Professional Nursing Mission Statement Essay

This Professional Nursing Mission Statement describes the professionalism a nurse needs to perform excellent care in the health environment. The Mission also demonstrates different aspects of nursing and what nurses are to look forward to now and into the future. A. Functional Differences Board of Nursing has an authoritive role in nursing. They are made up of professionals that make up rules so the nurse is aware of what is allowed or not allowed in their scope of practice. Theses rules may differ from state to state but primarily, their focus is to protect the public from people who practice nursing without the appropriate qualifications. State Board of Nursing has the authority to rescind and reissue licenses. Board of Nursing also decides on penalizing action against a nurse who has a complaint or lawsuit against them (Villaceran, 2007). The State of Hawaii board of nursing purpose generally claims just the same. It claims that anyone posing as a nurse must show proof ‘in order to safeguard life and health’ (Hawaii Revised Statute Chapter 457 – Nurses, 2013). A professional nurses organization, or PNO, such as the American Nurses Association for example, was generated to direct a licensed nurse on how to present him or herself in an ethical manner. Although it is not law, it should be practice as a guide to uphold the integrity of the nurse (American Nurses Association, 2001). PNO defines the nurse Code of Ethics and the Scope of Practice. They also explains what a nurse is and promote professionalism. PNO may be involved with research to improve the quality of patient care as well as be apart of the political decision-making to endorse them (Sauls, 2013). B. Nursing Code Example A nursing code of ethics is a good place to start with to guide any nurse to become a great healthcare provider. American Nurses Association, also known as ANA, Code of Ethics gives ideas on how one may want to envision themselves as a respected nurse with values. It identifies how a nurse may want to carry themselves in the workplace with quality and good integrity. ANA provision 1 seems to define what a nurse is all about. It describes the nurse as student nurses were taught to be in nursing school. Practicing  human dignity keeps nurses in good standing with the Gallup polls. In 2008, Gallup polls showed that 84% of the people see nurses as the most ethical. This is the highest amongst other occupations (Cherry, 2011). Generating a relationship with the patient is inevitable. There’s no way a nurse can do their job without first establishing a relationship with the patient. The question is, will a nurse generate a good relationship as oppose to a bad one? To give good car e, the nurse and the patient is in need to be on the same page where the patient is made to feel as they are the one in charge of their care. So, if a patient does not feel like getting up to work with physical therapy the nurse should grant their wishes. Nurses should not ‘force’ patients to do things the patient does not want to do. The nurse should first encourage the patient that it is important to take their daily medications or encourage them to get up for physical therapy, for example. If they continue to refuse, the patient should have the sense of control of their care by not feeling ‘threatened’ for not wanting to take their medication or getting up for physical therapy. But, allowing the patient to set a plan for their day may have the patient more cooperative and less stressed. ANA code of ethics provision 5 is a code that states: ‘the nurse owes the same duties as others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, and maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.’ (American Nurses Association, 2001). Moral self-respect is required to carry out this code; not only to ones self but to the patient as well. It is a good start to establish trust. Moral respect should also be practice to the individuals in the interdisciplinary team involved. Moral self-respect is key to keep self-esteem and respect to others. It keeps the feeling of unity in a patients care. Having a good rapport with the interdisciplinary team will keep the all on the same page as far as patient care. With the every changing healthcare systems and updated research, nurses are in constant need to keep up for the sake of keeping the patient up to date with healthcare technology (Amcee, 2003). This requires ongoing classes of not only updated technology but with competency as well. If the interdisciplinary team and peers are aware of this, this will boost trust and respect for the educated nurse. C. Professional traits The ANA Code of Ethics discusses many professional traits. Although all are very important and continuously need to be practiced, the professional trait of Collaboration is essential for the interdisciplinary team to practice as well (American Nurses Association, 2001). Collaboration is the job description of any disciplinary team. It is valuable for all individuals to be apart of the care of the patient. Each member of the team gives valuable information from his or her expertise resulting in a holistic plan of care. Another professional trait the nurse to advocate to the interdisciplinary team is to respect the patients right to self-determination while admitted in their care. Every patient needs to be apart of their care and should be able to claim what they want or do not want in their plan of care (American Nurses Association, 2001). This would give the patient a sense of control in their care and their life. Delegation is the third professional trait that is essential to the in terdisciplinary team in order to give appropriate and timely care to the patient (American Nurses Association, 2001). The interdisciplinary team all has his or her own unique specialty that will allow the patient to receive individual care they are requiring. Patients put their lives into the hands of the physician everyday. They trust that they will be taken care of as if they were the only patients the physician possesses. The nurses and staff are an extension of the physician. Everyone taking care of patients has an obligation to continue that integrity the patient has already upheld in the physician. This is why provision 5 in the Code of Ethics should be practiced. This fourth professional trait allows the patient the feeling of respect and dignity. This sense will allow them to have faith in the nursing team and the healthcare system that they will have the best care possible (American Nurses Association, 2001). D. Recommended resource Jean Watson established in 1978 the Theory of Human Caring. Watson introduces the 10 ‘carative’ (or caring) factors that support her theory. They are: 1. The formation of humanistic-altruistic system of values 2. The instillation of faith-hope 3. The cultivation of sensitivity to one’s self and to others 4. Thedevelopment of a helping-trusting relationship 5. The promotion and acceptance of the expression of positive and negative feelings 6. The systematic use of the scientific problem-solving method of decision making 7. The promotion of interpersonal teaching-learning 8. The provision for a supportive, protective, and (or) corrective mental, physical, sociocultural and spiritual environment 9. Assistance with the gratification of human needs 10. The allowance of existential-phenomenological forces  (Nursing Theories, 2012). D1. Theory in Professional Practices Jean Watsons Theory of Human Caring is essential in patient care. Being in the hospital, away from family and literally laying your life in the hands of a stranger cannot be easy. Human caring and showing compassion and empathy can possibly decrease stress and allow patients to focus on healing and be compliant with their care. If patients feel good about their care they’ll be more involved with their care. Using the environment of a Skilled Nursing Facility, as an example, where the healing process may take longer than expected, following the 10 ‘caratives’ in the Theory of Human Caring will not only show quality care but give the patient a pleasant hospital experience for the remainder of their stay E. Contributions Lillian Wald was known for her works in the public health nursing. She believed that the caring for the patient should start before they end up in the clinic. She encouraged the importance of disease prevention and taught health education. She provided well-baby care and treated minor illness in her main clinic named Henry Street Settlement House (Cherry, 2011). Lillian Wald emphasized the significance of prevention. A practice that continues to be reiterated everywhere. As seen in commercials or billboards or even on the radio, prevention is key to a long, healthy lifestyle. When patients leave the hospital, discharge education is vital to making sure they are capable to care for themselves and, hopefully, bring down the numbers of hospital visits. F. Scenario One principle I safeguarded for a patient was respect for autonomy.  Sometimes patients are admitted into the hospital for something as simple as daily intravenous antibiotics. They are independent with all of their activities of daily living. Sometimes these patients are intertwined with other patients in shared rooms. These independent patients, because of their alertness, should be able to be in a private room. These patients are not only of low acuity, but these patients will be happier not being around sicker patients. Happier patients means good rating for us. On the other hand, there are times when patients are admitted as stable yet confused. The second principle I safeguarded for a patent was non-maleficence. Because these patients are not in control of their thoughts or actions they are required to be supervised more closely than others. Patients who are at risk of getting hurt by getting out of bed without assistance can cause nurses to be of concerned. These patients can easily be put in a wheelchair and ‘hang out’ with the nurses at the nurses station for continuous supervision from, not only of the team nurse but, all staff. This would allow more eyes on the patient bringing down the risks of injury. This will also prevent more invasive means like using physical or chemical restraints.

