Human Resource Management in a Business Context Essay

Human Resource Management in a Business Context - Essay Example HR management can play a role in environmental scanning i.e. identifying and analysing external opportunities and threats that may be crucial to the company's success. Similarly HR management is in a unique position to supply competitive intelligence that may be useful in the strategic planning process. HR also participates in the strategy formulation process by supplying information regarding the company's internal strengths and weaknesses. The strengths and weaknesses of a company's human resources can have a determining effect on the viability of the firm's strategic options. So, Human Resources of such companies as Solaris Hotel and Libra Holidays Group Public Limited take up a role of Business Strategic Partner. Translating business strategies into HR practices helps a business in three ways. First, the business can adapt to change because the time from the conception to the execution of a strategy is shortened. Second, the business can better meet customer demands because its customer service strategies have been translated into specific policies and practices. Third, the business can achieve financial performance through its more effective execution of strategy. "We are the people who take pride in high professional standards. We are client focused. We stand behind our promise to deliver value for money and efficient client service. We already rank amongst the ten biggest tour operators in the UK. Our vision is to become one of the top 20 European tour operators. And we will achieve it." (11) So, Libra Holidays Group is the number one travel Group in tourism world. The Group is structured to include such fields of imposing operations as Tour Operations, Air Transport, Customer Service and Hotels. Investing on the capabilities of its people and strengthening its existing potentials in all fields of activity it anticipates its inclusion among the 20 leading tour operators in Europe. And the Libra Group has a global HR department. There are established procedures for recruitment and selection, training and development, and performance appraisal. The Solaris Hotel is a small Family Hotel with a high proportion of the staff which has worked there for many years. Recruitment of the new staff is usually on the recommendation of existing staff. Training tends to be mainly on-the-job by watching and working with more experienced member of employees. The staff is very flexible. And these two companies has decided to merge, Solaris Hotel is going to be a part of Libra Holidays Group. But there is a question: what are the changes required to enable the Solaris to become a successful member of the Libra Group That's why the aims of the topic are: 1) to suggest a series of proposals regarding the management style and performance management; 2) to define the main principles of the recruitment strategy; 3) to provide training and development processes for the staff. Main body What should be done to combine Human Resources functions when a merger happens The answer to this question depends upon a number of factors: the level of sophistication found in the Human Resources functions that exists; the charter of HR in the pre-merger organisations; and the capacity of those HR functions to meet the new demands. Well, to begin successful integration into the Libra Group Solaris company needs to provide the guidance and the process

Criminal Law Will Never Be an Adequate Response for Dealing with Essay

Criminal Law Will Never Be an Adequate Response for Dealing with Complexities of Gendered, Sexualised and Racialised Violence - Essay Example The other objective of criminal law is to make it possible for individuals to coexist in the society1. Other objectives include to define the procedures of recognizing innocence or guilt and to choose the form of treatment or punishment after the individual is convicted for violating society’s laws2. The main aim of the criminal law is to protect the society so that its members can be reasonably secure as they carry out their constructive activities. Behaviours that are considered to be detrimental to the society’s welfare are made criminal. At all times, a balanced has to be attained between protecting the society and the individual rights. There are three types of harm or dangers that the criminal protects the individual against, and they include protection of the societal morals, protection from harm caused by others, and protection from harm emanating from ourselves. The most common protection that criminal law offers include protection from harm caused by others. T he obvious protection offered is found in laws against arson, rape, theft, and homicide. Individuals feel reasonably secure when majority of the people, â€Å"most of the time, will not harm us in these or other ways, and that if we are harmed, the offender will be caught and punished.†3 Criminal Law Will Never Be an Adequate Response for Dealing with the Complexities of Gendered, Sexualized and Racialised Violence Criminal Law Will Never Be an Adequate Response for Dealing with the Complexities of Gendered Violence In the majority of the countries in the world, criminal law is the conventional legal strategy utilized in addressing issues of violence against women. The laws are usually contained in general statutes like the penal codes that create the national criminal justice system. The penal codes apply to all individuals and in all areas within the nation. At times, the special statutes tackle certain types of violence such as torture and dowry violence. This form of legi slation supplements penal codes, basic law, thus offering for a more focussed regulatory control. However, in most cases, there gaps in special laws and penal codes, and this results in the inadequacies, and inefficiencies in the criminal justice system. It is important to note that the laws are not in place and thus, they are supposed to be reformed, expanded, and revised4. Due to ineffective enforcement, inefficiency in investigation, undue influence, and corruption, the criminal justice systems are said to be against women who are victims of violence. Thus, the procedural and substantive criminal laws and the law enforcement culture, lack gender sensitivity and they reflect an entrenched prejudice against women5. The criminal law alone cannot effectively deal with the problem of domestic violence. Majority of the aspects in domestic violence cannot be described as crime\, and they do not into any classes of assault under the criminal law. For instance, a woman who is under infreq uent sexual or physical assaults from her partner or husband may find that her day-to-day life is controlled by measures such as seeking permission on a daily basis to see her friends or family, take up education or employment, or even to go out. These women may generally feel incapable of doing so for fear of reaction. Thus, most of the women will not have the option of using criminal law. It is worth noting that criminal law will not effectively recognize the possible danger or escalation of the abuse when it attempts to challenge

