â€Å"Well, I don't think you can do it. I don't think you could take him from me if you tried.† Blaise stared, as if caught for once at a loss for words. Then she threw back her head and laughed. â€Å"Thea,† she said. â€Å"I can take any boy from anybody. Any time, any place, any way I want to. That's what I do.† â€Å"Not this time. Eric loves me, and you can't change that. You can't take him.† Blaise was wearing a secret smile. But she said only two words as she turned off the strip and onto darkened streets again. â€Å"Watch me.† Thea didn't sleep well. She kept seeing Randy Marik's face, and when she dreamed, it turned into Eric's face, blood-streaked and vacant-eyed. She woke up to see sunshine streaming in the room. It was a bedroom with a split personality. One side was fairly neat and decorated in pale blues and spring greens. The other side was messy and was decorated in the color, the primal color, the one that roused emotions, that meant passion and hatred both. Red. And usually Blaise was lying on that side underneath her red velvet Ralph Lauren bedspread, but this morning she was gone already. A bad omen. Blaise only got up early for a reason. Thea got dressed and went downstairs warily. The shop was empty except for Tobias sitting gloomily in his usual place beside the cash register. He grunted when Thea said hello and went on staring at the wall, one hand clutching his curly brown hair. Wishing, undoubtedly, to be outside on the weekend like other nineteen-year-old guys. Thea went into the workshop. Blaise was sitting at the long table, wearing earphones and humming to herself. A project was spread in front of her. Thea stalked up close. She could see right away that it was beautiful. Blaise was a genius at creating jewelry, most of it based on ancient designs. She made necklaces of bees and butterflies, spiraling flowers, serpents, leaping dolphins. It was all alive, all joyous†¦ all magical. That was where the real genius came in. Blaise put each element of the piece together with a purpose in mind. The gems were chosen to enhance each other: ruby for desire, black opal for obsession, topaz for yearning, garnet for heat. And asteria, the smoke-gray form of sapphire with a six-pointed star. Blaise's stone, just the color of her eyes. Blaise had them all laid out loose. But her magic wasn't just in the gems. Interwoven into every piece were herb caches, tiny compartments that could be filled with potions or powders. She could literally drench the jewelry in sorcery. Even the design itself could be a spell. Every line, every curve, every flower stem could have a meaning, could make the eye follow a pattern that was as powerful as any symbol traced on the floor in chalk. Just looking at the piece could be enough to charm you. Right now Blaise was working on a necklace to knock you dead. Thea could see it taking shape. Blaise used the lost wax method of jewelry-making, which meant that she carved out her pieces in stiff blue wax before casting them in silver or copper or gold. What she was carving now was breathtaking. Heart-stopping. An intricate masterpiece that was going to have roughly the same effect as Aphrodite's magic girdle- which meant no male was going to be able to look at it without falling under the spell. And she had some of Eric's blood. The vital ingredient that meant she'd be able to personalize this spell for him. The one good thing was that it would take Blaise a few days to finish this piece. But once it was done†¦. Eric didn't have a chance in Hades. Thea backed up, not knowing-and not caring- whether Blaise had noticed her. She headed blindly for her bedroom. She and Eric were soulmates. But Blaise was, in some ways, Aphrodite herself. And who could resist that? What am I going to do? She had a little of Eric's blood herself on the corner of the tissue. But she could never outmatch Blaise in creating love spells. Blaise had years of experience and a natural talent that left everyone else in the dust. So I have to think of something else. Something to keep her from getting to him in the first place. To protect him†¦ Thea straightened up. I can't. It's too dangerous. The summoning spells aren't for maidens. Even the Inner Circle has to be careful with those. But Grandma has the materials. I know she does. I've seen the box. It may kill me even to try. An odd serenity came over her. If she concentrated on that-on the risk-she felt better than if she thought about what Gran would say if she found out. She wasn't afraid to face danger for Eric. And as long as she kept thinking about that, she could block out the thought that her idea was not only dangerous, but wrong. This time she went down the stairs almost as if she were sleepwalking. Calm and detached. â€Å"Toby, where's Gran?† He lifted his head a bare inch. â€Å"She went to see Thierry Descouedres, something about his land. Told me to come and pick her up tonight.† Thierry was a vampire and a Night Lord. He owned a lot of the land northeast of Las Vegas-but what did Gran have to do with that? It didn't matter. The important thing was that Gran wouldn't be back all day. â€Å"Well, then, why don't you go out and have some fun? I can watch the shop.† Tobias looked at her with dazed blue eyes-and then his round face lit up. â€Å"Seriously? You'd do that? I could kiss you. Let's see, I'll go visit Kishi†¦ no, maybe Zoe†¦ no, maybe Sheena†¦.