Deadly Beauty Essay

Descriptions of beauty are thrown at us everyday in various and opposing views. While many people stay with the belief that beauty is internal, society’s view of beauty is propelled at us from every angle. Just turn on the television, open a magazine, or surf the web and you will find yourself bombarded by the idea that being sexy and being beautiful are synonyms. Critics argue that this view of beauty is causing our women and even some men to alter their bodies in damaging ways. While I agree that the way today’s society views is damaging and unrealistic, but I also do not believe this is a new occurrence. Throughout history various societies have caused their subjects to do damaging and dangerous things all for the sake of what they called beauty. Beauty has become superficial and a term that is dangerous and used as a weapon to control the mindsets of others. The word beauty is described in the dictionary as â€Å"the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.† (Merriam-Webster 2012). So why throughout history has the human race associated beauty with physical appearance? The ancient Mayans went to vast lengths to change their physical appearances. Mayan mothers flattened their children’s heads with boards and hung objects in front of their newborn’s eyes to make the baby’s eyes crossed (Frater 2009) Both of these things were highly desirable forms of Mayan beauty but caused serious physical damage to the body. Corsets in the Victorian era were used to mold a women’s body into the curvaceous form they desired. The sacrifice they paid for this look were broken ribs, fainting spells, and in extreme cases, kidney problems from having a corset to tight. Today across the world people still become ensnared in the trap of so cietal beauty. The Padang women in Burma stretch their necks with long brass coils to attain the long necks that their culture desires (Tao, 2012). The spirals are started when a girl is around five or six and by the time they are adults they have around twenty brass rings that adorn their neck. The brass rings cause their collarbone to cave down and crush the vertebrae in their spines and their collarbones but the women refuse to take off the rings because it is what their culture views as beautiful. In American society numerous women and even men go under the knife to achieve the look they want through plastic surgery. For a substantial fee, one can change the shape of their nose, increase or decrease breast size, reshape a jawline, or even remove fat from unwanted areas. Less dramatic alterations are made on a daily bases through applying makeup, waxing away unwanted hair, and straightening or curling hair. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to live up to the beauty standards of society. Although I know that all the pictures of beautiful women the media throws at me are highly photo-shopped, it still hasn’t prevented me from trying to achieve the perfect body and stunning looks that I gaze upon. In ninth grade I became anorexic. As a slightly over weight kid I became self-conscious about how skinny all the â€Å"beautiful† girls were. Even though I witnessed the ones who had zero personality and others who were downright evil, I felt that personality was worthless because being beautiful was what really mattered. I read countless articles on how to lose weight and how many calories each item of food contained. The more weight I would lose, the more compliments I would get on how beautiful I had become. Fortunately I was able to get help before it caused too much damage in my life. It still has repercussions on my life though, even now I find myself thinking a bout how I could get my body to look like those that are featured in the magazines and television. Instead of starving myself I have taken to makeup to contour my average face to look more alluring. I don’t necessarily enjoy putting on makeup. It causes me to question if I’m actually beautiful or if I’m just putting on a mask trying to fit in to the masquerade. This doesn’t stop me from applying it to my face in an almost every morning ritual. The false hope that I’ll live up to those photo shopped beauties keeps me adding new products to my collection. I want to be that Cover girl I see on the commercials. If I put on my L’Oreal Paris mascara, maybe more people will notice my eyes and appreciate them. I forget to practice what I preach and forget that my beauty is found within my personality and how I treat others. Instead I let myself worth be defined on how my physical features compare to models I see. There will never be unified description of beauty and the opposing arguments will bicker between each other until the world ends. Media will be blamed for the destructiveness of beauty through their highly edited photos and almost anorexic models. We as people must not forget that it is not just the media to blame for the way beauty is morphed but also ourselves. We have a choice if we are going to follow blindly along or challenge our societies descriptions on beauty. Past societies had to have had brief thoughts about the pain they were putting their bodies through, but still chose to accept it instead of challenging the view. We allow our cultures to use beauty as a weapon against us if we keep following blindly after descriptions our society throws at us we will never be able to find the true beauty that lays just beneath the surface of our skin. Works Cited Merriam-Webster. (2012) Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beauty?show=0&t=1354774384 J Frater. (2009, September 09). 10 facts about the Mayans. Retrieved from http://listverse.com/top-10-fascinating-facts-about-the-mayans/ Marky, C.N., & Markey, P.M. (2012). Emerging Adults’ responses to a media presentation of idealized female beauty: An examination of cosmetic surgery in reality television. Psychology Of Popular Media Culture,. 209-219 doi:10.1037/a0027869 Tao, Huai Sua. (2012, May 22). Long Neck Villages. Retrieved from http://www.ascensionatsea.net/Thailand/Thai_longnecks.htm

Compare three pre-20th Century poems about London Essay

I am going to compare three very different poems about London. The first poem is ‘London’ by William Blake, written around 1800. ‘Upon Westminster bridge’ is the second poem , by William Wordsworth, again written around 1800. The third poem by Mary Ann Evans in the mid-19th century is called ‘In a London drawing room.’ William Blake was a man of strong opinions, he was a strange person who painted horrific art and walked around naked in his garden. He was a strict Christian and wrote hymns. People disliked him for his strange ideas and strong criticism of what he felt was wrong. William Wordsworth lived in the Lake District, and wrote poems about where he live; the countryside. Whilst visiting London he wrote a poem about what he could see from Westminster bridge. Mary Ann Evans lived in London she was a tomboy by the name of George Elliot. Her father was a vicar. She moved to London to live a more interesting life. Working for a printing company she realised how mistreated women were. The story behind ‘Upon Westminster bridge’ is:- London looks very beautiful. You’d be sad not to be impressed. It’s about what Wordsworth sees from Westminster bridge. His theme is simple; He likes what he sees. London has a very different theme: William Blake lives in London and can’t stand it. The story is very simple the poet wanders through London’s streets thinking about what he sees. In a London drawing room also has a simple story; Mary Ann Evans is in a drawing room looking out into the street. Her theme is much more complex She talks about how London through this window is dull, grey and boring. When she says this she actually means that’s how she feels inside and expresses it through her poetry. ‘Upon Westminster bridge’ is a sonnet because it has fourteen lines praising London’s beauty, it has only one verse. It has a regular iambic rhythm all the way through: Giving the poem a joyful sound. There is no regular rhyming pattern but some lines rhyme. London uses quatrains which means it has four equal lines into four verses. London has a regular and joyful rhythm, which is ironic because of its sad message. The rhyming follows an ACBD pattern (‘A’ rhymes with line ‘C’-‘B’ rhymes with line ‘D.) ‘In a London drawing room’ has no verses, twenty lines which have each ten syllables in them. There is no regular rhythm, because of the regular enjambment. â€Å"Cutting the sky with one long line of wall Like soled Fog: Far as the eye can stretch.† The enjambment causes lines to run into each other. There is no rhyme a tall in the poem. There is a lot of figurative language in ‘Upon Westminster bridge.’ â€Å"wear The beauty of the morning; silent bare,† This a personification because the city wears the beauty of the morning like a dress. â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will:† In line twelve names the river a ‘he’. This poem has a lot of imagery, one of them mentions valley, rock and hill, putting the picture of the valleys, hills and rocks on the horizon. In a London drawing room too uses figurative language, â€Å"The world seems one huge prison-house and court,† this is a similar because the world seems to be like a prison-house. A metaphor would be, â€Å"Cutting the sky with one long line of wall,† this is calling the row of houses a wall cutting the sky. The figurative language in London are, â€Å"The mind-forg’d manacles I hear.† Means the people in London believe they are in manacles. The metaphor at the end of the third verse is about the old war soldiers begging outside wealthy houses, â€Å"And the hapless soldier’s sigh Runs in blood down palace walls.† In ‘Upon Westminster bridge’ most of the ‘play on words’ are to keep the rhyme and rhythm in a pattern. London plays on words quiet a lot compared with Upon Westminster bridge. At the end of the first verse there is an element of alliteration, â€Å"Marks of weakness. Marks of woe,† woe is a much more powerful word to use than sad plus it alliterates with weakness. The second verse uses ‘in every†¦.’ Four times to get the point that this is serious across more strongly. † The mind-forg’d manacles I hear,† is an alliteration of the letter ‘M’. On the last line, the last two words are marriage and hearse (car that carries a coffin) this is called juxtaposition; because marriage is associated with beginning and hearse is associated with the end they are opposites. This is an interesting way to end the poem. The only real play on words in ‘in a London drawing room’ was the last line because the three last words are the only positive words (colour, warmth and joy) in the whole poem but just before it says ‘with lowest rate of’. So they might be positive but she’s saying there is no colour, warmth or joy. I feel London is the most effective poem. This is because I like the irony in the rhythm and rhyme which sounds happy but its meaning is sad. I also like the Juxtaposition in the last line ‘Marriage hearse’. He uses clever words and sentences to put down London. I don’t like ‘In a London drawing room’ because it drags on so as to lose its meaning. ‘Upon Westminster bridge’ I quite like because its cheerful but I still prefer the way ‘London’ is written because it uses good words and clever poetry.

Critically evaluate the evidence that Piaget underestimated childrens Essay

Critically evaluate the evidence that Piaget underestimated childrens abilities in the pre-operational stage - Essay Example This stage of development lasts from age two to six. Critics have stated that Piaget underestimated children’s abilities in the pre-operational stage and this is based mainly on the following grounds (a) the child in the pre-operational stage is unable to conserve the relationship between the different dimensions of an event (b) Piaget’s theory held that children in the preoperational stage may be unable to understand object permanence (c) Piaget has underestimated the ability of children to see the world from another person’s viewpoint and referred to this as egocentrism. One of Piaget’s major findings about the pre-operational stage was that children cannot conserve different dimensions of an event. For example, when a piece of clay is molded into two different shapes, the child is unable to understand that although the shape is different, the piece is essentially the same.(Salkind, 2004, pp 249). However, in experiments conducted by Wynn (1992), on five month old infants, the findings appear to suggest that infants may even be able to calculate results for simple arithmetic operations on a small number of items. Human beings may therefore possess innate arithmetical abilities. Similarly, Xu and Spelke (2000) have also shown that when extraneous variables are controlled, infants are able to discriminate between large sets of objects on the basis of numerosity. This suggests that Piaget’s findings may be lacking in some aspects. Piaget appears to have underestimated the timing of development of children’s abilities and one example of a cognitive defect attributed to the pre-operational stage is the inability to comprehend object permanence, i.e, that an object continues to exist even when it is moved out of sight.(Hetherington and Parke, 2003). In examining object permanence, Piaget concluded from his observations that young children appear to view objects as ephemeral entities which are constantly made and unmade

Why Should Companies Based in the United States Outsource Parts of Research Paper