Metastatic Cancer: Types and Causes

Metastatic Cancer: Types and Causes Introduction Cancer is something that many people face or is affected by in some way. Cancer is a problem that is global and always growing affecting more people as the world’s population increases. The 2012 statistics show that were about 3.45 million new cases of cancer and 1.75 million deaths as a result of cancer worldwide in the year 2012. The main cancer site being breast contributing 464,000 cases [Ferlay, Foucher, Tieulent, Et.al, 2013]. Thanks to a better understanding and better treatment of cancer like chemotherapy and cancer based drugs, there has been a decrease in death from cancer and so better survival rates for both males and females affect by cancer [Jemal, Simard, Dorell, Et.al, 2012]. The fact cancer is so prevalent worldwide is due to the many features and ways that cancer affects people. One of these features is that some cancer cells are not static. The cancer cells are able to alter and change in order to form into another cancer that is in another part of the body therefore affecting a different organ site. This ability for cancer cells to move or migrate to different parts of the body is known as Metastasis [Yachida, Jones, Bozic, Et.al, 2010] [Fokas, Cabillic, Et.al, 2007]. The fact that cancer cells are able to migrate to other sites of the body is not just random. Where the cells migrate to, is dependent on where the cancer cells was originally was before the migration. What dictates where the cancer cells go, are specific stimuli or environment within the body so that the cells are able to grow into tumours. The stimuli or environment may consist of specific receptors or chemokines that are shared or common between the two sites [Baruch, 2009]. When cancer has metastasised to a different area the site that the cancer had originated in is known as the primary cancer and the site at which the cancer cells moved to is known as metastatic cancer. A common type of metastasis is from breast to brain, with breast being the primary cancer and br ain being the metastatic cancer. Breast cancer is often found to metastase to the brain, the chances of this occurring are increased when patients have HER2 over expression [Gupta, Adkins, Et.al, 2013]. HER2 comes from the human epidermal growth factor receptor family that controls response such as cell growth and cell differentiation, therefore it can be easily predicted that over expression of HER2 leads to uncontrollable cell growth a feature that is in all cancers [Rubin Yarden, 2001]. The metastasises of cancer within patients does not affect them straight away, as it often takes years for the metastatic cancer to be detected and to affect the person. When the primary tumour has grown, only then will the tumour cells migrate and invade to another part of the body and grow at the site. When the tumour cells are at the new site then they the process of cell growth occurs at the site. But it has been shown that the tumour cells at the new site have been dormant which accounts for the time between the detection of the primary cancer and the metastatic cancer [Rà ¶cken, 2010]. The way the metastatic cancer cells move from their primary site to their metastatic site can be many ways depending on ultimately were the tumour formation will be formed in. Examples of the movement or migration are 1) local tissue invasion which is movement of the tumour cells through the tissue, 2) hematogenous spread which is the movement through the blood; 3) lymphatic spread which similar to the blood by uses the lymph nodes and finally 4) spreading through surfaces and cavities [Pepper, 2001]. There are many sites of metastatasis, below is a summary table of the sites and where they originated from [Nguyen, Bos, Massaguà ©, 2009]. Table 1: A brief summary list that shows the sites of metastasis from primary tumours [Nguyen, Bos, Massaguà ©, 2009]. A metastatic cancer that is particularly important and of interest is metastatic cancer that is able to migrate to the brain. From the table above it can be seen that sites of metastasis for the brain is only in 3 types of tumours, these being breast, lung adenocarcinoma and skin melanoma. Out of these three types’ lung and breast tumours usually metastases to the brain making up 60% of brain metastasises [Nguyen, DeAngelis, 2004]. The reason why brain metastasis is of particular interest is because of how the metastatic cancer is able to pass through the blood brain barrier (BBB). In order to understand the movement of the blood brain barrier it structure must first be looked at. The blood brain barrier is made up of 4 main sections or parts that are of important to it function. These 4 parts are 1) tight junctions, 2) adherens junctions, 3) astrocytes, and 4) pericytes, each section has its own function as well. The tight junctions are made up of claudin, occludin, and junct ion adhesion molecules these are transmembrane proteins which are involved in cell-to-cell adhesion. Adheren junctions are responsible for paracellular permeability. Astrocytes are for structural supports and also for guiding of neurons and finally the pericytes are for mechanical support for cell attachment. [Lawther, Kumar, Krovvidi, 2011] [Hawkins, OKane, Simpson, Et.al 2006]. Figure 1: Image showing the main parts of the BBB and the overall structure of the BBB. Image was extracted from [Lawther, Kumar, Krovvidi, 2011]. Now that the structure of the blood brain barrier can be seen more clearly, a better understanding of how metastatic brain tumours form and how the cells pass through the blood brain barrier. More specifically primary breast cancer that produces metastatic brain tumour can be looked at. The tumour cells that are being metastasised are able to express vascular endothelial growth factor (VGEF). The expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor by the tumour cells is able to disrupt the blood brain barriers permeability which allows the cells to pass through and into the brain [Gerstner, Fine, 2007]. Another way to metastasise to the brain is by the tumour breast cells attaching or invading the brain microvascular endothelial cells and then passes through the blood brain barrier [Arshad, Wang, Sy. Et.al, 2011]. The survival rates of patients that have a metastatic brain tumour in unfortunately not very high. Those patients that have had primary breast cancer and then later gaine d a metastatic brain tumour have between 30-40% chance of death due to the metastatic brain tumour [Wadasadawala, Gupta, Bagul, 2007] [Jaboin, Ferraro, DeWees, Et.al, 2013]. There are treatments available that help fight against metastatic brain tumours the main one and most effective being radiotherapy. However the effectiveness of radiotherapy is dependent of where the tumour cells had originated from i.e. which primary cancer the patient had first. Those that had primary lung or breast cancer are more sensitive to the radiotherapy treatment. Other types of treatments include Craniotomy, Postoperative radiotherapy, and Stereotactic radiosurgery. The treatment that is craniotomy is not used often as it is stressful for the patients. Postoperative radiotherapy is also an effective treatment that improves the life of the person, however there are side effects or conditions that can occur as well like disorder of the nervous system or dementia. The final treatment stated is Stereotact ic radiosurgery which involves using gamma radiation on the site of the tumour [Shibui, 1999]. With the use of radiation is the fear of persevering the nearby cells and tissues. With the advancement of science and technology the treatment of using radiotherapy has become better. The use of radiotherapy is still the main treatment but with better radiotherapy processes and technique the preservation of the cells and tissue from radiation has greatly improved [Owonikoko, Arbiser, Zelnak, Et.al, 2014]. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is defined as a biological process that occurs within polarised epithelial cells which interact with the basement membrane. The polarised epithelial cells undergo many biological changes that brings about a mesenchymal cell phenotype, these changes include an increased ability of migration, invasion and develop a resistance to the process of apoptosis [Kalluri Weinberg, 2009]. There are keys differences between the epithelial cells and the mesenchymal cells. Epithelial cells are cells that form layers, which are tightly packed by membrane structure such as tight junctions, gap junctions’ adherens junctions and desosomes. These cells do possess an ability of motility, however under normal condition they remain they do not move. In comparison the mesenchymal cells are not organised into layers like epithelial cells. The main difference between the two is that mesenchymal cells are very motile whereas epithelial are not normally [Th iery Sleeman, 2006].The whole process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition plays a role in normal development. These normal developments include gastrulation which is an early phase in embryonic development and heart morphogenesis which need and take advantage of the transition between the epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells. Another key role of the EMT is that it is for the down regulation of E-cadherin [Larue Bellacosa, 2005]. E-cadherin is a tumour suppressor that is encoded by the Cadherin-1 (CDH1) gene that is key for the suppression of carcinoma progression. It has been found and seen that the loss of the Cadherin-1 at EMT sites are linked to the formation, development of cancer. The reason for this is due to the fact that the loss of the E-cadherin increases the ability of invasion in cells [Wang Shang, 2013]. As with any biological process there are transcription factors that cause and regulate the transition. The transcription factors that mediate the processes are SNAI1 which down regulates E-cadherin, Zinc finger E-box (ZEB) and also basic helix–loop–helix transcription factors [Lamouille, Xu, Derynck, 2014]. There are features and properties of the mesenchymal cells that can be linked to cancer if not regulated properly. The mesenchymal cells are able to produce and secrete chemokines and growth factors that stimulate cell growth and angiogenesis. Another key feature of the mesenchymal cells is that they have anti apoptotic properties that can stop or save cells from undergoing apoptosis [Murphy, Moncivais, Caplan, 2013]. Just from seeing the features of the mesenchymal cells it can easily be seen that if the regulation of the process, mutation or changes in expression occur the consequences can be predicted and linked to the formation of cancer. The final aspect of epit helial–mesenchymal transition is how it is linked to the formation of cancer and more specifically metastatic cancers. As stated epithelial–mesenchymal transition is regulated by many growth factors and proteins such as Epidermal growth factor, Hepatocyte growth factor and Transforming growth factor beta, all of which if changed by mutation or expression can ultimately contribute to the hallmarks of metastatic cancer like uncontrollable cell growth and invasion into other tissues and organs in the body which is the main feature of metastatic cancer [Gos, MiÅ‚oszewska, Przybyszewska, 2009]. Below is a diagram that summarises and shows the process of how epithelial–mesenchymal transition can promote the formation of metastatic cancer [Kongemail, Liemail, Wangemail, Et.al, 2011]. Figure 2: A summary of how epithelial–mesenchymal transition can be linked to metastatic cancer. EMT is the process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition and MET is the process of Mesenchymal–Epithelial Transition. Image taken from [Kongemail, Liemail, Wangemail, Et.al, 2011]. The image above shows the transition of a primary tumour into a metastatic tumour and reason for this to happen. Red arrows show aspects that may be gone wrong due mutation or change in expression through methylation. Epigenetics Epigenetics is the genetic control by using factors that does not include a person’s DNA sequence [Simmons, 2008]. Epigenetic control or regulation is the process whereby genes are activated or deactivated within a cell [Mitsuyoshi Nakao, 2001]. Essentially the concept of epigenetics is the change in gene expression that can be caused by certain mechanisms such as DNA Methylation or Histone modification. These changes in gene expression whereby expression of a gene is switched on or off can be inherited and passed on. The idea of epigenetics and its mechanism is needed for maintenance of genes that are specific to tissues. Changes in the process of epigenetics, like DNA Methylation or Histone modification causes disruptions in a genes function, which alters its expression and is one of the hallmarks of how cancer begins [Sharma, Kelly, Jones, 2010]. As stated there two ways that can causes changes, histone modification and DNA methylation which will be the main focus of this p aper. The process of histone modification to a certan extent is reversible depending on the type of modification. The process of DNA methylation is more long term creating long-term repression [Cedar Bergman, 2009]. DNA methylation is the common mechanism in which genes are activated or deactivated by the addition of a methyl group to cytosine or adenine bases, making it an epigenetic signal tool. Changes in the process of DNA methylation can result in a gene being constantly activated or deactivated which can lead to brain tumours or other tumours in the body [Phillips, 2008]. The process of DNA methylation is catalysed by the family of enzymes known as DNA methyltransferases. DNA methyltransferases is an important enzyme in epigenetic silencing of transcription. As this is a family of enzyme there are many types of DNA methyltransferases which are DNMT 1, DNMT 2, and DNMT 3 each one having their own function [Simmons, 2008] [Fakhr, Hagh, 2013]. There are two types of DNA methylat ion these are 1) Hypermethylation and 2) Hypomethylation. Hypermethylation stops transcription in the promoter region of suppressor genes which ultimately lead to gene silencing [Das Singal, 2004]. The location at which hypermethylation occurs at are known as CpG sites, these are sites were cytosine is next to guanine. It is the cytosine in these CpG sites that are usually methylated and therefore switched off [Esteller, 2002]. Hypomethylation is the loss of methylation at regions or sites that are normally heavily methylated, for example satellites like SAT 2. The loss of the methylation at SAT 2 can lead to instability and oncogene activation (Jin, Li Robertson, 2011). Oncogenes when activated increases protein expression which in turn leads to increase in cell division, decreases in cell differentiation and the inhibition of cell death [Chial, 2008]. It is the mutation of a proto-oncogene by hypomethylation that makes an oncogene which is the cause of increase in cell division and therefore the cause of an abnormal growth of cells that leads to tumours and cancer. A proto-oncogene is the normal, non-mutated gene that regulates cell division making it controllable by balancing cell growth and death. There many types of proto-oncogenes these include WNT, RAS and ERK [Chial, 2008] [Torry, Cooper, 1991]. To summarise the idea of Epigenetics is the control of gene expression using DNA methylation or Histone modification. If any of these two processes are damaged or mutated this then means the control of gene expression can no long be controlled and so this leads to increase in cell growth and therefore tumours and cancer. Methylation of Promoter Region The DNA methylation of the promoter region within genes is as stated an epigenetic event that is linked to transcriptional silencing in cancer. This means that DNA methylation in this region is for the control of gene expression [Yang Park, 2012]. The promoter region of gene is a region that starts or causes the initiation of transcription [Gordon, Chervonenkis, Gammerman, 2003]. The process of methylation in the promoter region causes the expression of genes to reduce or in the in case of cancers cause the silencing of the gene altogether. There are two ways that this happens in the promoter region. One of the ways it can occur is the inhibition of sequence-specific transcription factors which contain CpG sites. The second way is by the use of methyl-CpG binding proteins which can compete for binding sites of methylated DNA [Robertson Jones, 2000]. E-cadherin was introduced to have a key role in epithelial–mesenchymal transition. If there is methylation more specifically hy permethylation in the promoter region of the E-cadherin then this can cause the silencing of the gene which has been linked to many types of gastric cancer also known as stomach cancer [Tamura, Yin, Wang, 2000]. Another gene that is important and methylation of it has been shown and linked to astrocytic brain tumour is the Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase’s function is as a repair protein that can remove promutagenic alkyl groups’ guanine in DNA. DNA methylation in the CpG Island of the Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase means that its function in order to remove promutagenic alkyl groups is decreased [Nakamura, Watanabe, Yonekawa, Et.al, 2001].