† Like all boy witches, he was in tremendous demand with the girl witches in town. Still muttering, he checked his wallet, grabbed the car keys, and headed for the door as if Thea might change her mind any second. â€Å"I'll be back in time to pick her up, I promise,† he said hastily and was out the door. The instant he was gone, Thea turned the sign on the door to closed, locked up, and tiptoed to the counter. It was in the locked lower shelf, an iron chest that looked five hundred years old. Thea picked it up with an effort-it was heavy. With her teeth gritted and her eyes on the bead curtain that separated the store from Grandma's workshop, she staggered up the stairs. She made two other trips downstairs to gather materials. The bead curtain never stirred. Last, she went to Gran's bedroom. On a nail near the headboard was a heavy ring with dozens of keys. Thea took it. Back in her own bedroom she shut the door and stuffed a towel underneath so Blaise wouldn't smell the smoke. Okay, now let's get this thing open. She sat crosslegged on the floor in front of the chest. It wasn't hard to find the key that would fit the lock-she just looked for the oldest and crudest iron key on the ring. It fit perfectly and the chest opened. Inside was a bronze box, and inside that a silver box. And inside the silver box was an ancient book with yellowing, brittle pages, and a small green bottle with wax and ribbons securing its cork. There were also thirty or forty amulets. Thea picked one up and examined it. A lock of blond hair had been twisted and woven into a knot, and then sealed in that shape with a round piece of clay. The clay was dark earthy red, and Thea touched it reverently. It had been made with mud-and the blood of a witch. An entire Circle had probably worked on this for weeks: charging the blood, chanting, mixing it with secret ingredients, baking it in a ritual fire. I'm touching a witch, Thea thought. The very essence of somebody who's been dead hundreds of years. The cabalistic sign stamped on the front of the amulet was supposed to show who the witch was. But lots of the pieces of clay were so worn that Thea couldn't make out any trace of a symbol. Don't worry. Find a description of somebody in the book, and then match the amulet to them. She turned the fragile pages of the book carefully, trying to read the spidery, faded writing. Ix U Sihnal. Annie Butter, Markus Klingelsmith . .. no, they all sound too dangerous, hudo Cagliostro- maybe. But I don't really want an alchemist. Dm Ratih, Omiya Inoshishi†¦ wait a minute. Phoebe Garner. She scanned the page on Phoebe eagerly. A gentle girl from England who had lived before the Burning Times and had kept familiars. She'd died young of tuberculosis, but had been considered a blessing by everyone who'd known her-even humans, who appreciated her ability to deflect spells from her village. Human villagers had mourned at her grave. Perfect, Thea thought. Then, she began scrabbling through the amulets, looking for one with the same symbol impressed on the clay as the book showed by Phoebe's name. There it was! She cradled the amulet in ?her palm. Phoebe's hair had been auburn and very fine. Okay. Now get the balefire ready. It had to be made from oak and ash, the two kinds of wood that had been burned to bake the clay. Thea put the dry sticks in her grandmother's largest bronze bowl and lit them. Now add quassia chips, blessed thistle, mandrake root. Those were just for general power raising. The real magic was in the tiny bottle that had been carved out of a single piece of malachite. It was the summoning potion, and Thea had no idea at all what was in it. She dug at the wax with her fingernails until the cork twisted freely. Then she paused, her hands shaking with every beat of her pulse. Up until now, she'd only examined things she shouldn't: bad but forgivable. New she was going to kindle a forbidden fire†¦ and that wasn ‘t forgivable. If the elders discovered what she'd done†¦ She pulled the cork out.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Employee stock option: Final Exam Essay

1. How many employees must a company have to be covered under FMLA? __50_______ 2. A company can be inconsistent in their disciplinary actions and procedures if they don’t know any better. True False 3. Which one of these laws has to do with protection for employees 40 – years and older? ADA FMLA FLSA -ADEA – USERRA 4. Scenario: I am an employer, and one of my employees goes away to IRAQ on active duty in the Army. While he was gone we downsized. He returns a year later, and his position has been eliminated. I can legally tell him we no longer have a job for him correct? -FALSE- 5. The federal law WARN Act applies to employers with at least 90 – employees. True False 6. The California law referred to as Mini-WARN applies to employers with at least 50 – employees. True False 7. An organization is legally required to offer employees medical insurance. True False 8. Social Security is made up totally of money from employees. True False 9. An organization shouldn’t show any interest in an employee’s career development. True False 10. It makes total sense to copy another company’s compensation plan. This is especially if they are in the same industry, and have around the same amount of employees. True False 11. There is no difference of employment laws in California compared to other states in the US. True False 12. An organization can pay a minor below minimum wage. True False 13. A company in California can opt to pay $7.25 the federal minimum wage, as opposed to $8.00the state minimum wage if they can prove it is more cost  efficient for them. True False 14. It is permissible to fire someone in California and pay them the next pay period. True False 15. It is possible and legal for a male employee to be paid more if he negotiated better, and had a higher wage history. True False 16. It is legally required to terminate all employees who have been proven to be harassers in the workplace. True False 17. Which of these might NOT be considered a disability. Being HIV positive Partial hearing loss in one ear A history of chronic back pain Having the Flu Being a cancer survivor with no signs of the disease any longer It is fine to offer executives more benefits. 18. Which of these is an example of an Intangible benefit? Annual bonus Vacations A non-managerial employee being involved in making decisions in the organization Employee Stock Options 19. _TRUE___Today’s managers have found that employees do not set aside their cultural values and lifestyle preferences when they come to work. The challenge is to make organizations more accommodating to diverse groups of people by addressing different lifestyles, family needs, and work styles. 