Why Should Companies Based in the United States Outsource Parts of their Business to Off-Shore Locations - Research Paper Example The nation’s international presence has not only facilitated the process of outsourcing for the companies in USA but also made them successful in the global market. There has been extensive debate on whether outsourcing is desirable or not and whether people are affected by it. There have been different views on it from people. The project explores the advantages that the US firms enjoy through outsourcing of activities. The advantages would be discussed in terms of the economic benefits brought about in the company in the long run. Economic Benefits to the Company and the U.S. economy in the long term The US organizations are generally seen to outsource activities to countries like India and China and have attained considerable success in capitalizing in these markets. India is considered to have extensive technical expertise, which is one of the factors why the size of the outsourcing sector is huge in the country. This helps the US firms to exploit the core competencies of the developing nations and use them in the company’s advantage. In addition to this among the outsourced countries, India also has a large pool of talent which has a strong command on the English language. This is accompanied with a strong base of technically skilled expertise (Whitfield & VanHorssen, 2008, p.2). Among the other key players in the field of outsourcing is Brazil, which provides a highly advanced technological infrastructure. Another option before the US companies is Russia which provides a huge pool of labor which is educated in the field of science. Their labor is also known for their strong delivery and process methodology. The nation is one of the most competent in the area of research and development. It has immense support of the government to develop its software skills and expertise (Whitfield & VanHorssen, 2008, p.2). Extensive research was conducted which indicates that both the industrialized and developing nations in the world could reap the gains f rom outsourcing of services. This would essentially mean efficiency gains from the point of view of the industrial nations via the opportunity of developing skills and expertise in areas in which they have competencies. According to the report presented by McKinsey Global Institute (2003), for every US $1, worth of outsourcing, USA gains $1.12 and the outsourced country gains $0.33 approximately. This fact shows the degree of gains that organizations can enjoy through the process of outsourcing. Most multinational companies have started outsourcing their service activities on a regular basis. This is done based on the ground that in case they do not outsource their services while their competitors continued to do so, they would lose the local and global markets to their foreign rivals. This is because it is felt that if they don’t outsource while their competitors continue to do so aggressively, they would be losing on the local and global market to the foreign rivals. This w ould be likely to result in low and stagnant profits which would result in low creation of investment and capital in technologies. The advantage of saving costs from outsourcing accounts for the most important value source for the organizations in US (Rajan & Srivastava, 2007, p.40). Global outsourcing is particularly effective in attaining advantages for developing nations of the world. There has been opening up of new employment opportunities, exports and growth of numerous of tradable services activities. Looking at a more dynamic picture, increase in the level of income by trade would simultaneously bring about creation of favorable feedback effects from the other

IR theorists specifically in the realist school have emphasized the Essay

IR theorists specifically in the realist school have emphasized the important role of states and their interaction in the intern - Essay Example The Realist school of thoughts presents the nation as the most important force in international politics. According to this school of thoughts the states are sovereign. Therefore a state’s authority is higher than all other non-state players like the transnational enterprises, the nongovernmental organizations, or the international organizations. All the states act in their own national interest. The Realist school of thoughts promotes the idea of states interlocked in a constant struggle for power to establish their supremacy over the others. However this struggle for power and the domination of one particular state over the others lead to a counter force against the dominant state. As a result the global balance is restored. In this struggle for power and the counter struggle military of the nations act as significant sources of power (Pant, n.d., 3; Spiegel, 2011). The states also collaborate with the other states for their national interest. The struggle for power between nations during the Cold War is an example of the Realist theory of international relations. The other states also adapt to the existing system of power on the world platform and align themselves according to their national interest. ... Realists and Market   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Globalization is a phenomenon that has caught the attention of scholars around the world. According to McGrew globalization is the growing interconnectivity and linkage that has transcended the national boundaries. It is a feature of the modern world system. By this process, any event, decision or action by a certain nation affects the residents of a different nation (Koffman, Youngs, 116). It has resulted in the integration of the entire world (Baylis, Smith, & Owens, 14, 15). According to the realists, the states have exhibited accepted globalization properly and ultimately they have played a key role in the process of globalization. Various developments had indirect influence of the state. The authors argue that the states have indeed established their sovereignty and not lost control in the age of globalization. The states have been the most significant drivers of the process of globalization through relaxing the regulation of the markets. Therefore there is a presence of state in the emergence of globalization. For a market to operate successfully there needs to be rigid enforcement of laws. The states act as the primary regulator of market. The rise in the number of multilateral trade policies shows how the states can incorporate the process of globalization in their plans and policy in the interest of their nation (Taylor, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the age of globalization human rights have received considerable focus and international standards of worker’s and civilian rights have emerged. But the realist school advocates that this attention on human rights have been possible due to the hegemony of the powerful nations. The powerful nations are mostly democratic countries. Therefore they have set up norms of

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling Essay

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling - Essay Example In both cases, dreams were a factor in the analysis (Neuman, 1954). A method pioneered by psychologist Carl Rogers was a person-centered approach known as humanistic counseling, and B.F. Skinner was interested in what could actually be observed in the outside world, leading at first to therapy as a separate strand from counseling (History: Freud, 2007). Freud believed in psychoanalysis as a field for laypersons, but in the United States lay analysis was not considered legitimate, and is in fact illegal at present. U.S. psychoanalysts are required to be medically qualified. This prejudice against lay therapists led to Roger's adoption of the word "counseling" instead of therapist to describe his method since he was medically trained (Rohan, 2001). The terms "psychotherapy" and "counseling" have now become interchangeable in psychiatry, but Roger's holistic approach to the human side of counseling is unique in the field and has led to hundreds of research agendas. He brought many new ideas into therapy that were resisted at the time they were introduced and continue to be resisted even now (History: Counseling vs. Psychotherapy Divide, 2007). It is the approach to the whole person rather than just analysis of conscious and unconscious thought that makes humanistic counseling a produc... We live in a global community with a mix of cultures and social norms throughout the world. If we look at ourselves as individuals interacting with others and making an effort to determine what factors give us the most satisfaction, we become our own therapists. Humanistic counseling is comprised of self-actualization, creativity, and free choice. John Rowan (2001) describes Rogers' person-centered approach to psychiatric analysis as empathetic, genuine, and non-possessive warmth on the part of the counselor and goes on to discuss the various factors that make this a working form of counseling and analysis. Influences Shaping My Understanding of Counseling Humanistic counseling is somewhere in the middle of the therapeutic system, with Freud and Jung still a major force in the field and family therapy a derivative of humanistic counseling. With the advent of child guidance clinics, family therapy became the recommended treatment in the belief that "a child's symptoms were usually a function of emotional distress in the family" (Family Therapy. par. 8). However, the bottom line is the ability of the individual to understand and accept self, and in that respect humanistic counseling would be the preferred method. The following shows the stages of individual development from the inside out (Rowan, 2001): The first is the importance of self-esteem, trust, and acceptance between client and counselor. Next, it is necessary for the client to gain personal control by being honest with self. The second aspect of humanistic psychology is what is called "self actualization," the whole person: body, feelings, intellect, transpersonal self, and spirit. Neglecting any one of these areas defeats the effort. With so much attention now on the body-diet

Headhunter Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Headhunter Industry - Essay Example "A headhunter could be described as an independent employment service that seeks out personnel for high - level executive positions; formally known as executive search company (or consultant)" (source: http://www.answers.com/topic/headhunter-2004'cat=biz-fin). The software industry emerged in the U.S. in the mid - 1970's, during the personal computer revolution. It encompasses within its domain, such services as the development, maintenance as well as publication of computer softwares. The industry has seen rapid growth since then and is developing at an amazing speed. The size of the industry could be gauged by its revenues, which totaled to an astonishing figure of $381 billion. The total world wide revenues in the year 2006 amounted to $394 billion representing a growth of 3.5% since the past one year (source: John Desmond, October 2006). With such increase in the size of the industry, the organizations today are increasingly resorting to availing the services of specialized recruitment agencies in order to tap the desired talents in the industry and hire the most desirable candidate for the jobs. However, prior to the emergence of such specialized talent hiring services, who have expertise in hiring talents from their particular field of knowledge; the recruitment process was highly traditional in its operation, consisting of employment agencies who were mostly approached by the prospective job seeker, whose application was then, to be forwarded to the respective organizations, thereby leading to a highly asymmetrical recruiting process. While yet others depended on their in - house recruiting firms, for hiring the right candidate for the job. However, the emergence of the headhunters brought about a revolutionary change in the way these organizations hired, recruited and managed their employable workforce, by introducing the concept of specialized services of niche recruiting, where the headhunters displayed exceptionally high skill levels in their knowledge about a particular occupation / job and helped the companies to hire the right candidate for the positions advertised with minimum effort, and through cost reduction and minimum amount of time by collaborating with the companies or organizations desiring to avail such specialized services (William Finlay, James Coverdill,2002) . The headhunters have a good standing in the society, whereby they are well linked to almost all the trade associations and groups in the industry. Their services are thus, mostly used for hiring talents, in terms of high managerial positions / senior management level positions, which is largely due to the fact that they hold specialized knowledge and expertise in their chosen field. Rationale The right mix of talented human resources coupled with dedication and efficient leadership leads to attainment of the predefined business goals and hence is a key to resolving any business issue. Thus the human resource management groups are increasingly turning towards the special recruitment service providers such as the headhunters, for hiring the best talent available amongst the workable population at their disposal, thereby availing the benefits such as lower recruitment costs, reduced time to close hiring requisitions, and freeing up resources to focus on strategic HR

Biology Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology Research - Essay Example This is due to the light reaction of photosynthesis, which splits the water molecule and releases the oxygen in the process. The sugar would be radioactive in the example where the plant was supplies carbon dioxide with radioactive oxygen. This is a result of the Calvin cycle, which uses the carbon dioxide to process into sugar. Question 2: Some animal species can reproduce either asexually or sexually depending on the state of the environment. Asexual reproduction tends to occur in stable, favorable environments; sexual reproduction is more common in unstable or unfavorable circumstances. Discuss the advantages or disadvantages this pattern might have on the survival of the species in an evolutionary sense or on survival of individuals. Answer 2: Asexual reproduction has the advantage of creating many offspring that are generally mature plants and not as frail as sexual seedlings. They reproduce easily and efficiently and are able to cover a habitat and reduce competition from other species. However, because they are essentially clones, they are sensitive to adverse environments such as pathogens and disease, which could wipe out the entire stand. Sexual plants, dependent on seeds, have the disadvantage of producing seeds which must germinate and grow. This requires ideal conditions to establish new plants.