Rev. Richard Johnson :: essays research papers

Reverend Richard Johnson In a land intended to be dumping grounds for Britain’s moral filth, Reverend Richard Johnson worked hard at laying the foundations of Christianity in Australia. Born in 1757 at Welton, England, he was educated at Magdalen College, Cambridge. He graduated with a BA in 1783, and was appointed a deacon and priest by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1786. Only five months before the First Fleet set sail, Richard Johnson was recommended and approved for the position of Chaplin, to establish the Church of England in Australia. Governor Phillip saw Johnson’s job as a "moral policeman" to the convicts, but the chaplain viewed his position as a door of opportunity to preach the Gospel to the "dregs of humanity." His work began even before the ship landed, and his moral nature displayed. Johnson found the ship's company very disrespectful and profane and targeted this in his teaching. On the following Sunday it was noted that for days afterwards their behaviour had improved. On Sunday the 3rd of February 1788, Johnson preached his first sermon to a crowd of both soldiers and convicts. Being a result of the Evangelical revival in England, Johnson laboured for their salvation and tried to encourage goodness in them. He requested the help of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, who provided him with 4200 books in total for the new colony, including Bibles, Testaments, Prayer Books, Catechisms, Psalters, and religious booklets against common sins. His job was not an easy one as he was meant to carry out many duties placed upon him by the Governor as well as the mission of his own. Johnson’s duties included officiating at hangings and acting as magistrate when needed. In the first five years, he conducted 226 baptisms, 220 marriages and 851 funerals. One of Johnson’s obstacles was the lack of support he received. He and his wife, Mary, lived in a cabbage palm hut for the first three years while the Governor had two mansions. Many times his family was short of food and in addition to his regular duties; he worked on his farm to provide for his family. Richard Johnson was a compassionate man who even took an Aboriginal girl, who had contracted smallpox, into his home for several months. This trait made Australia appear as a destination unsuitable for him, but at the same time, he was the best man for the job.

Compare the way the poets write about love Essay

A sonnet is traditionally a love poem, with 14 lines and generally ending with a couplet. The two sonnets I am comparing discuss the nature of love, but portray two completely different relationships between lovers. While Browning’s poem is an ode to a pure, simple and almost childlike love, Shakespeare’s is a critique of his relationship, in which both sides play a game of double-bluff. This poem mocks the idea of true love. We sense simply from the titles that, while Browning’s â€Å"Sonnet† is an expression of heartfelt emotions, Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 138† is just another meaningless work out of many, perhaps like his mistresses. Browning’s work is extremely feminine and is almost certainly about her husband, as she was married, as opposed to the masculine view of women in Shakespeare’s era that mistresses were disposable. I believe that Shakespeare has written this sonnet about a mistress rather than his wife, Anne Hathaway, because the untruthfulness in the relationship shows a lack of commitment between the two lovers. In these poems, the attitudes of the poets to their relationships and partners are extremely different. When Browning says, â€Å"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach†, she implies that she cannot live without her lover, so of course this is why she stays with him. However, in Shakespeare’s case, he stays with his mistress because he knows he is past his prime and no longer a handsome, young virile man. Her lies of being faithful and her reassuring him that he is young in her mind flatter his ego, despite his knowledge of her untruthfulness. Perhaps by saying â€Å"thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young†, he is trying to make himself believe this, because he says, â€Å"Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue†, so he actually respects her for considering his feelings. He cannot be angry with her for lying to him because he reciprocates in the matter. He is happy in the situation, and believes that his lover thinks he is nai ve and â€Å"unlearned in the world’s false subtleties†. He seems to fear being alone and not being able to obtain another mistress. This is in sharp contrast to Browning’s sense of security with her lover, and feeling of openness and honesty. There is a quality of immortality to her love that is suggested in the phrase, â€Å"I shall but love thee better after death†. The nature of the two relationships differ a great deal ; we sense that , while Browning conveys a love that is very spiritual and uncomplicated, Shakespeare’s relationship is more sexual without much actual love. Religious words and imagery, such as â€Å"Grace†, â€Å"Praise†, â€Å"Faith†, â€Å"Candlelight† and â€Å"God† are used to reinforce the feeling of purity in â€Å"Sonnet†. Meanwhile, in â€Å"Sonnet 138†, Shakespeare says, â€Å"Therefore I lie with her, and her with me†, using the double entendre of sex as well as untruthfulness and suggests that he has purely sexual motives for being in the relationship. He poses the idea that they are kept together by the fact that they lie to each other, because he creates the situation of them in bed together as they have not broken up as a result of being truthful. The language used in both poems gives more reinforcement the conflict between the two sonnets. In â€Å"Sonnet†, many of the lines begin simply with the words, â€Å"I love thee†. This simplistic, repetitive style gives Browning’s piece a childlike quality and supports the message of innocence that is interweaved into the poem. She says she loves him with her â€Å"childhood’s Faith†, showing that she loves him wholeheartedly and has no doubts, like a child loves it’s parent because they know no better. She could therefore see her husband as a father figure as he protects her and gives her stability. On the other hand, language is used to the opposite effect in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet 138†. The childhood aspect of this poem is related to gullibility. He makes use of negative words such as â€Å"lies†, â€Å"unjust†, â€Å"untutor’d† and â€Å"false† to show that he does not believe in love. Using these words in rhyming couplets – â€Å"lies† and â€Å"subtleties† – even more pronounces the negative imagery. The sonnet out of the two that I prefer is â€Å"Sonnet 138† by Shakespeare. This is because he has made a break from the traditional style of sonnets, which usually exhault the ideal of love and describe it in all it’s beauty. He takes the idea of love and almost mocks it, satirising the orthodox style of other sonnets. More complex language is used within the sonnet, unlike Browning’s simple prose. The impact of both of the poems is that they make us think about love in very different ways.