20. __TRUE__The part-time, temporary, and contract workers used by organizations to fill peak staffing needs or perform work not done by core employees is called the contingent workforce. 21. _TRUE___Quality management’s objective is to create an organization committed to continuous improvement or one that leads to achieving an effective and lean work force. A well-managed organization according to W. Edward Deming was one in which statistical control reduced variability and resulted in uniform quality and predictable quality of output. 22. ____Work process engineering will generate its benefits only if Human Resource Management does train its employee population. 23. ___FALSE_ Causes of stress can be grouped into two major categories: motivational and personal 24. TRUE____Technological changes have required HRM to address or change its practices when it deals with such activities as recruiting as recruiting and selecting employees, motivating and paying individuals, training and developing employees, and in legal and ethical matters. 25. ___FALSE_Drug testing in today’s organization is conducted not to eliminate illegal substance at the point of hire, but only to catch those using it in the workplace. 26. __FALSE__Type A behavior is characterized by a procrastinated sense of time urgency, excessively competitive drive, and difficulty accepting and enjoying leisure time. 27. FALSE____The purpose of job analysis is only concerned with the amount of money that is paid to the employee for following their job description. 28._TRUE__A financial protection plan for executives in case they are released from the organization is called a golden parachute. 29._FALSE__Social Security does not provide a source of income for American retirees, disabled workers, and surviving dependents of workers who have died. 30._TRUE__Some stress in organizations is absolutely necessary; without it, workers lack energy.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Chebyshevs Inequality in Probability

Chebyshev's Inequality in Probability Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 1-1/K2 of data from a sample must fall within K standard deviations from the mean (here K is any positive real number greater than one). Any data set that is normally distributed, or in the shape of a bell curve, has several features. One of them deals with the spread of the data relative to the number of standard deviations from the mean. In a normal distribution, we know that 68% of the data is one standard deviation from the mean, 95% is two standard deviations from the mean, and approximately 99% is within three standard deviations from the mean. But if the data set is not distributed in the shape of a bell curve, then a different amount could be within one standard deviation. Chebyshev’s inequality provides a way to know what fraction of data falls within K standard deviations from the mean for any data set. Facts About the Inequality We can also state the inequality above by replacing the phrase â€Å"data from a sample† with probability distribution. This is because Chebyshev’s inequality is a result from probability, which can then be applied to statistics. It is important to note that this inequality is a result that has been proven mathematically. It is not like the empirical relationship between the mean and mode, or the rule of thumb that connects the range and standard deviation. Illustration of the Inequality To illustrate the inequality, we will look at it for a few values of K: For K 2 we have 1 – 1/K2 1 - 1/4 3/4 75%. So Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 75% of the data values of any distribution must be within two standard deviations of the mean.For K 3 we have 1 – 1/K2 1 - 1/9 8/9 89%. So Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 89% of the data values of any distribution must be within three standard deviations of the mean.For K 4 we have 1 – 1/K2 1 - 1/16 15/16 93.75%. So Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 93.75% of the data values of any distribution must be within two standard deviations of the mean. Example Suppose we have sampled the weights of dogs in the local animal shelter and found that our sample has a mean of 20 pounds with a standard deviation of 3 pounds. With the use of Chebyshev’s inequality, we know that at least 75% of the dogs that we sampled have weights that are two standard deviations from the mean. Two times the standard deviation gives us 2 x 3 6. Subtract and add this from the mean of 20. This tells us that 75% of the dogs have weight from 14 pounds to 26 pounds. Use of the Inequality If we know more about the distribution that we’re working with, then we can usually guarantee that more data is a certain number of standard deviations away from the mean. For example, if we know that we have a normal distribution, then 95% of the data is two standard deviations from the mean. Chebyshev’s inequality says that in this situation we know that at least 75% of the data is two standard deviations from the mean. As we can see in this case, it could be much more than this 75%. The value of the inequality is that it gives us a â€Å"worse case† scenario in which the only things we know about our sample data (or probability distribution) is the mean and standard deviation. When we know nothing else about our data, Chebyshev’s inequality provides some additional insight into how spread out the data set is. History of the Inequality The inequality is named after the Russian mathematician Pafnuty Chebyshev, who first stated the inequality without proof in 1874. Ten years later the inequality was proved by Markov in his Ph.D. dissertation. Due to variances in how to represent the Russian alphabet in English, it is Chebyshev also spelled as Tchebysheff.