CRJ 422 Week 5 discussions 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRJ 422 Week 5 discussions 1 and 2 - Essay Example A society that is socially just is anchored on the principles of equality and solidarity, as well as understanding of human values and recognising the aspect of human dignity (Blasi & Jost, 2006). In essence, social justice enhances degree of economic egalitarianism through income redistribution, continuous taxation as well as property redistribution. Social justice system thus enhances incorporation of all members of the society to enjoy the resources in the community as well as encouraging all community members to participate in society matters (Ahrens, 2006) Law enforcement involves the aspect of making the community members follow the laid down rule the police officers do this. The judiciary plays a role in executing and interpreting laws it prosecutes those individuals who have broken the law. Criminology, which is the scientific study of causes, consequences and management of criminal behaviours in individuals, has a big impact on social and criminal justice. Incorporating other fields like psychology, philosophy and law provides a broader understanding of criminal and social justice. The fields make it easier for scholars in law to understand the community member’s behaviours in relation to criminal conduct. The overall study I have obtained while at Ashford University has had a significant impact on my knowledge and skills as well as shaping my way of thinking in the career. Personally, I have learnt from my fellow colleagues as well as the lecturers on certain specific skills in handling law issues. Indeed the law is broad and extensive, therefore understanding it has been made easy through the various discussions while learning. I shall apply the knowledge and skills I have acquired in various law firms or institutions that deal with law enforcements. I shall engage in research to identify new areas in criminal and social justice system that may help the entire community understand their role in maintaining law. Moreover,

The Confederate Flag Essay Example for Free

The Confederate Flag Essay Within the United States of America, arguments, involving the Confederate Flag, are solved every sngle day. However, some controversies have managed to carry on from the 1800’s until present day without any solution. The text and symbolic meaning behind the â€Å"Confederate Flag† is a perfect example. The Confederate Flag is one of America’s most embattled symbolic controversies. Created in 1861in a battle between the South, Confederates, and the North, Union, two men by the name P. G.  T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles designed and created a flag that would represent the true southern pride and demands that would not only bring about conflict with one half of the nation but also with our American society today. The South wanted to fulfill their demands of a new government with a victory, but the North opposed that thought. Today, people in our society misunderstand and misinterpret the true meaning behind the Confederate Flag and what it represents. People have came to believe that the Confederate Flag represents slavery in the 19th century, but in actuality it represents people wanting to govern themselves. The Confederacy had two flags. One being a national flag or â€Å"the stars and bars† and the other to be a battle flag. The southern people believed their national flag was to be respected and not to be used in battle so they wanted a battle flag. Two men by the names, P. G. T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles came up with the design. These men were chosen because of their active duty within the Confederacy. Both showed much pride and served with active duty. P. G. T. Beauregard was chosen as one of the eight full leading generals and led the Confederacy to their first win in battle in the â€Å"battle of Manassas† and commanded at the Battle of Shiloh after Albert Sidney Johnston’s death. Given such great honor, he was chosen to be one of the designers of the flag. William P. Miles was appointed by the Provisional Congress as chairman of the Flag and Seal Committee. William Miles took much pride in the Confederacy and what they represented so was chosen to help design flags for the nation and approval of them as well. Their design was similar in comparison to the national flag. The battle flag would have a blue X on a red field. The flag had thirteen stars to represent the thirteen states in the Confederacy, often referred to as the Rebel Flag,† Southern Cross, or â€Å"Dixie Flag. † It represented a battle for a lesser government, just as P. G. T, Beauregard and Miles followed. These men and their fellow Southerners wanted less taxes and for people to govern themselves. The flag was flown in honor of those fighting for these demands and the pride of the confederacy and their struggle to win. In conclusion, both men shared great dignity in the Confederacy and wanted to represent their people and demands with reason to overturn the government. This flag was first flown in July 21st, 1861 and is still displayed in the United States. Both men, today, continue to receive much honor for their active duty served and creating a flag that symbolizes the Southern nation as one. The typical audiences portraying the â€Å"Rebel Flag,† in a majority, are whites. Back in the 1800’s during the battle of the Civil War, blacks were mainly looked down upon and used as slaves. Blacks had no power amongst the white people in the southern states and were to work for them and follow their orders. Due to this, only white people had taken pride in their flag. Whites were fighting for their demands of a better government. Thus, only white people played a main role during this time period. Yet, blacks, being viewed down upon at this time, are viewed in the audience as well. Today, blacks look at the situation as a major issue with their race at the time and hopes for survival. But why is this? When the flag is presented in our society today, some look at the flag, with disgust, as representation of racism because the flag was flown during a time period in which racism dominantly occurred. Also, based upon the text I had chosen, it consists of white people in battle. The audience of the text promptly follows the text with pride. These audience members were not just white or black people, but also southerners and northerners. In the battle it was the southerners of the thirteen confederate states of America who portrayed the flag as a new government ran by the people when the North portrayed the flag as a banishment of a perfectly ran government. No northerners opposed the idea that the Confederacy should be erased as the no southerners opposed the idea of a new government. Thus, made the issue more complicated due to disagreements. The reaction of the southern white audience would portray anger due to their loss in battle as well as pride in their sacrifice. The audience would have hoped for a different conclusion to the battle giving the Confederates the victory and joyfulness of their people at the time. The northerners reacted the exact opposite. They celebrated their victory and the government was given more dominance. The author intended the reaction of the audience to be very informed because a great amount of information and history was given. The author knew what the flag truly represented and wanted the readers to know the same. Given so much information, the audience would become very informed and learn to understand the flag in a respectful manner. However, people in this present day continue to fly the flag with no knowledge of the meaning or respect. Some, with no knowledge, look at the flag as a gang or group symbol while others respectfully present it as a historical time period. So why get rid of this flag? Being a nation that prohibits slavery in written law, some Americans who continue to believe the false rumor that the flag represents slavery and racism or are less educated with the history behind the flag and want to get rid of it. Our society has represented the Confederate flag in a disrespectful manner and needs to change that. Hear the Northern thunders mutter! Northern flags in South’s winds flutter! To Arms, To Arms, To Arms in Dixie! Send them back your fierce defiance! Stamp upon the cursed alliance! To Arms, To Arms, To Arms in Dixie! Advance the flag of Dixie! Hurrah! Hurrah! For Dixie’s land we take our stand, And we live or die for Dixie! To Arms! To Arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! To Arms! To Arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! –Confederacy chant. Many people praise it, display it, and chant it, yet others view it with pure disgust. Once again, the Confederate or â€Å"Rebel Flag has been shoved onto the table of debate due to the raising of the flag in front of the South Carolina State House. So much debate has arose that President Obama was questioned where this flag should be placed? President Obama replied with a very considerate answer. His answer was, â€Å"In a museum. † But why would he want to take down the flag and retire it? Many have applauded him upon the issue, yet others are left confused as to why? Many people fly the Confederate Flag with pride and none of which are racist. In fact, the flag does not even represent anything considering racism. Only current connotation has led people to believe that. People today do not understand the true meaning and history behind the flag so they are unknowingly spreading false information. It is compared to the Nazi flag as a white supremacy symbol today. Another fact is that the Confederate Flag was never once flown on a slave ship; it was the present American flag that had been flown. The true meaning behind the flag was a lesser or new government. Southern people were getting tired of being overtaxed and wanted to govern themselves. Following these demands, arguments between the North and South grew more intense. Slaves were more acceptable in the south rather than the north. Southerners’ main use of slaves was to work in plantations to help incorporate a better and more profitable farm. This was not ok with the northerners. The northerners’ believed slavery was uncivilized and should be abolished. Prior to his election, Abraham Lincoln said he wanted to â€Å"free the slaves. † This quote developed more controversy especially since Lincoln, at the time, had slaves of his own. Southerners became furious such an ironic statement and began stating their opinions about the presidency towards Lincoln while demanding a lesser government, lower taxes, and to keep slavery. Northerners began to stand behind Lincoln and would speak on behalf of him. More issues and controversies developed which lead to a feud between the North and South. This feud is now known as, the American Civil War (1861-1865). In mix of battle, the Confederacy respected their national flag and did not want it to be displayed in mix of battle. This is when the â€Å"Rebel† or â€Å"Battle† Flag was created. As Confederates would rush into battle, they would carry the thirteen-stared blue X on a red field flag with pride and dignity. The Confederates then formed secession from the United States becoming, the Confederate States of America as the northerners became referred to as the Union. After carrying their flag for four bloodshed/devastating years, the Confederacy fell to the Union. Slavery would then become abolished as would the Confederate States of America. The Rebel Flag then slowly began to disappear. Due to the, all of a sudden, emergence of the flag in our society today, people argue that it should be rid of or as Obama said, â€Å"In a museum. † The flag, to a majority people, is a historical symbol that brings back the thought of their ancestors who fought in battle and our nation falling apart when the North and South fought killing 620,000 of our nation’s people. The flag stood out in Civil War as a symbol of the South wanting a change in government. Our society needs to become more educated when it comes to the understanding of Confederate Flag and learn how to display it in a correct manner. With great debate over the embattled symbolic meaning behind the Confederate Flag, our society has yet to reach a solution. Many people are continuing to spread false information while others are arguing the true meaning behind the flag. Who knows how long this controversy will last. P. G. T. Beauregard and William P. Miles created the flag to represent the southern demands of a lesser government with no disregard towards racism. Confederates used the flag’s symbolic meaning to connect their nation as one and to fight together to overcome this battle with the North. As I previously mentioned, our society needs to learn to become more educated when it comes to understanding the Confederate Flag and learn to display it in a proper manner. As a nation we must learn to solve and consider our issues rather than speaking with fault and resorting to violence.