Hughes Promotes the African Civilization Essay

Still recognized as one of the literary giants of America, Langston Hughes played an important role as a writer and thinker of the Harlem Renaissance. This was an artistic movement of African Americans that arose during the 1920s to celebrate the lives and culture of Africans in the United States (â€Å"Langston Hughes†). Because most of the African Americans had been brought to the New World as slaves of white masters, it was poets and writers like Hughes, an African American man, that helped to change the perception of African Americans in the minds of the whites once slavery had been abolished. Hughes’ poems, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† published in 1926, and â€Å"Negro† published in 1958, therefore depict African Americans as ordinary human beings like everybody else, and yet richer in culture and civilization than many others, seeing that they have participated in the construction of the great â€Å"pyramids,† mentioned in both poems (Hughes, 2007; Hughes). Hughes was direct and open about the fact that his writings were meant to uplift the conditions confronting Africans in the United States (Hughes, 1923). They had been slaves, so therefore the whites did not respect them enough even after the abolishment of slavery. â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† was published five years after the Tulsa Riot and during the Harlem Renaissance (â€Å"Race Riot, Lynchings, and other Forms of Racism in the 1920s†). â€Å"Negro,† on the other hand, was published at a time when racism was considered a bigger problem than before. In fact, during the 1950s racism was at the forefront of American thought (Lewis, 2002). Many battles were fought to set blacks equal to whites in the minds of all Americans. Hughes’ contribution of the 1950s, his poem â€Å"Negro,† was only different to the extent that it was an artist’s contribution. Countless other Africans were fighting on the streets of America to set things right once and for all. Both poems, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† and â€Å"Negro,† are expressions of African American identity. The first poem begins thus: â€Å"I’ve known rivers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hughes). In the second as in the first, although the poet has made clear that the narrator is a negro – the poem, â€Å"Negro† begins with the words, â€Å"I am a Negro† (Hughes, 2007). Because the whites had been masters over African slaves, they were inclined to look down upon Africans. Since the whites were owners of property in America and certainly richer, the blacks longed to be like the whites. But, Hughes would like the Africans to feel at home in their own skins. With images of rivers as grand as of the Euphrates, the Nile and the Mississippi – the poem, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† reminds the African of his or her historical roots or the history of the great African peoples who have traveled across all of these rivers adding value to the historical streams of cultures. The poem has irregular, long lines without rhythm because it is making a basic point: the African soul is as deep as any human soul could be. The African individual indulges in deep thinking as he travels across ancient rivers. What he must dwell on is his own identity on foreign soil. Remembering the history of his civilization, he must keep in mind that life carries on. What’s more, the poet reminds his fellow African that the black race has survived despite all odds (Hughes). Because â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† was published during the peak of Harlem Renaissance, it refers to depth of the African soul, given that art is often understood as the voice of the soul and the Harlem Renaissance was all about promoting African art and culture in the United States. Using gentle images such as the Mississippi’s bosom â€Å"turning golden in the sunset,† the poet uses his emphasis on rivers to stand as a symbol for the depth of the African soul (Hughes). â€Å"Negro,† published during the 1950’s also mentions â€Å"depths† (Hughes, 2007). As in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† the depths mentioned by Hughes in both poems most likely refer to the depth of African knowledge too. After all, both poems refer to the history of Africans. â€Å"Negro,† with its sentence arrangements describing either what had happened to Africans or what they have done in the history of the African civilization – also makes mention of the experiences and/or skills that set Africans apart, for example, slavery and singing (Hughes, 2007). The poet represents all Africans in both his poems, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† and â€Å"Negro. † What is more, both poems mention the fact that the Africans were part of the labor force that built the ancient pyramids. In â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† it was the African who â€Å"looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it† (Hughes). In â€Å"Negro,† the pyramid is said to have arisen under the African hand, implying that the African was greatly skilled even at the time of ancient pyramid construction (Hughes, 2007). The main difference between the two poems, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† and â€Å"Negro† is, undoubtedly, the spirit of hope felt through the first poem versus the sense of despair mixed with hope in the second poem. Hughes must have composed â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† in a different frame of mind altogether. The poem clearly promotes the African American culture and art as originating in the deep history of humanity (Hughes). Although â€Å"Negro† makes mention of world history too, it does not necessarily promote African American art, apart from its reference to singing. The African American may be considered as more of a laborer or low paid worker than an artist in â€Å"Negro† (Hughes, 2007). Perhaps the poem was not written to promote African American art at all. As mentioned previously, the 1950s saw the whites and blacks of America fighting over the question of equal rights of Africans in almost all major areas of state functioning, including education. There were severe problems related to racism during this period of American history. Clearly, blacks were being looked down upon. It was in the mood of that hour that Hughes composed â€Å"Negro. † The poem speaks of the ordinariness of the African individual while describing the good uses that Africans have been made of, for example, in the construction of the â€Å"Woolworth Building† (Hughes, 2007). â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† is certainly not dismal or depressing like â€Å"Negro,† mainly because it does not make mention of slavery and victimization as the second. After all, Hughes is fighting against injustice toward African Americans in the 1950s. In the 1920s, his cause was entirely different. If â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† had made frequent mention of darkness as does â€Å"Negro,† the Harlem Renaissance could not have been considered a harbinger of hope (Hughes, 2007). References Hughes, L. (2007, Dec 2). Negro. Retrieved Mar 15, 2009, from http://amandafa. blogspot. com/2007/12/negro-by-langston-hughes. html. ————–. (1926, Jun 23). The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain. The Nation. Retrieved Mar 15, 2009, from http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/45a/360. html. ————–. The Negro Speaks of Rivers. Retrieved Mar 15, 2009, from http://www. wmrfh. org/dcrews/index_files/Hughes_The%20Negro%20Speaks%20of%20Rivers. doc. Langston Hughes. America’s Story from America’s Library. Retrieved Mar 15, 2009, from http://www. americaslibrary. gov/cgi-bin/page. cgi/aa/hughes. Lewis, C. H. (2002). The Rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. Retrieved Mar 15, 2009, from http://www. colorado. edu/AmStudies/lewis/2010/civil. htm. Race Riot, Lynchings, and other Forms of Racism in the 1920s. Retrieved Mar 15, 2009, from http://www. assumption. edu/ahc/raceriots/default. html.

Star Death Leads to Cosmic Enrichment

Star Death Leads to Cosmic Enrichment Star Death in the Southern Hemisphere Sky Stars, like every other object we can see in the universe. have a definite life cycle. Theyre born in clouds of gas and dust, they live their lives, and eventually, they come to an end. This is true for every star we know about, no matter its size or mass. Some very massive stars die in cataclysmic explosions called supernovae. Thats not the fate of our star, which will have a more gentle ending. Sun-like stars (those that are around the same mass or age as our  Sun) come to the ends of their lives and become  planetary nebulae. These are objects in the sky that once appeared almost planetary looking to astronomers of a century or more ago who had low-power telescopes compared to todays observatories. They have nothing to do with planets and everything to do with the evolution of certain kinds of stars. Astronomers suspect that our own Sun may end its days as a planetary nebula, if conditions permit. If it does, it will lose much of its mass to space and what remains of the Sun will heat the surrounding cloud of gas and dust and make it glow. To anyone looking at it through a telescope from another planet, the dying Sun will resemble a cosmic ghost.   Observing the Owl Nebula The European Southern Observatory caught a view of one such ghostly remnant, nicknamed the Southern Owl Nebula.  The expanding cloud of gas and dust measures about four light-years across and contains materials that once were created  inside the star and its atmosphere. Now, those elements (such as hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and  others) are being spread to interstellar space, possibly to enrich a new generation of stars. The Southern Owl (which has the official name of ESO 378-1) is a relatively short-lived phenomenon. It will probably  last only a few tens of thousands of years before the cloud dissipates completely. All that will be left is a fading white dwarf star.   What Makes a Planetary Nebula? For a planetary nebula to form, an aging star must be the right stellar type: it should have a mass less than about eight times that of the Sun. Stars  that are more massive will end their lives in dramatic fashion as supernova explosions. They, too, spread their material out, enriching the space between stars (also known as the interstellar medium).   As the less-massive stars age, they begin to lose their outer layers of gas through the action of stellar winds. The Sun has a stellar wind that we call the solar wind, which is a gentler version of the tempests emitted by old, dying stars. After the outer layers of the dying star have dissipated, the remaining hot stellar core heats up, and begins to radiate ultraviolet light. That UV radiation energizes (ionizes) the surrounding gas and causes it to glow.   The Long, Last Breath of the Sun Once the planetary nebula has faded away, the leftover stellar remnant will burn for another billion years,  consuming all its remaining fuel. It will then become a tiny - but hot and very dense - white dwarf that will slowly  cool over billions of years. The Sun could produce a planetary nebula several billion years in the future and then  spend its twilight years as a white dwarf emitting visible and ulltraviolet light, and even x-ray radiation.   Planetary nebulae play a crucial role in the chemical enrichment and evolution of the universe. Elements  are created inside these stars and returned to enrich the  interstellar medium. They combine to form new stars, build planets, and - if conditions are right - play a role in the formation and evolution of life. We (and the rest of Earths life) all owe our existence to the ancient stars that lived and then transformed to become white dwarfs, or blew up as supernovae that scattered their elements to space. This is why we can think of ourselves as star stuff, or even more poetically- as star dust memories of the ghostly death of a star.