Monday, November 4, 2019

A Slant On

, # 8220 ; The Old Man And The Sea # 8221 ; Essay, Research Paper Santiago: A Perfect Role Model for Manolin In the novel, # 8220 ; The Old Man and the Sea # 8221 ; , Hemingway builds a character that is easy comparative to any great hero or graven image in history. This character, named # 8220 ; Santiago # 8221 ; displays the features needed to suppress his conflicts or at least make all he can to accomplish his ends. This is particularly of import sing the fact that he is looked at as a wise man of kinds by another character, the immature male child named? Manolin. ? Manolin has known the old adult male since the age of five. As a protege to Santiago, Manolin has grown to hold a great trade of regard for the old adult male. This is represented by the male child? s avidity to stand by the old adult male? s side no affair what the state of affairs is. Santiago is the prototype of the homo will, and a show for how bravery and doggedness are able to win over troubles that seem about impossible to get the better of. Early on in the novel, we see that the old adult male has fallen onto difficult times in his fishing profession. This is non the first clip this has happened though. It has been many yearss since his last gimmick and the state of affairs looks really black to those who do non cognize the old adult male? s desire and bravery. They see the# 8220 ; furrows # 8221 ; , and # 8220 ; malignant neoplastic disease blotches # 8221 ; of an old adult male, but non the eyes, which# 8220 ; have remained unchanged. # 8221 ; Most of the townsfolk know of Santiago? s looking discouragement, and their reactions to this are slightly disconnected. A good part of the townsfolk and chap fishermen sympathize for Santiago and keep a great trade of regard for this fallen hero. But the others shun him and his curst fishing fortune. They are superstitious and experience that he brings a dark cloud to loom over the small town that will cuss all of them with his exact bad fortune. However, it is clear to the reader that it is what Santiago possesses, which the pessimistic fishermen do non, that gives the old adult male an overall advantage. This prized ownership is identified by the reader as a strong will. It appears that Santiago has ever coveted the strong will. Once known as # 8220 ; El Campeon # 8221 ; , because of his singular arm-wrestling and fishing abilities, it appears that he still obtains this strong will inside him. As a human-centered in the truest sense, he was more than willing to learn the immature Manolin everything he knew of angling while Manolin was merely a really immature kid. In return, a great trade of esteem was formed by Manolin in acknowledgment for the befriending by Santiago. Presently, nevertheless, Manolin, like many of the other fishermen isn? t absolutely clear on how to react to the old adult male? s quandary. He realizes that the old adult male is in an improbably atrocious fishing drouth, but he besides remembers their doggedness in the yesteryear and the wagess they reaped for it. He decides that he will take non to listen to others such as his male parent and what they have to state, and continue in support of his friend. As a mark of his trueness, Manolin foremost asks the old adult male if he may attach to him on his following twenty-four hours? s trip to sea. At first this supplication is turned down by the old adult male. But after farther bargaining and a spot of reminiscing of better times, the old adult male agrees to some aid from the male child. The reluctance by Santiago shows his attention for the male child? s wellbeing. It is merely the adult male? s assurance in his salvation that allowed him to eventually accept the male child? s offer of aid. Santiago? s certainty in this # 8220 ; salvation # 8221 ; is perplexing to some, while Manolin has no problem hold oning the thought. This is because the qualities that have been instilled into the male child are the same as the old adult male? s. They are genuinely believing on the same wavelength. This separates, or isolates them from the remainder of the small town ; but neither the male child nor the adult male truly cares. Subsequently in the book comes the difficult trial of Santiago? s mental and physical strengths. Finally, his opportunity for salvation, comes in the signifier of a Very big fish. In fact, it is the largest fish the old adult male has of all time attempted to catch. A great conflict between the old adult male and the fish Begins. This conflict, nevertheless, is non one fueled by fury and defeat, but instead by bravery and volitions. The old adult male and the fish are similar in certain facets. These facets are recognized by the old adult male, and this is why the conflict is such an honest one apparently on both terminals of the rope. # 8220 ; There is a difference between ? killing? and the ceasing of allowing an animate being die. # 8221 ; Santiago knows this, and he is good determined to convey in the mighty fish, and intelligibly so. # 8220 ; When an single sees that all finite centres and truenesss are fliting and incapable of being permanent objects