Racism in the African-American Community Essay Example for Free

Racism in the African-American Community Essay Abstract Racism is today perceived as a social and baseless evil that tries to undermine certain individuals based on their skin color. It is entirely evident that the U. S. still suffers from some traces of racism, but surprisingly, a big majority of these cases come from the African-American communities. While many people hold the opinion that the African-Americans are the ones that are always on the receiving end, new polls reveal that they are the ones who show more racist behavior than the whites. This paper addresses some of the reasons that lead to racism among the African-American communities and also outlines how this transition slowly came into place after the advent of the 20th century. Additionally, this paper covers the consequences of this menace and its impact on the kind of peace that is present in today’s free states. Ultimately, this text tries to draw a line on the distinctive barrier between what African-Americans call racism and how Americans perceive the same social evil. It also explains why racism by itself is baseless and bears no meaning to the parties involved. RACISM 3 Racism in the African-American Community. Racism is a social evil that came as a result of slavery that began in the United States immediately after English colonists inhabited Virginia and remained there until the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution of the U. S. was passed in 1865. During the 90’s more African-Americans underwent oppression from the Americans as the peak of racism was evident during these years more than ever. However, recent polls from Rasmussen reveal an entirely different perspective of the current racism situation in America. The report by Rasmussen indicated that many Americans believe that blacks are indeed more racist than Caucasians. Additionally, the report stated that a huge percent of African-Americans believe that more blacks are indeed racist than whites, and this is backed up by Norton (2011). This report, however, ended up being skewered and mocked by some people as they saw it to be untrue. This calls for a serious assessment into what is the main cause of this drift into racism in the African-American community and how this will impact people’s relationship. Also, it pushes for the need to better understand how racism itself managed to stay alive through the years despite the fact that such practices were long left behind in the recent years. Reasons for Racism Clearly, the deep trail of racism in African-Americans can be coined from the fact that blacks first faced oppression from the whites and this is what led to the ill-bred feeling among African-Americans. However, there are up to three more reasons why African-Americans are turning out to be more racist than Caucasians. These happen to be the most flagrant and thus top the list when it comes to the factors that result into racism. RACISM 4 First, racism in the African-American community may merely be as a result of different stereotypes. The media is also responsible for fueling this kind of attitude towards. African-Americans since it is through televisions, radios, and the internet that most people discover the underlying menace. Ornelas et al. (2009) maintain that whenever young African-Americans are exposed to certain stereotypes, they tend to mimic most of these traits and in turn become negative towards people from other races. In fact, most of these stereotypes are surprisingly among the influential African Americans in the country. During the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Junior’s historic speech, black activists displayed exactly this kind of behavior. This was evident through Martin Luther King III who used this opportunity to stir up racial hatred instead of honoring the work of his father. Another reason for the prevalence of racism amongst the African-American community is the unfamiliarity that is present among newborns and how they are treated in the real world. This is probably the main reason why African-Americans are slowly displaying racist behavior (Okazaki, 2009). However, this doesn’t always happen, but only after the innocent party has been brainwashed by negative stereotypes. A workaround for this is to ensure that children are exposed to people from different races at a young age so that they could get used to being around people who they deem different. This additionally helps in counterbalancing any negative and untrue stereotypes that may present themselves in the future. Selfishness, coupled with pain and anger, is also another valid reason why racism is on the rise among African-Americans (Lambert, 2009). Selfishness may have depicted itself among white people in the past, however, the case is different today. The sad truth is that this selfishness led to the creation of negative stereotypes that ultimately led to a new line of different-minded persons (Martin, 2011). Also, selfishness comes in when an African-American would feel more RACISM 5 compelled to spend more time around people of the same skin color because they he/she may have been exposed only to African-Americans during childhood age. Selfishness coupled with rage for the people who inflicted pain on their forefathers leads to hatred that is directed to white people. Why Racism among African-Americans Will Not End Soon Recently, renowned television icon Oprah Winfrey stepped up to state that racism will only end when old racists perish (Newsbusters. org, 2014). While this sounds logical from one perspective, it fails to address the fact that these stereotypes will never cease to exist any time soon. In most cases, racists will always give birth to racists and the cycle is perpetual. Therefore, despite attempts to curb racism in the African-American community, this menace is still too far from being over as new racists will always come back to replace their mothers and fathers. It is also worth noting that this doesn’t only happen among the African-Americans, but also among the whites as well. Another reason why racism among the African-Americans is far from being over is because they are seen to put so much emphasis on themselves whenever the word â€Å"racism† is mentioned. During the same interview that was conducted by BBC Friday, Winfrey’s comment â€Å"Are there places where people still get terrorized just because of the color of their black skin color? † further showed how most people only view racism in the eyes of how blacks are treated. Looking at the problem this narrowly makes it more difficult to end the menace as the racism chain won’t end if everyone simply defended their skin colors (Bonilla-Silva, 2010). In sum, it can be seen that racism in the African-American community can only be contained but certainly not dealt away with within a year. RACISM 6. How Racism Can Be Contained The fact that racism is not ending in the near future doesn’t necessarily mean that nothing can be done about it. It will certainly take years for the world to heal from this habit, but there are small but significant ways of ensuring that racism slowly fades away in the African-American communities. The first is by educating young African-Americans to reject any form of history of America that has elements of slavery in it (Shelby, 2009). By reminding the blacks about slavery may induce a feeling of resentment towards white people despite the fact that slavery ended decades ago. African Americans also bear the responsibility of desisting from using derisive words such as â€Å"nigger† or any variations associated to it (Cone, 2010). This is because when blacks utter these words, they also tend to inflict the same kind of attitude in people from other races. Additionally, African-Americans should cease supporting black-only institutions or media houses such as BET and Ebony magazine. Generally, anything that depicts the word â€Å"black† should be avoided since it strikes a line between how different Caucasians are from African-Americans, something that is not true (Boykin, 2012). Finally, African-Americans should learn to appreciate the art of decent dressing and totally avoid the use of Ebonics, an African-American slang that is widely used among black individuals. While this may seem far-fetched, it is one step away from ending racism since it shows that even African Americans are trying to fit in with the whites and simply not creating a larger barrier. Collaboration with law enforcement agencies will also be a huge step because this additionally shows that they too are concerned about the well-being of their neighbors and their security as well. RACISM 7 Consequences of Racism. Should African-American racism persist, there are a number of things that could happen. Hatred between African-Americans and whites would cause a drift between them, and this could easily spread to people from other races as well. The levels of cooperation would plummet and at the end of the day, nothing would get done (Pieterse, 2010). Other than stirred levels of cooperation, it is likely that some people might get displaced from their homes especially when lands start being claimed by the original inhabitants of a place. Discrimination also leads to poor mental health. In 2009, a Cornwell News Study conducted a study on the effects of racism and results showed that poor mental health is possible and it comes as a result of chronic exposure to discrimination (Brondolo, 2009). Ultimately, there would be total havoc if racism were to have its way for there would be zero tolerance for someone with a different skin color regardless of that person’s character. Wars could easily erupt between black individuals and white individuals, and a drift will end up crippling collaboration between people and thus resulting to a sluggish economy. In summary, there is no place for racism today. It has proved to be a social evil that discriminates individuals based on their color rather than character. Racism, however is seen to come from three main factors which include: unfamiliarity among people of different outlooks, selfishness among people of different colors who only wish for their people to benefit, and the presence of certain stereotypes that are transfixed to the racial practice. It is also mandatory to acknowledge the fact that racism is not an evil that could possibly end overnight because certain individuals have inclined it to a specific group of people and not everyone in general. As such, there will always be complaints regarding racist behavior since most individuals are readily RACISM 8 prepared to cry out for their rights without considering that other people may be facing bigger challenges than them. One way of containing racism would be to ensure that the racist stereotype is dealt away with completely or segregated from children who could easily pick up the negative racist behavior from their elders. Additionally, African-Americans also have a big role to play in ending this discrimination since they seem to be creating a drift between black individuals and white individuals when they only support their brands such as the BET channel and the popular Ebony magazine. The consequences of racism in the African-American community are also grave as they can result to a much bigger drift between whites and blacks in which it would be easy for some people to be displaced from their homes and even be denied jobs. Possibilities of wars are also very high since there would be zero tolerance to a person who doesn’t respect another person just because of their skin color. RACISM 9 Annotated Bibliography Bonilla-Silva, E. (2010). Racism Without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States;[new Chapter on the Obama Phenomenon]. Rowman Littlefield. In this book, Bonilla-Silva, E outlines how racism can persist without the presence or racists themselves. It shows the reality of racism in today’s world and explains the roots of racism and racial inequality in the United States with a lot of emphasis on U. S. president Barrack Obama and the challenges that are faced at the presidential level. Boykin, K. (2012). ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS (BLACK AND GAY IN AMERICA). Boykin, K explains the different challenges that blacks have to face when seeking their true identity in the U.S. and what life means for them in the U. S. The book goes further to explain how gay African-Americans find it challenging to fit in a world that already has more than enough hurdles to cross and enough reasons to make the weak quit. Brondolo, E. , ver Halen, N. B. , Pencille, M. , Beatty, D. , Contrada, R. J. (2009). Coping with racism: A selective review of the literature and a theoretical and methodological critique. Journal of behavioral medicine, 32(1), 64-88. This book gives an overview on the way that African Americans try to cope with the kind of racism that they are subjected to in the U.S. It greatly focuses on the impact of this kind of discrimination on the African Americans and what this means for them. Brondolo, E also highlights key factors that cause this racism. Cone, J. H. (2010). A black theology of liberation. Orbis Books. Cone’s A black theology of liberation highlights the Christian-based perspective of oppressed blacks but mainly looks at the Cone’s own reflections on black theology. The book goes ahead to explain how racism can be ridded and it also looks at some of the roots of racism itself. Cone also relives the liberation process that led to the freedom of the blacks, but the book also highlights the hidden traces of racism that are still evident today. Lambert, S. F. , Herman, K. C. , Bynum, M. S. , Ialongo, N. S. (2009). Perceptions of racism and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents: The role of perceived academic and social control. Journal of youth and adolescence, 38(4), 519-531. This book reviews some of the underlying factors that lead to depression in African American adolescents as a result of heavy subjection to discrimination from racism. The book also briefly touches on some of the causes of racism and explains how racism develops in young people and its impact as they become older. Martin, M. J. , McCarthy, B. , Conger, R. D. , Gibbons, F. X. , Simons, R. L. , Cutrona, C. E. , Brody, G. H. (2011). The enduring significance of racism: Discrimination and delinquency among black American youth. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(3), 662-676. Martin, M. J. and other writers analyze the impacts of racism in the African American community and explains its significance in cultivating the kind of peace that is evident in today’s time. His main focus, however, lies in the discrimination of black American RACISM 10 youth by the whites and what this causes in the long run. He establishes how the negative stereotypes are formed as a result of the discrimination that the youths face. Newsbusters. org. (2014). Oprah: racists have to die for racism to end | newsbusters. org [online] Retrieved from: http://newsbusters. org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/11/15/oprah-racists-have-die-racism-end [Accessed: 8 Feb 2014]. This article outlines a transcript from an interview between Oprah Winfrey and BBC Friday regarding racism. In the article, Oprah is asked about her views on racism and various ways in which she thinks would put an end to the perpetual menace that has crippled our world today. The article also outlines an important factor that shows why racism won’t end soon, and how the African Americans are fueling the perpetuating racism act. Norton, M. I. , Sommers, S. R. (2011). Whites see racism as a zero-sum game that they are now losing. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(3), 215-218. Norton, M. I. , Sommers, S. R. reveal the truth behind what whites really perceive as racism today and the effects of racism in a world that has moved way ahead of racism. The two authors go further to explain why racism among the whites is baseless and bears no real truth or inner meaning other than the fact that it is a social evil that once existed in the past. Okazaki, S. (2009). Impact of racism on ethnic minority mental health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(1), 103-107. Okazaki explains the effects of racism on the mental health of the minority in the state. He also outlines some of the other non-health related mishaps that come as a result of social oppression. In his book, he states what would eventually happen if racism were to go on without showing any signs of ending soon. He however focuses on the effect this would have on the ethnic minority. Ornelas, I. J. , Amell, J. , Tran, A. N. , Royster, M. , Armstrong-Brown, J. , Eng, E. (2009). Understanding African American mens perceptions of racism, male gender socialization, and social capital through photovoice. Qualitative health research, 19(4), 552-565. This book tries to understand African American men’s perceptions of racism and the new trend of some African Americans feeling more racially discriminated than people of other races. It also highlights some of the reasons that lead to the prevalence of this notion among African Americans. Ornelas also explains why racism is a social evil that cannot be expelled overnight. Pieterse, A. L. , Carter, R. T. (2010). The role of racial identity in perceived racism and psychological stress among Black American adults: Exploring traditional and alternative approaches. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(5), 1028-1053. Pieterse, along with Carter seek to understand how racism is perceived by African American individuals aged over 21 years. Their book also strives to find the deeper meaning as to why racism is a bigger matter than we thought of it. It also explains reasons why getting rid of racism would be a great feat. RACISM 11 Shelby, T. (2009). We who are dark: The philosophical foundations of black solidarity. Harvard University Press. We who are dark tries to relive the African American history in an attempt to unite blacks. It emphasizes on the importance of dealing away with racism and living in unity as one big family. Shelby’s book also highlights the key differences between the perceptions of both whites and blacks with regard to racism. It also shows us how history has helped in cultivating black solidarity.