Major General James H. Wilson in the Civil War

Major General James H. Wilson in the Civil War James H. Wilson - Early Life: Born September 2, 1837 in Shawneetown, IL, James H. Wilson received his education locally before attending McKendree College.   Remaining there for a year, he then applied for an appointment to West Point.   Granted, Wilson arrived at the academy in 1856 where his classmates included Wesley Merritt and Stephen D. Ramseur.   A gifted student, he graduated four years later ranked sixth in a class of forty-one. This performance earned him a posting to the Corps of Engineers.   Commissioned as a second lieutenant, Wilsons initial assignment saw him serve at Fort Vancouver in the Department of Oregon as a topographical engineer.   With the beginning of the Civil War the following year, Wilson returned east for service in the Union Army. James H. Wilson - A Gifted Engineer Staff Officer: Assigned to Flag Officer Samuel F. Du Pont and Brigadier General Thomas Shermans expedition against Port Royal, SC, Wilson continued to serve as a topographical engineer.   Taking part in this effort in late 1861, he remained in the region in the spring of 1862 and aided Union forces during the successful siege of Fort Pulaski.   Ordered north, Wilson joined the staff of Major General George B. McClellan, commander of the Army of the Potomac.   Serving as an aide-de-camp, he saw action during the Union victories at South Mountain and Antietam that September.   The following month, Wilson received orders to serve as the chief topographical engineer in Major General Ulysses S. Grants Army of the Tennessee. Arriving in Mississippi, Wilson aided Grants efforts to capture the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg.   Made inspector general of the army, he was in this post during the campaign that led to the siege of the city including the fighting at Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge.   Earning Grants trust, he remained with him in the fall of 1863 for the campaign to relieve Major General William S. Rosecrans Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga.   Following the victory at the Battle of Chattanooga, Wilson received a promotion to brigadier general and moved north as chief engineer of Major General William T. Shermans force which was tasked with aiding Major General Ambrose Burnside at Knoxville.   Ordered to Washington, DC in February 1864, he assumed command of the Cavalry Bureau.   In this position he worked tirelessly to supply the Union Armys cavalry and lobbied to equip it with fast-loading Spencer repeating carbines. James H. Wilson - Cavalry Commander: Though an able administrator, Wilson received a brevet promotion to major general on May 6 and command of a division in Major General Philip H. Sheridans Cavalry Corps.   Taking part in Grants Overland Campaign, he saw action at the Wilderness and played a role in Sheridans victory at Yellow Tavern.   Remaining with the Army of the Potomac for much of the campaign, Wilsons men screened its movements and provided reconnaissance.    With the beginning of the siege of Petersburg in June, Wilson and Brigadier General August Kautz were tasked with conducting a raid into General Robert E. Lees rear to destroy key railroads that supplied the city.   Riding out on June 22, the effort initially proved successful as over sixty miles of track were destroyed.   Despite this, the raid quickly turned against Wilson and Kautz as attempts to destroy the Staunton River Bridge failed.   Harried east by Confederate cavalry, the two commanders were blocked by enemy forces at Reams Station on June 29 and were forced to destroy much of their equipment and split up.   Wilsons men finally reached safety on July 2.   A month later, Wilson and his men traveled north as part of the forces assigned to Sheridans Army of the Shenandoah.   Tasked with clearing Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early from the Shenandoah Valley, Sheridan attacked the enemy at the Third Battle of Winchester in late September and won a clear victory. James H. Wilson - Back to the West: In October 1864, Wilson was promoted to major general of volunteers and ordered to oversee the cavalry in Shermans  Military Division of the Mississippi.   Arriving in the west, he trained the cavalry that would serve under Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick during Shermans March to the Sea.   Rather than accompany this force, Wilson remained with Major General George H. Thomas Army of the Cumberland for service in Tennessee. Leading a cavalry corps at the Battle of Franklin on November 30, he played a key role when his men repulsed an attempt to turn the Union left by noted Confederate cavalryman Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest.   Reaching Nashville, Wilson worked to refit his cavalry before the Battle of Nashville on December 15-16.   On the second day of the fighting, his men delivered a blow against Lieutenant General John B. Hoods left flank and then pursued the enemy after they retreated from the field. In March 1865, with little organized opposition remaining, Thomas directed Wilson to lead 13,500 men on a raid deep into Alabama with the goal of destroying the Confederate arsenal at Selma.   In addition to further disrupting the enemys supply situation, the effort would support Major General Edward Canbys operations around Mobile.   Departing on March 22, Wilsons command moved in three columns and met light resistance from troops under Forrest.   Arriving at Selma after several skirmishes with the enemy, he formed to assault the city.   Attacking, Wilson shattered the Confederate lines and routed Forrests men from the town. After burning the arsenal and other military targets, Wilson marched on Montgomery.   Arriving on April 12, he learned of Lees surrender at Appomattox three days earlier.   Pressing on with the raid, Wilson crossed into Georgia and defeated a Confederate force at Columbus on April 16.   After destroying the towns navy yard, he continued on to Macon where the raid ended on April 20.   With the end of hostilities, Wilsons men fanned out as Union troops made an effort to capture fleeing Confederate officials.   As part of this operation, his men succeeded in capturing Confederate President Jefferson Davis on May 10.   Also that month, Wilsons cavalry arrested Major Henry Wirz, commandant of the of the notorious Andersonville prisoner of war camp. James H. Wilson - Later Career Life: With the end of the war, Wilson soon reverted to his regular army rank of lieutenant colonel.   Though officially assigned to the 35th US Infantry, he spent the majority of the final five years of his career engaged in various engineering projects.    Leaving the US Army on December 31, 1870, Wilson worked for several railroads as well as took part in engineering projects on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.   With the beginning of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Wilson sought a return to military service.   Appointed a major general of volunteers on May 4, he led troops during the conquest of Puerto Rico and later served in Cuba.    Commanding the Department of Matanzas and Santa Clara in Cuba, Wilson accepted an adjustment in rank to brigadier general in April 1899.   The following year, he volunteered for the China Relief Expedition and crossed the Pacific to combat the Boxer Rebellion.   In China from September to December 1900, Wilson aided in the capture of the Eight Temples and Boxer headquarters.   Returning to the United States, he retired in 1901 and represented President Theodore Roosevelt at the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom the following year.   Active in business, Wilson died at Wilmington, DE on February 23, 1925.   One of the last living Union generals, he was buried in the citys Old Swedes Churchyard. Selected Sources National Park Service: Major General James H. WilsonMr. Lincoln Friends: Major General James H. WilsonEncyclopedia of Alabama: Major General James H. Wilsonskidfadhe or

Cheapest way to Setup your Tech Start-up

Cheapest way to Setup your Tech Start-up With the boom in the start-up economy, the entrepreneur stride has flooded the market space. Many young aspiring entrepreneurs want to try their hands at a tech-based business. Being tech native, every newly minted MBA wants to try their luck on a mobile app or a cloud-based service or a social media platform. But setting up a tech start-up from starch is far from easy. Further, the situation gets worse if you are not a software developer or a network architect. Let’s face it, starting from scratch is not easy, you have to master the art of managing with shoestring budgets. The basic question in pipeline remains as to where to start from. Commercial real estates are out of reach. Finding an affordable office space becomes tedious. From a practical standpoint, know the cheapest way to kick-start your tech start-up: Get The Right Structure There are many forms of business entities which are available to initiate your start-up, keeping in mind various criteria’s like the tax structure, minimum investment, number of people, legal obligations etc. the most convenient structure opts. You have the following options: Private limited company Limited liability partnership One person company Sole proprietorship The cheapest of the lot is a sole proprietorship. But in case you wish to look out for investors, you need to opt for private limited where you can lend your equity. Once the type of entity is selected, select a business name and register your domain name. Hire Fire Smart Keep the team small, crisp and precise. Too many minds won’t do any good rather will end up making a hole in your bleak finances. Instead of going for an expensive source, you can always hire from a talented pool of interns or campus placements. While recruiting, be a true hacker. Apart from focusing on the core competency, lay due importance on soft skills and the vigour to learn and grow. The quickly you hire, even more quickly should you fire. Never delay or hold back the weak links in your start-ups. It’s any day better to fire before your next hire as it adds no pressure to hit the financial milestone. For the ones who prove themselves, offer them equity to make them motivated and committed. Opt for Co-working spaces On the basis of your team size, evaluate your space needs and the budget. Co-working spaces which are apparently blooming in every hook and corner have provided a cost-effective way to procure premises without getting into the expensive real estate. Determine a suitable location in line with your customer base and accessibility. Once the location is specified, you need to select a suitable co-working space in line with the following: The cultural differences in the coworking space Work environment, is it still traditional? Essential Amenities Work Quality: Good lighting, Air Quality, Comfort and Impressiveness. Networking Opportunities Marketing aided facilities. Starting a business can be risky especially when the finances are less. But with three points you can surely put yourself on the path to entrepreneurship.

Highlights of Human Resource Management Research Paper

Highlights of Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Human Resource Management department looks over that people working in the organization are in the right job, this part of HR’s job includes hiring the right people for the job and also the firing process of any organization. It also helps employees in upgrading their skills when necessary, this step involves training of employees. Human Resource departments are usually not paid much attention. Organizations fail to realize their importance and need in the running of any firm. Human Resource Department’s most important task will probably be creating a work-friendly environment in an organization. A better work environment will lead to employees to work at their best which will in turn increase the efficiency of the firm. Since this department is linked with the management o the organization’s workforce it may help bridge the gap between the employer and the employee leading to a better relationship. Absence of Human Resource Management department may lead to poor environment for employees to work in there by discouraging prospective employees to join. This department further helps the organization it is working for in public relations it helps with the image of the organization which may make it attractive for prospective employees which may lead to a better workforce to be interested in working in that particular organization. Sometimes the Human Resource Department plays in active role in making business and marketing plans. Another big highlight to this department is it takes off the responsibility of hiring new employees off the shoulders of the owners and the management. In this the management and the owners will be able to focus more on their core issue than to the process of hiring new employees which in turn will affect the productivity of the organization.