of religion, so he will abdicate all old attempts in desperation, repent in humbleness, and appreciatively do the motion of religion by which entirely his life can go meaningful and worthwhile. # 8221 ; Yet at the same clip his regard for the fish and award of his ain character clutters any opportunities of pure satisfaction for the salvation that would be the violent death of the fish. Santiago found award in everything he did. He was non a mendicant ; though he had much to implore for. He was non a quitter ; though failure long stared him in the eyes. Most significantly, he was a lovingness adult male. He cared for himself and others every bit. It was easy to see that these traits had so been passed down to Manolin. Just as the old adult male found no # 8220 ; loss of true pride # 8221 ; in his failures, the male child found similarly in his friendly relationship with the old adult male. After all, in Hemingway? s # 8220 ; hunt for wider societal significance # 8221 ; , # 8220 ; The Old Man and the Sea # 8221 ; showed it is non success that determines one? s worth. It is, as the male child and the adult male both knew, character that is the true clincher. Bibliography A ) Klemke, E.D. # 8220 ; The Meaning of Life # 8221 ; New York: Oxford University Imperativeness 1981, p. 166 B ) # 8220 ; Hemingway # 8221 ; Compton? s Pictured Encyclopedia, vol. GH Chicago: 1957 p. 378 C ) Hemingway, Ernest # 8220 ; The Old Man and the Sea # 8221 ; New York: Simon A ; Schuster 1995 D ) Singer, Peter # 8220 ; Applied Ethics # 8221 ; New York: Oxford University Imperativeness 1986, p. 87-88

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Suit Sales and Production in UK Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Suit Sales and Production in UK - Research Paper Example The store must there take advantage of the consumers who prefer luxurious good or even take advantage of a decline in the price of its goods in order to increase demand for its products in order to increase sales and therefore increase profits. Twenty consumers were interviewed in order to find out what level of price they were willing to pay for a suit, the respondents were men and each respondent was interviewed for the purpose of collecting data, after randomly selecting a sample of 20 individuals who were to volunteer for the study it was found out that the mean price for the suits that the consumers were willing to pay was lower than the prevailing market prices. Suit sales involves the purchase of these product at wholesale prices and then reselling them at a profit, the level of sales will depend on the prices attached to the product, however this will depend on the consumers preferences, some consumers may prefer high priced good because they have the assumption that the high price is a sign of quality. We will assume that we produce for the medium class individuals who are the majority in the market, using this assumption we will then assume that the store will only sell men suits whose study is accompanied in this paper, through the consideration of all the costs involved in sales we will be in a position to determine expected sales levels and also profits. Methods: This study involves two methods of collecting data. The first form of data collected was to collect the consumer's willingness to pay which involved a random sample of twenty who were involved in a face to face interview. The interview involved the collection of data aimed at determining the consumers willingness to pay, also it contained finding out how frequently consumers purchase suits. All the respondents were to be men due to our first assumption and this sample was collected randomly. The second study was to determine the price level of existing companies in the market, due to time constraints and financial constraints the best method for collecting this data was to be online, data on the prices of these suits was done through the official websites Top shop, Burton, Marks Spencer, Austin reed store, Armani and Hugo Boss. The choice of stores was in such a way that the study considered the various what segment the stores targeted depending on the income group, low pricing stores include top shop and Burton, medium priced stores include Marks Spencer and Austin reed store and finally the high pricing stores include Armani and Hugo Boss. Results: From the sample of twenty data was collected and the willingness to pay of these consumers was determined, there were variations in the data collected depending on the consumers preferences and economic class, the data collected is summarised in the table below: F X FX frequency class mid point price range class 0 to 100 2 50 100 101 to 200 14 150 2100 201 to 300 3 250 750 300 to 401 1 350 350 total 20 3300 mean 165 From the twenty respondents only 2 people agreed that they would pay 0 to 100 pounds for a suit, 14 agreed that they were willing to pay 101 to 201 pounds for the same suit and 3 respondents stated that they would pay 201 to 300 pounds and finally only one respondent agreed that he was willing to pay 0ver 301 pound for a suit. The data was grouped data and after analysing the data the mean price