Biography of Ernst Ruska

Biography of Ernst Ruska ERNST RUSKA INTRODUCTION Mankind has come a long way since the dark ages in the field of science and medicine. We have seen many great inventions and discoveries that have helped shape our lifestyle. The electron microscope was one such invention which helped scientists and medical practitioners detect deadly diseases and viruses. The electron microscope helped scientists detect differences between the virus that caused smallpox and the virus that caused chicken pox. Today the electron microscope continues to be an integral part of many laboratories helping researchers to examine biological materials, medical biopsy samples and the characteristics of various surfaces. However, due credit should be given to the man behind the invention of this great apparatus. That man was none other than Ernst Ruska. Ernst Ruska came from a humble family whose intellect surpassed other children his age. Boisterous and full of life, Ernst went on to create history when he collaborated with Dr. Max Knoll to invent the world’s first electron microscope. So what drove Ernst towards the complex field of mathematics and science? What were the difficulties he had to face before becoming the man who today is known as the father of microscopes? Let us go back in time and explore the journey of Ernst Ruska and witness firsthand his rise to glory. THE BIRTH OF A GENIUS It was a typical cold morning on 25th December 1906 in Heidelberg, Germany. Julius Ruska and his wife Elisabeth welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family. Elisabeth had tears of joy as Julius gently caressed the baby with affection. The baby was christened Ernst Ruska by the proud parents. Ernst’s father, Julius was a professor, a passionate botanist and a mineralogist who had the big Zeiss microscope kept in his study. For an innocent child like Ernst, the microscope seemed very unique and strange. Ernst was fascinated by this strange looking artefact and wanted to see it in person. However, his father strictly forbade him to touch the microscope. But, like all children, this only heightened Ernst’s curiosity. Ernst’s father noticed the keen interest his son showed towards the microscope. So, he would take time off his busy schedule and show Ernst magnified objects with the invention. Ernst’s uncle was in charge of an observatory on a hill overlooking Heidelberg. As a result, Ernst would often visit the observatory to meet his uncle and see the telescopes in action. After graduating from school, Ernst wanted to study engineering but his father, Julius was not too happy with the decision. Julius was very judgemental of his son’s decision to become an engineer. â€Å"How could the son of a Professor choose an inferior educational path?† thought Julius. However, Ernst was adamant about his decision to study engineering and got himself enrolled at the Technical College in Munich in the autumn of 1925 and later moved to Berlin. EARLY YEARS Ernst was extremely energetic as a student and began involving himself in studying high voltage and vacuum technology at the institute of High voltage under the tutelage of Adolf Matthias. Sometime around the end of the summer term in 1928, Mr. Matthias formed a small team to develop a high-performance cathode ray oscilloscope. When Ernst heard of Mr. Matthias’ plan, he jumped at the opportunity and joined the small team created by Matthias becoming the team’s youngest member. The team was headed by Ernst’s classmate called Max Knoll who was an electrical engineer. Ernst noticed that the cathode in the oscilloscope emitted a beam of electrons which could be used to form a dot or a writing spot on a fluorescent screen. But, the beam emitting from the cathode was unstable. Ernst and his team put all their energies into improving the cathode and sharpening the focus of the electron beams. During their research Ernst came across an article in a journal called ‘Archives Elektrotechnic’. The article was written by a professor named Hans Busch. In the article, Busch stated that the short coil present in the cathode generated a magnetic field that made stimulated electron particles behave in the same way as light when it passed through a convex glass lens. Ernst remembered his childhood and realised that the same type of lens was found in his father’s microscope. Unfortunately, Busch was unable to bring his brilliant theory to practical use due to unavailability of newer data. However, Ernst was fascinated by Busch’s theory and decided to make it a part of his thesis which he submitted in his graduate years in May 1929 at the age of 23. In his thesis, Ernst calculated the characteristics of the magnetic coil. He tested whether it could actually be used to unite electron rays and focus on a target. He was successful in his approach and with the use of the coil; he managed to gain the first recorded electron ocular images of the anode orifice of the cathode ray tube. Ernst was elated to say the least. He had just brought Busch’s theory to life! An accomplishment which even Busch was unable to achieve! A SLOW PATH TO SUCCESS Ernst had an innovative outlook towards his profession. Yes, he was successful in obtaining images but his main agenda was to create an electron microscope. However, it wasn’t an easy task. In 1930, at the age of 24 Ernst tried to create a cheaper version of this experiment as part of his diploma thesis but failed to come through. So, Ernst went back to his original idea of using coils as lenses. Using two coils, Ernst managed to build a tube similar to the microscope. Ernst tested the apparatus for the first time and noted that the magnification factor of his unique invention was a mere 15 units. Even though the magnification of the apparatus was far lower than what Ernst had expected, he had managed to prove to his peers that it was possible to obtain magnified images using electron beams and magnetic fields. One day while working on developing the apparatus further, Ernst noticed that the electrons in the machine emitted a huge quantity of heat. The heat was destroying the objects that were being viewed by Ernst through the machine. Ernst was a bit disappointed with this outcome. There was no use of creating modestly magnified images when the objects in view could be burnt to ashes. Thus, Ernst along with colleague Bodo von Borries and Max Knoll ventured on building a new and efficient microscope. However, Ernst knew that in order to impress the scientific society, his microscope would have to be better than the current light microscope which was being used. During the process of constructing his very first electron microscope, Ernst noted that the trick to compressing the magnetic field to a tiny area relied heavily on the shape of the coil. The coil had to be designed in a way that the focal length could be kept as short as possible. Keeping the focal length short was a must so that the apparatus could obtain images with high magnification. To achieve this, Ernst and his colleague Bodo constructed a coil cocooned by iron with a small gap in the center which helped to compress the magnetic field. Ernst and Bodo named their coil the â€Å"pole shoe lens† and had it patented in 1932. Finally after a year of thorough research and sleepless nights, 27 years old Ernst and his colleagues built the first electron microscope in 1933. Unlike Ernst’s previous invention which had a magnification factor of merely 15 units, this new microscope had a magnification factor of a humongous 12000 units. Finally, after years of research and dedication, Ernst finally managed to achieve his dream. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The feat of inventing the first ever electron microscope in the world should have brought joy to Ernst. But, on the contrary Ernst wasn’t too happy as he couldn’t convince the industry to invest in the production of his microscope. The problem of overheating the objects under the lens of the microscope was still a major concern. Ernst noticed that the electron microscope would mostly be utilized by biologists. He also realised that the vacuum tube present in the microscope dehydrated the specimens and the electrons damaged them. On most occasions the heat generated burnt the specimen to ashes. Ernst was in a fix as he was unable to come to a solution to this particular problem. He turned to his younger brother, Helmut Ruska for assistance. Helmut Ruska was a medical practitioner with a positive attitude. He was sure the microscope would work if certain improvements were made. As a result, Helmut approached Richard Siebeck who was the director of the medical clinic at the Charity Hospital. Richard was also Helmut’s former medical professor and so, he managed to convince Richard to invest his time and effort into his brother’s invention. Richard was initially reluctant but after 3 years on 2nd October 1936, Siebeck praised Ernst’s invention and explained how the microscope could help doctors in analyzing the cause of diseases. He credited Ernst by stating that the microscope was capable of advancing research into identifying infectious agents that caused diseases which on paper seemed similar to each other. Diseases like measles, smallpox, and chickenpox seemed to have similar symptoms but Richard knew that the infectious agents causing the diseases were different. And he backed Ernst by stating that the microscope would be helpful in distinguishing the agents. Richard Siebeck’s testimony was enough to convince industries and companies to take the financial risk and and invest in developing electron microscopes. A renowned company called ‘Siemens’ hired Ernst and Bodo von Borries in 1937. Together Ernst and Bodo began work on producing microscopes. In late 1939 Siemens delivered the first series of microscopes branded â€Å"Siemens Super Microscope† to the laboratories of I.G. Farben in Frankfurt-Hochst. Ernst was eager to make his instrument famous all over the country. So in order to promote his invention, he suggested to the CEOs of his company Siemens to set up a visiting institute so that biologists and doctors could carry out their research using his microscope. The Institute of Electron Optics was built in 1940 when Ernst was 34 years old. Ernst along with German and foreign scientists managed to publish around 200 scientific papers from the institute by 1944. Ernst was obviously involved in the development and mass production of the electron microscope. Following the Second World War which proved to be devastating for Germany, the Institute of Electron Optics was disbanded. As a result production of microscopes had come to a halt. The demand for the instrument was huge and so in order to meet the demands of his customers; Ernst reconstituted the institute. FINAL YEARS In order to further develop the microscope, Ernst began working at the German academy of Sciences in Berlin from August 1947 to December 1948. In 1949, at the age of 43 he was made the head of department at the Fritz Haber Institute. After spending almost 20 years at Siemens, Ernst left the company at the age of 49 in 1955. After two years at the age of 51, Ernst was made Director of the institute of electron microscopy at the Fritz Haber Institute on 27th June 1957. In 1960, Ernst’s contribution to the field of medical science was acknowledged when he was awarded the Lasker Award. Ernst spent the 1960s serving as Director at Fritz Haber. He also held lectures at the Technical University of Berlin and Free University where he would talk about the basic principles of electron optics and electron microscopy. On 31st December 1974 at the age of 68, Ernst stepped down as Director and officially announced his retirement. In 1986, 80 years old Ernst received the Nobel Prize for his contribution to science. 25th May 1988 was a gloomy day in West Berlin. 82 years old Ernst Ruska left the world peacefully. He was cremated in West Berlin. TRIBUTE Even though Ernst left the world, his invention of the electron microscope continues to help biologists and medical practitioners till date. His ability to think out of the box was a quality that helped him reach a stage of grandeur. Ernst was all alone during the initial years of his studies when he stated that an electron microscope could be developed. Many doubted him and scoffed at his idea that an apparatus of such great significance could actually be built. The same people had to eat their hats when the microscope was finally invented. What one should learn from this legendary inventor is that one should never lose the will to succeed. Ernst’s life would have been very different had he chosen to give up on his dreams. Like they say, man is the maker of his own destiny and Ernst deserved every accolade that he received for his ingenuity. Here’s saluting the legendary inventor and genius known as Ernst Ruska.