African Americans and the Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African Americans and the Law - Research Paper Example The discrimination of the African Americans began several centuries ago. As immigrants, they were initially deprived of nearly all rights since they were perceived as underprivileged human beings who should only b enslaved and mistreated. Hence, they could not enjoy rights such as voting, housing, education, assembly and speech because these were exclusively reserved for the whites. As time went by, several efforts were made through constitutional amendments to eliminate any form of racisms in the country. Even though the tireless efforts of the civil rights movements yielded some fruits, discrimination did not completely end. In fact, it still remains a menace up to the present times. Inequality still persists in the country because of the skewness of the law. As it today, the US constitution does not entirely fight racism. The domination of the whites has greatly influenced the formulation and enforcement of policies and laws that are highly selective in nature. Whenever such legis lations are made, focus is always put on the whites who still hold the view that they should be enjoying more privileges than their black counterparts. This has made it possible for the blacks to be mistreated in the country. The ineffectiveness of the anti-racial laws and policies has been evidenced in many situations. It is what has promoted the discrimination of the African Americans across the country. Racial profiling still remains a major challenge in the fight against inequality between the whites and blacks.

Marriage and the Family- Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marriage and the Family- Psychology - Essay Example The deviation from the family’s traditional division of responsibilities shall be explained in this short paper. It should be noted that the challenges of the family in these modern days are quite different from the ones in the olden days. The family is an institution that ensures that some basic amenities are provided to its entire member; the husband is the head of the marriage institution and is expected to fulfill his responsibility by adequately providing for the social needs of the whole family, but these days wives now lend a helping hand in meeting up with these challenges. Poverty is also responsible for the break in the traditional responsibilities in the family as Lewis puts it, â€Å"the culture of poverty cuts across regional, rural-urban, and even national boundaries the remarkable similarities in family structure, the nature of kinship ties, the quality of husband-wife and parent-child relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.† (2). The husband is expected to yield to the necessary demands of the wife and their children and when the man of the house does not meet up with his responsibility of catering for the needs of his family, there becomes a problem. Several families witnessed these problems in the past and these have made married women to stand in the gap and assist their husbands in meeting the responsibilities of the family.

Near-consultant quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Near-consultant quality - Essay Example The cascading effects of a changing weather has also affected and modified the geographical distribution of life forms in the upland area going to the lowland where they can now be found within residential spaces. Some marine animals have also died of starvation because of the disappearance of their usual preys that probably migrated to keep up with the decreasing quality of water salinity. Indeed, climate change produces adverse effects on the habitat of these living things and also, in the environment we humans live in. Our rivers and lakes in Canada have been recorded to have dropped in water levels due to the intense heat caused by these long trends of shifting weather. It is my goal in this paper to discuss the impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes with emphasis on its geographical implications and, to propose the urgency of the actions we can contribute to mitigate the hazardous effects of climate change being an inevitable consequence of the industrialized systems that we have approved of. The Great Lakes form the â€Å"largest fresh surface water system on earth† (Manninen) that being 21% of the whole planet (â€Å"Great Lakes†). It is a vast lake found in the northeastern North America, within the Canada-United States border which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway (â€Å"Great Lakes†). Manninen further defines that it covers more than 94,000 square miles and drains more than twice as much land. It is 9.5 feet deep and holds about 6 quadrillion gallons of water which is like one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water supply and nine-tenths of United States supply (Manninen). That is a vital role of the Great Lakes basin being â€Å"home to 8.5 million Canadians and 30.7 million Americans† (Environment Canada). The Great Lakes consists of the smaller lakes known as Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. The Great Lakes highly contributed to the development of

Results And Conclusion of Research Process Essay

Results And Conclusion of Research Process - Essay Example Since these sources of information are very reliable, they give the actual situation of the issue of teenage pregnancy (Nicoletti 2004). This information is then used to develop other better programs that will make teenage pregnancy a thing of the past and help in alleviating poverty among the American population. One of the steps used in ensuring the safety of the subjects involved in this research was through ensuring that the questionnaires they filled were anonymous. They were also informed of the potential risks and dangers that they had in participating in the study. One of the risk factor could be that the information they gave out could be accessed by other persons (Nicoletti 2004). They were given details involving the research in full including the intention of carrying out the study and how the information they gave could be used. The subjects were then required to sign a voluntary informed consent. The measure of reliability and validity of the data obtained was used made through the use of various analysis tools. Since the information was obtained from whole population, it was believed to valid since it was completely representative. For the quantitative data, various calculations such as the means, variance and standard deviation were carried out to measure its reliability. However, since the research was manly qualitative, reliability was ensured through the observation of the data sets. The subjects were also given two similar tests at different times and the scores from these test correlated using various correlation measures. This being mainly a qualitative study, data analysis was mainly aimed at giving deeper insight into the study by showing patterns. Qualitative data also gives details of information that cannot be represented in numerical format such as feelings, behavior and attitude. It also opens the topic to greater areas which may be considered in future studies. It also helps in the simulation of the unique personal experiences whic h can help in understanding why people act or behave in the way they do (Neinstein 2008). This also help to prevent prejudgment making the data collected from the research more reliable. In this study, the method of analysis that was used was deductive approach. The research was conducted based on various theories that have been developed about teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is a topic that has attracted the attention of many scholars leading to the development of various theories regarding tit. This research used the theories and information obtained previously on this topic to analyze the data obtained from this research. This has been very effective because it made it easy for new information on the topic to be realized. The inductive approach would not have been very effective for this study since it works well on research areas which have been remotely researched on. Using inductive approach on this topic would have a lower success rate of adding new information to this a rea which has already been widely researched on. The data analysis procedure involved the comparing of teen pregnancy data from different countries in Europe and America. This helped in answering the research question on whether the rates of teenage pregnancy in high in America compared to other countries. It also involved the analysis of the program that have been instituted at the state level such as sex

Marriage and the Family- Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marriage and the Family- Psychology - Essay Example The deviation from the family’s traditional division of responsibilities shall be explained in this short paper. It should be noted that the challenges of the family in these modern days are quite different from the ones in the olden days. The family is an institution that ensures that some basic amenities are provided to its entire member; the husband is the head of the marriage institution and is expected to fulfill his responsibility by adequately providing for the social needs of the whole family, but these days wives now lend a helping hand in meeting up with these challenges. Poverty is also responsible for the break in the traditional responsibilities in the family as Lewis puts it, â€Å"the culture of poverty cuts across regional, rural-urban, and even national boundaries the remarkable similarities in family structure, the nature of kinship ties, the quality of husband-wife and parent-child relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.† (2). The husband is expected to yield to the necessary demands of the wife and their children and when the man of the house does not meet up with his responsibility of catering for the needs of his family, there becomes a problem. Several families witnessed these problems in the past and these have made married women to stand in the gap and assist their husbands in meeting the responsibilities of the family.

Results And Conclusion of Research Process Essay

Results And Conclusion of Research Process - Essay Example Since these sources of information are very reliable, they give the actual situation of the issue of teenage pregnancy (Nicoletti 2004). This information is then used to develop other better programs that will make teenage pregnancy a thing of the past and help in alleviating poverty among the American population. One of the steps used in ensuring the safety of the subjects involved in this research was through ensuring that the questionnaires they filled were anonymous. They were also informed of the potential risks and dangers that they had in participating in the study. One of the risk factor could be that the information they gave out could be accessed by other persons (Nicoletti 2004). They were given details involving the research in full including the intention of carrying out the study and how the information they gave could be used. The subjects were then required to sign a voluntary informed consent. The measure of reliability and validity of the data obtained was used made through the use of various analysis tools. Since the information was obtained from whole population, it was believed to valid since it was completely representative. For the quantitative data, various calculations such as the means, variance and standard deviation were carried out to measure its reliability. However, since the research was manly qualitative, reliability was ensured through the observation of the data sets. The subjects were also given two similar tests at different times and the scores from these test correlated using various correlation measures. This being mainly a qualitative study, data analysis was mainly aimed at giving deeper insight into the study by showing patterns. Qualitative data also gives details of information that cannot be represented in numerical format such as feelings, behavior and attitude. It also opens the topic to greater areas which may be considered in future studies. It also helps in the simulation of the unique personal experiences whic h can help in understanding why people act or behave in the way they do (Neinstein 2008). This also help to prevent prejudgment making the data collected from the research more reliable. In this study, the method of analysis that was used was deductive approach. The research was conducted based on various theories that have been developed about teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is a topic that has attracted the attention of many scholars leading to the development of various theories regarding tit. This research used the theories and information obtained previously on this topic to analyze the data obtained from this research. This has been very effective because it made it easy for new information on the topic to be realized. The inductive approach would not have been very effective for this study since it works well on research areas which have been remotely researched on. Using inductive approach on this topic would have a lower success rate of adding new information to this a rea which has already been widely researched on. The data analysis procedure involved the comparing of teen pregnancy data from different countries in Europe and America. This helped in answering the research question on whether the rates of teenage pregnancy in high in America compared to other countries. It also involved the analysis of the program that have been instituted at the state level such as sex

Closing the Gap Between Science and Ethics Essay Example for Free

Closing the Gap Between Science and Ethics Essay The rapid development of nanotechnologies has already become the distinctive feature of the postmodern technological reality. Societies live in the atmosphere of the rapid technological advancement, and new technological achievements and small revolutions are no longer a surprise. Nanotechnologies have a potential to become the source of revolutionary waves in contemporary society. The effects of such revolutions, however, will depend on how well the existing scientific, political, economic, and social institutions can mediate the society-nanotechnology relationships and whether they can promote public acceptability and positive expectations regarding nanotechnology. The current state of science is characterised by the growing gap between nanotechnologies and ethics. Equity, privacy, security, and environmental aspects remain the issues of the major scientific concern. Today, professionals in nanotechnology need to reconsider the basic standards of their scientific performance and develop effective cooperation frameworks, which will help societies meet their ethical needs and will speed up the integration of nanomaterials with all spheres of human development and growth. In his article, Douglas Parr asserts that nanotechnologies are likely to produce a revolutionary wave of innovations in society. That nanotechnologies are breaking the ice of scientific illiteracy in the postmodern society cannot be denied. To a large extent, nanotechnologies mark the beginning of a new stage in the society’s movement toward scientific and human perfection. Recent advancements in nanotechnology confirm the need for the scientific community to develop effective cooperation ties with the rest of non-scientific population, and there are several reasons for that. First and foremost, research and advancement in nanotechnologies have resulted in the major advances in material science, microscopy, and better understanding of the borderline between quantum and classical physics, which produce significant effects on society. Second, nanotechnologies will lead to a major revolution and produce serious scientific and social shifts in society. Third, the most developed countries readily integrate nanotechnologies with their innovation systems and consider nanotechnologies as the basic driver of wealth creation. Fourth, numerous nanotechnology applications will be introduced into the market. In this atmosphere, society must familiarise itself with the recent advances in nanotechnology. Moreover, society must realise that nanotechnologies can be equally good and bad. As a result, the question is in how to obtain the good of nanotechnologies without the bad and whether it is possible at all. Unfortunately, the current state of nanotechnologies makes it difficult for scientists and society to distinguish the good effects of the nanotechnological revolution from its negative implications. The problem is not only in that â€Å"debates about nanotechnology from governments have been dominated by the simple metric of the amount of money being put into nanotechnology for international competitiveness reasons. † The problem is in that a large gap between ethics and nanotechnologies exists and influences negatively the development of the postmodern science. The number of scientific publications on nanotechnologies rapidly increases, but the number of publications that discuss ethical and social implications of nanotechnologies is at least scarce. The funds available for ethical research in nanotechnology are not being used. The lack of effective dialogue between granting bodies, research institutes and the public may turn nanotechnologies into the source of devastating effects on society. More often than not, research institutes and public bodies do not realise that nanotechnology is associated with a whole range of ethical issues. These issues cover equity, security and privacy, ethical implications, and even metaphysical questions. One of the first questions is who will benefit from nanotechnologies and how these benefits are to be distributed among society members. Nanotechnologies have a potential to reduce and resolve the most difficult social controversies, including poverty and animal species extinction; however, this is possible only in case the products of scientific evolution are managed properly. Security and privacy are also among the issues of serious scientific concern. Nanotechnologies will contribute to the development of radically new weapons and surveillance systems; and people must decide how it will protect individual privacy against the presence of near invisible surveillance mechanisms. The effects of nanotechnologies on the environment are yet to be discovered. The incorporation of artificial materials into human systems requires profound ethical and social analysis. To ensure that nanotechnologies work for the benefit of the whole society, a close dialogue must exist between research institutions and the public. Such dialogue will allow prioritising the most important areas of technological research. Such dialogue will also let scientists justify the choice of the most important research areas against direct determinations of societal and public aspirations in these areas. Social and ethical implications of NT research are easy to address through appropriate funding, the development of large-scale interdisciplinary research platforms, intersectional approach, the involvement of developing countries in NT research, as well as the continuous engagement of the public in all major aspects of NT evolution. These changes will reduce the negative potential of nanotechnologies and will turn them into a successful instrument of meeting the most sophisticated society needs. Conclusion The rapid development of nanotechnologies has already become the distinctive feature of the postmodern reality. Unfortunately, the current state of nanotechnological research is characterised by the growing gap between science and ethics. Society lacks resources needed to familiarise itself with the bad and good sides of nanotechnologies and to reduce their negative potential. Today, scientists must engage in a close dialogue with the public and actively engage the public into NT evolution and research. Appropriate funding, interdisciplinary research platforms and intersectional analysis will help to reduce the existing gap between nanotechnologies and their ethical implications. BIBLIOGRAPHY MNYUSIWALLA, A. , DAAR, A. S. SINGER, P. ‘Mind the gap’: Science and ethics in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology, 14: 2003: R9-R13. PARR, D. Will nanotechnology make the world a better place? Trends in Biotechnology, 23(8): Aug. 2008: 395-398.