Martin Luther :: essays research papers

Martin Luther MARTIN LUTHER, the greatest of the Protestant reformers of the 16th century, was born at Eisleben, on the 10th of November 1483. His father was a miner in humble circumstances; his mother, as Melanchthon records, was a woman of exemplary virtue, and esteemed in her walk of life. Shortly after Martin's birth, his parents removed to Mansfield, where their circumstances ere long improved by industry and perseverance. Their son was sent to school; and both at home and at school his training was of a severe and hardening character. When he reached his eighteenth year, he entered the university at Erfurt, with a view of qualifying himself for the legal profession. He went through the usual studies in the classics and the schoolmen, and took his degree as Doctor of Philosophy, or Master of Arts, in 1505, when he was twenty-one years of age. Previous to this, however, a profound change of feeling had begun in him. Chancing one day to examine the vulgate version of the Bible in the University Library, he saw with astonishment that there were more gospels and epistles than in the lectionaries. He was arrested by the contents of his newly found treasure. His heart was deeply touched, and he resolved to devote himself to a spiritual life. He separated himself trom his friends and fellow-students, and withdrew into the Augustine convent at Erfurt. Here he spent the next three years of his life - years of peculiar interest and significance, for it was during this period that he laid in the study of the Bible and of Augustine, the foundation of those doctrinal convictions which were afterwards to rouse and strengthen him in his struggles against the papacy. He describes very vividly the crisis through which he passed, the burden of sin which so long lay upon him, "too heavy to be borne;" and the relief that he at length found in the clear understanding of the "forgiveness of sins" through the grace of Christ. In the year 1507, Luther was ordained a priest, and in the following year he moved to Wittenberg, destined to derive its chief celebrity from his name. He became a teacher in the new university, founded there by the Elector Frederick of Saxony. In 1510 or 1511, he was sent on a mission to Rome, and he has described yery vividly what he saw and heard there. On his return from Rome, he was made a Doctor of the Holy Scriptures, and his career as a reformer may be said to have commenced.

The Theme of Saints in Robertson Davies Fifth Business Essay -- Saint

The marvelous story of saints is one of the leading themes in Fifth Business. As the author Robertson Davies develops this theme through Dunstan’s journey into hagiology, he often uses certain saints such as Saint Dunstan, as allusions. Among the Saints that the novel refers to, Saint Paul is the perfect allusion that portrays the character of Paul Dempster since the two share strong similarities in their lives. Additionally, Saint Paul foreshadows Dunstan’s encounter with Paul Dempster. Saint Paul’s life is similar to Paul Dempster’s life in many ways. Both of them develop their hatred from an early age. Saint Paul was a Jewish student who hated Christians whom he believed to be infidels. As he grows in status, he assists in persecuting them. Similarly, Dempster has an abhorrence for his mother and her inanity which made him the laughingstock in his town. He penalizes his mother for causing him to endure such ignominy by running away. Furthermore, their display of hatred also leads them to attain and sustain a second life. Saint Paul and Paul Dempster are both reborn in their life...

Peyronies Disease :: essays research papers

Peyronie's disease What is Peyronie's disease? Peyronie's disease is a disorder affecting the penis that can cause:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a lump within the shaft of the penis  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pain in the shaft of the penis  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  abnormal angulation of the erect penis ('bent' penis). Not all of these features are necessarily present, but, typically, a man would first notice a tender lump in the penis, which might later be followed by bending of the penis when erect, sometimes at very odd angles. The flaccid penis is not usually deformed. It is important to remember that a degree of upward (towards the head) angulation of the erect penis is quite normal and not a feature of Peyronie's disease. Good advice Noticing a lump in the penis can be a frightening experience. Men are often concerned that they have developed a cancer. Cancer within the penile shaft is very rare indeed, while Peyronie's disease is by far the most common cause of such lumps. If you find a lump, it is important to seek prompt medical advice, but you should not be too fearful that a serious cause will be found What causes Peyronie's disease? The penis consists of basically three cylinders, covered by several sheaths of tissue and, finally, by skin. A pair of corpora cavernosa form the erectile tissue that becomes engorged with blood during erection, acting like the inner tube of a tyre. They are surrounded by the tunica albuginea, a tough, inelastic, fibrous sheath, which might be compared with the tyre itself. When the penis becomes erect, the inner tubes (corpora cavernosa) inflate, filling the space within the tyre (tunica albugenia), making it more rigid. In Peyronie's disease, tough, fibrous plaques spontaneously appear within the tunica albugenia, and are felt as tender lumps. When the penis becomes erect, it inflates unevenly and tends to bend around the plaque, causing the characteristic deformed appearance of Peyronie's disease. Experts are not certain why some men get Peyronie's disease and others do not. Several factors might be involved, including:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  genetics: occasionally the disease has a tendency to run in certain families (inherited or genetic predisposition), but this is not common.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  injury: Peyronie's disease is more common after injury to the penis, such as penile fracture or forceful bending of the erect penis. It also occurs more frequently in men that give injections into the penis for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (impotence).  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  circulatory disorders: more men with Peyronie's disease seem to be affected by high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), so these conditions might possibly be involved in its development.

Piaget And Vygotsky Were Both Considered Constructivists Education Essay

Piaget and Vygotsky were both considered constructivists. Constructivism is a theory of learning and larning based on the thought that knowledge is developed through mental building. This suggests that worlds learn, building new cognition by patching together their past experiences. Another similarity between Piaget and Vygotsky is that they both believe social influences set up the boundaries of cognitive growing. The chief thoughts in Piaget ‘s and Vygotsky ‘s theories sing intelligence differ. Harmonizing to Piaget, intelligence was a merchandise of action. He believed that kids learn by interaction with their surrounding and that such acquisition ‘s occur after development. Vygotsky nevertheless, believed that larning occurs before development can and that a kid learns because of history and symbolism. Vygotsky besides thought that kids appreciate input from their milieus every bit good as other people. Piaget on the other manus did non put any importance on the input of others. Piaget and Vygotsky ‘s theories sing the phases of development have differing sentiments every bit good. Piaget ‘s theory of cognitive development is made up of four phases which mark the outgrowth of new rational abilities. The earliest phase is the sensorimotor phase, which occurs between birth and two old ages of age. During this phase babes and immature kids use their senses and motor accomplishments to research the universe. Through physical activity and slightly inadvertent motor physiological reactions intelligence is manifested. Toward the terminal of this phase kids besides get the construct of object permanency, intending that they understand an object is at that place even if the kid can non see it. The following phase in Piaget ‘s theory is known as the preoperational phase. This occurs during ages two through seven. During this phase a kid ‘s linguistic communication and constructs develop quickly, nevertheless their thought procedure is still instead crude. In this phase features such as centration occur, which leaves the kid so focused on one facet of a state of affairs that they fail to see other of import factors. Another feature is that kids are egoistic. They believe that everyone thinks, or has the same demands and desires as they do. The 3rd phase in Piaget ‘s theory is the concrete operational phase, happening between the ages of seven and eleven. During this phase kids begin to see a drastic alteration in their thought procedure. Their ideas go less egoistic and more logical. â€Å" Reversibility, the ability to execute a mental operation and so change by reversal one ‘s thought to return to the get downing point ( Slavin, 2003, p.33 ) † occurs during this phase. Children at this phase still have trouble with abstract idea. The last phase in Piaget ‘s cognitive development theory is identified as the formal operational phase. It is during this phase in which a kid begins to develop abstract and symbolic ideas. It allows conjectural state of affairss to be addressed, and job work outing through experimentation. This development gives immature grownups the ability to ground their manner through state of affairss they have non yet experienced. As discussed Piaget ‘s theory has four specific phases, nevertheless Vygotsky believed that there are no set phases. The first facet of Vygotsky ‘s theory is a mechanism referred to as private address, speaking to oneself. Vygotsky found that it was of import to turn shared cognition into individual cognition. He believed that kids would incorporate the address of others into their job work outing procedure. Private address is normally seen amongst immature kids who talk to themselves openly and frequently. In adulthood private address is besides really of import, although it become soundless and internalized it is still a helpful job work outing tool. Vygotsky ‘s belief of the zone of proximal development is the 2nd portion of his cognitive theory. â€Å" A zone of proximal development is the degree of development instantly above a individual ‘s present degree ( Slavin, 2003, p.44 ) † . The zone of proximal development consists of things a kid can non quite make entirely, but could carry through with aid from a more experient kid or an grownup. It includes undertakings a kid has non yet learned but is capable of larning. Vygotsky believed that to accomplish maximal larning it was of import to work with the zone of proximal development. The concluding thought in Vygotsky ‘s cognitive development theory is scaffolding. This includes utilizing encouragement, hints, reminders and aid in the signifier of suggestion to help the kid in independently larning. By larning to work out jobs independently and without the aid of others, the kid additions the ability to self-regulate. Both Piaget and Vygotsky ‘s cognitive development theories have had an impact on instruction patterns and schoolroom direction. Piaget ‘s theory is used in schoolrooms daily with the usage of developmentally appropriate instruction. Another illustration of Piagetian theory being used in the schoolroom is through custodies on activities. Harmonizing to Piaget, immature kids ( preoperational ) learn through their actions and are non capable of abstract idea, hence supplying a assortment of physical activities for smaller kids is indispensable to any schoolroom agenda. Aspects of Vygotsky ‘s cognitive theory are besides found in many schoolroom scenes. An illustration is a schoolroom which has the kids divided into groups, or tabular arraies. This uses Vygotsky ‘s thoughts sing usage of the zone of proximal development every bit good as scaffolding. By puting kids of changing developmental abilities together for group work, kids have the ability to wise man and learn from each other through scaffolding, every bit good as work in their zone of proximal development. It is clear that cognitive development theories play an of import function in turn toing the educational demands and larning methods of kids of changing phases. Through the theories provided by Piaget and Vygotsky it is possible to make a better schoolroom experience for non merely the pupil but the instructor every bit good. When a instructor uses methods to learn kids developmentally appropriate stuff, it makes for a more gratifying and contributing acquisition environment. Thankss to such psychologists as Piaget and Vygotsky, instructors today have the tools available to them to make such an environment.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Official Statistics In Sociological Research Essay

Official statistics are quantitative data produced by local and national government bodies, and can cover a wide range of behaviour including births, deaths, marriages and divorce, income, crime, and work and leisure. Official statistics can be produced as a by-product of the normal workings of a government department, but they can also result from research designed specifically to produce them. Two main sources of official statistics are the government and its departments, and surveys. For example, government departments such as the Home Office and Education and Skills request; process and then publish information from organisations such as local tax offices, social services and hospitals. An example of a source of surveys that produce official statistics is The Office for National Statistics, which is a government agency and is responsible for compiling and analysing statistics. Every ten years this agency carries out the Census of the Population, which covers every household in the UK. By law each head of household must complete a questionnaire that includes family composition, housing occupation, transport and leisure. Official statistics are used by sociologists because of their many advantages. A main plus is that official statistics are often compiled from data which has been gathered from a large sample size. The majority of sociologists could probably not afford to carry out such vast research. The size of the sample also tends to increase the representivity of the statistics. They also tend to be well organised and planned when researched, so the standards of sociological research can be met. Official statistics are usually readily available and relatively inexpensive, so sociologists can spend more time and money analysing data than collecting it. Statistics can also sometimes be the only source available for a specific topic, such as unemployment figures. Another advantage is that statistics allow sociologists to make comparisons over time, as they are usually produced regularly, for example the Population Census, which is carried out every ten years. This is similar to longitudinal studies, however the sample size of official statistical data is usually much larger. Looking at the above advantages, it would be easy to draw a conclusion that official statistics are in fact very useful as a source of data, however there are also important disadvantages to official statistics. Official statistics are not always produced in a useful form, making them harder for a sociologist to analyse and draw any trends and patterns from. Another disadvantage is that statistics do not always measure what they intend to measure. For example the Home Office Crime Rates Statistics do not take into account the fact that not all crime is reported. This can decrease the representivity of the data. Another factor which must be considered when interpreting official statistics is that because official statistics are usually produced by the government, they may be politically biased, for example to show that their policies are having the predicted effect. A well-known example of this is that the method of collecting unemployment statistics has changed many times, which gives the appearance that the unemployment rate it falling. From these disadvantages it would appear that although statistics can be very enlightening and useful, there are several pitfalls, which cannot always be avoided. Positivists view official statistics as a potentially valuable source of quantitative data; however they do recognise that statistics have several faults. They generally agree that statistics can provide measures of behaviour that can be used to investigate possible ’cause and effect’ relationships. However Interpretivists, in particular ethnomethodologists and phenomethodologists, reject the use of official statistics for measuring or determining certain behaviour of which they refer to. Cicourel and Atkinson believe that statistics are the products of meanings, which are assumptions of those who construct them. However, although they think that official statistics are not social facts, but social constructs, this does not mean they are not of sociological interest. Phenomenologists believe that they can be studied in order to discover how they are produced. Cicourel said that this is the only use of official statistics, partly because all statistics involve classifyin g things, when such decisions are really subjective. When assessing this view, it seems it cannot be applied to all types of official statistics, especially those concerning data on age and gender. Although there may well be considerable room for interpretation when considering whether, for example, a sudden death is suicide, there is less room for interpretation when deciding whether someone is male or female. Conflict theories such as marxist and feminist theory, argue that official statistics are neither hard facts or subjective meanings. Instead they believe they consist of information which is systematically distorted by the powerful institutions in society. Although the statistics are not complete distortions, they are manipulated through the definitions and procedures used to collect the data, so that they tend to favour the interests of the rich and powerful. One example of this is the claim by Anne and Robin Oakley that official statistics are sexist. They have pointed out that in eighty-percent of cases a man is defined as the head of the household, and that women engaged in housework or unpaid domestic labour are defined as economically inactive, despite the contribution which housework makes to the economy. These theories suggest that official statistics aren’t particularly useful in presenting a valid picture of an area of society. Compared to other methods of collecting data, official statistics can seem both superior and inferior. As a secondary source of data official statistics come ready coded and presented, which can be hard to do with some data, particularly qualitative. However this categorised data may not be categorised in the exact way a sociologist might prefer it, so this is a definite disadvantage. Like questionnaires and social surveys, official statistics produce quantitative data, can generally cover a fairly large sample size, and are pre-coded. Again, like questionnaires and social surveys, the data can be manipulated to support or reject a hypothesis; for example by the way the data is collected and categorised. Official statistics are generally not an in-depth profile of the sample being researched, unlike methods such as participant observation and longitudinal studies. However because these studies are more in-depth, they also tend to have a smaller sample size than statistical data. To conclude, it seems that although there are many benefits to using official statistics as a source of data, they must be treated with caution, bearing in mind the social processes involved in their collection. Although some see statistics as social constructions rather than social facts, official statistics do often provide a unique opportunity for sociologists to obtain data the whole population. This would otherwise be far too expensive and time-consuming for a sociologist to collect themselves.