Management Skills in Security

Management Skills in Security Security Management Introduction Although historically security has experienced a relatively low priority in the corporation’s management structure, post the incidents of 9/11 in the US and 7/7 in the UK this situation has changed dramatically. Therefore, the position and skills of security managers is being looked at in a new light. Within this study, the intention is to address the question of whether managerial skills are of more importance than specialist knowledge for security managers. It is the author’s opinion that the likely conclusion of the research undertaken is that, although managerial skills are of paramount importance to a security manager, because of the delicacy of their position a high level of specialist skills are also essential. Security issues Essentially, security is deemed as being a â€Å"protector of resources† (van der Bijl 2005, p.75). As such, its task is to defend a business against loss, theft and damage. This task includes all areas of the operation, including systems, equipment, property, employees and customers. In the commercial sense, this protection level also extends to the future profitability of sensitive data controlled by the business. The security threat to any organisation manifests itself in a number of ways. In the physical sense burglary, criminal damage and attacks against the employee or customer can be a major problem, particular with an organisation such as the NHS (van der Bijl 2005, p.75), where of necessity there is a high degree of open access. In the non-physical sense there is the potential, particularly with the growth of information technology, for a growth in thefts of personal records, business data, damage, and disruption to internal systems. Incidents in any of these areas will have a significant impact upon the organisation in terms of trust, confidence and cost. Addressing these issues, particularly in larger organisations, requires the business to design and implement a security strategy that is efficient and achieves the desired goals. For this strategy to be effective there is a need for a managerial structure that is able to discern the resources required, including personnel, their tasks, operational procedures and deployment. Managerial duties In general terms, the role of a manager is to ensure the achievement of the objectives that have been set, either by directive from higher management or those outlined within his or her job description. This will include strategic planning, organising and coordinating the tasks, then monitoring and controlling the outcome. Therefore, it is important that the manager possesses the relevant personal and knowledge abilities to complete these tasks (Cowling and Mailer 2004, p.50). Although in many ways the duties of a security manager is similar to that of any other managerial position within the business, their role is defined by the specific sector and culture they are working in (Easterby-Smith and Lyle 2003, p.235). Because of the uniqueness of their position, a security manager’s initial task will be concentrated upon assessing the risk. Before a strategy can be developed, he or she will need to ascertain the nature, location and degree of any potential breaches of security. For example, if it is a physical danger they will need to know where the likelihood of this occurring is; what preventative measures, such as CCTV are in place, and how effective they are. Similarly, in areas such as information technology, the manager will need to assess whether existing protective IT measures are sufficient or in need of improvement. Risk assessment in security requires a high level of expertise and, although this can be undertaken by the use of outside consu ltants, it is equally important that the security manager has a reasonable level of relevant skills, as without these there is an increased potential for strategy failure (can der Bijl 2005, p.77). Only if the manager has some understanding of the risk assessment can he or she ensure the implementation of an effective protection strategy. Having established a strategy, the security manager will need to ensure that he or she has sufficient resources to match and fulfil the objectives of that strategy. In a commercial organisation, as Yu-lee (2002) shows, this is not always a straightforward task as there will usually be a requirement to match the cost of additional resources against the benefits they produce. For example, if deploying security lights it must be proven that they will reduce the incidence of crime and therefore benefit the business in ways such as reducing insurance premiums and raising consumer confidence, thus leading to potential increased profitability. The coordination of tasks, namely ensuring that the information and resources is delivered to the right place at the right time (Mullins 2004, p.421), is an area that also requires an element of skill and knowledge particular within the security industry. If the manager does not have an understanding of the purpose of the task, it is likely that this will lead to errors resulting from incorrect deployment of information or resources. Managing human resources One resource that is crucial to operational security is the personnel. Successful management of human resources is therefore a key skill requirement for the security manager. The success of any business strategy is directly related to the people that operate it, and security is no exception. Managers need to ensure that they get the best out of their employees in terms of their understanding, ability and dedication to the job they are employed to do, and much of this will depend upon the relationship that is developed. In this respect, a successful manager will adopt a leadership role that is a combination of the various leadership models, such as some of those described in the works of Laurie Mullins (2004, p.312). Understanding the needs of the workforce, and creating a harmonious working environment where all employees are motivated to work towards a common goal is the art of good leadership and management. This is especially the case in the modern environment where there is more employee choice (Mullins 2004, p.282). It is equally important for the workforce to feel that they have an involvement and future with the business. The manager can achieve this in two ways. The security manager can improve employee involvement within the organisation by delegation of tasks and encouraging their contribution, by way of ideas and suggestions, to the strategy formation itself. Not only does this empower the employee, it also leads to an expansion of potential solutions available to the security manager, therefore providing an increase in the number of solutions available from which to successfully address potential security issues that arise. Employee development is an equally important area of management duties. Employees will only be competent at their work if their knowledge and training matches the needs of the task that are set for them. Part of the manager’s role is to encourage the development of these skills. An effective manager will be aware of the value of this process, both for the future of the organisation and the employee, and therefore introduce an employee learning and development process as part of their operational strategy. This usually involves the introduction of structured training programmes catering for individual and group employee needs. In most industries, these training programmes will be organised using a combination of internal training, which will include familiarising the employee with the organisation’s policy and specific needs, and external training to ensure they remain updated on industry developments, including the use of modern technology. In the case of certain indivi duals, the training may also include succession targeted learning, where such individuals are considered able to be promoted in the future to management or leadership roles. The level of interrelationship between manager and employee can define good leadership, which in the author’s opinion is an essential element of a manager’s tasks. It is increasingly becoming the consensus of opinion that the quality of leadership is a necessary skill requirement for managers (Mullins 2004, p.284). The employment of the leadership skills described previously demonstrates the manager’s commitment to their employees and, in the majority of cases will produce a favourable result (Mullins 2004 p.316 and 422). In addition, it improves staff retention levels and provides for a level of strategy continuity that is essential in areas such as security. As with other management duties it is apparent that, in the case of managing human resources, there is a need for the manager to have specialist security knowledge. The evaluation of employee creativity and its benefits to the organisation is made more difficult if the manager does not have an understanding of the business special skills. A similarly difficulty would be experienced in the formation and conducting of internal training programmes. Without such knowledge, it is likely that the effectiveness and value of such training programmes will be reduced. Management and knowledge Knowledge, learning, and its management, is important in business. The better understanding brought about by knowledge will lead to a higher level of competency of managers as well as their employees and improve the performance of the business (Mullins 2004, p.393). Staff will react positively to a more competent and experienced manager than they will one who is lacking in the skills associated with their role. The other aspect of knowledge at management level is their increased ability to be able to monitor the strategy that they have implemented and evaluate the performance of their employees. A classic example of the disastrous effects that results from a lack of managerial knowledge can be found in the collapse of Barings bank in the early 2000’s. As Howard Davies explained at the time, this occurred because the bank’s management decided to diversify into an area of the business where they had little or no experience. This and the inability of their financial systems to deal with the new business left them in a position where they were unable to monitor the situation and staff activities until it was too late. In effect, the cause of this collapse could also be attributed to a breakdown in the operation of the internal security systems that these types of financial organisations normally operate. Just as important, as this case proves, is the need for continued learning. H ad the Barings management undergone a process of learning to achieve a competence in the new business skills, the opportunity for security breaches and danger of failure would have been identified earlier and significantly reduced. Conclusion From the research carried out for this study, it is the author’s conclusion that whilst it is essential for security managers to have management skills, their specialist skills are equally important in order for them to be able to effectively and safely manage their areas of responsibility. As van der Bijl (2005, p.77) observed in his paper on security in the NHS, a security manager without the requisite knowledge and skill is â€Å"as daft as employing a financial director without accounting skills.† Skill deficit in such an important aspect of any business, in my opinion would reduce the level and effectiveness of the security manager as much as the lack of management skills. References Bartol, Kathryn M., and Martin, David C (1998). Management. McGraw Hill College. UK. Bohlander, G. W., Snell, S. A., Sherman, A. (2004). Managing human resources (13th ed.). Florence, KY: Thomson Learning Higher Education. Cowling, A.G and Mailer, C.B (2004). Managing Human Resources. 3rd Rev. Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd. London, UK. Davies, Howard. (2001). Management skills and competencies in a rapidly changing financial environment. Egon Zehnder International Insurance Symposium. Munich, Germany. Retrieved 3 February 2007 from http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Library/Communication/Speeches/2001/sp78.shtml Easterby-Smith, Prof. Mark and Lyles, Marjorie (2003). The Blackwell Handbook of Organization Learning and Knowledge Management. Blackwell Publishers. US. Mullins, Laurie J (2004). Management and Organisational Behaviour. 7th Rev. ed. FT Prentice Hall. UK. Muncaster, Phil (2006). Challenges ahead for security managers. IT Week. London, UK Van der Bijl, Nick (2005). Security in modern healthcare. Hospital Engineering and Facilities Management, Issue 2. Yu-Lee, R.G. (2002) Essentials of Capacity Management. John Wiley Sons Inc. p. 150-153

Media Violence is Not the Problem - The Problem is in Our Homes, our Sc

There are many examples that Americans commonly associate with growing up and coming of age; getting a driver’s license, seeing an R-rated movie, registering for the draft or to vote, buying guns, killing classmates†¦ Indeed, the dramatic increase in school shootings during the 1990s, in conjunction with the technology boom, drew much attention to mass media violence. Does media violence perpetuate aggressive behavior in its viewers? If so, to what extent? Do viewers retain models of behavior from their exposure to media violence? Do these models resurface later on during their coming of age? These are hard questions that may not have definite answers; however, a clear analysis on many studies reveals that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface. On Wednesday, October 22, 2003, America revisited a national tragedy that occurred in Littleton, Colorado four years ago. When authorities released the video Rampant Range, the public for the first time got to see Columbine High School shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at a practice shooting range six weeks before they carried out the real thing. The future-shooters â€Å"can be heard laughing, joking and making cavalier comments about what it would be like if the bowling pins [they were shooting] were human heads or bodies† (Fox News). These disturbing images are only precipitated with a huge question, why did they do it? What possessed these two young men, who were eighteen-year-old seniors with their whole lives in front of them, to murder twelve classmates, a teacher, and themselves? Is there anything we can learn from them that would explain pervasive aggression in American youth during their coming of age? In the wake of the 1999 shooting and other shootings, America experience... ... we ignore the real problem and turn our backs on them. The real problem exists in our homes, our schools, our communities, and a segment of society who internalize pain until, like balloons, they burst. Sources Cited. Brown, Brooks and Rob Merritt. No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine. New York: Lantern, 2002. â€Å"Columbine Killers Documented Training on Tape.† Fox News 22 Oct. 2003. 13 Nov. 2003. Felson, Richard B. â€Å"Mass Media Effects on Violent Behavior.† Annual Review of Sociology 22 (Aug 1996): 103-128. Gutmann, Matthew C. â€Å"Trafficking Men: The Anthropology of Masculinity.† Annual Review of Anthropology 26 (Oct 1997): 385-409. Manson, Marilyn. â€Å"Columbine: Whose Fault is it?† Rolling Stone May. 1999. 15 Nov. 2003. Schooler, C. and J. A. Flora. â€Å"Pervasive Media Violence.† Annual Review of Public Health 17 (May 1996): 275-298.

P:overty :: essays research papers

Mark Sandford  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marsh 1 English 200 Mr.Whisnant Summary February 08, 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary of the Singer Solution to World Poverty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both stories proclaim that you should not spend your money on material or unnecessary things or wants, but to give them to children in foreign countries that we do not even know. The fact that Dora did not make enough money and that she could only make ends meet was a key factor to her agreeing to pick up a child and drop it off at a so-called wealthy foreigner’s house. In return she is given 1,000 dollars to spend at her leisure, only to be told that night that she gave the child to a children’s organ peddler.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If Dora in fact did not at least try to get the child back or locate it, then in every moral situation she would be wrong. To say that her new T.V. is more important or worth more than the child would be correct. But the fact that we are so easily interested in making more money, we seem to let our morals just slip away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Bob’s case he has a chance to save a kids life and chooses not to in fear of losing his classic vintage car, along with the savings which he has not been able to insure. So in reality he would lose everything he owns, in which case he does not want to lose. This seems harsh, but the fact is that children die every day because they do not have enough money to feed and clothe themselves. Is it really up to us to support these total   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marsh 2 strangers that we have never, and will never meet even if we did send them money or food.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both of these people did something morally wrong, but Bob unlike Dora had a chance to save a life that he could have easily avoided by smashing his old car. Bob is like the people who have enough money, but are not willing to send to overseas children. Dora on the other hand let greed overcome her and put the child in the situation which led to the killing of the child. A lot of people would still think that Bob is worse between the two considering he chose his car over a little child’s life. In fact you also have to agree that if you do not send some of your money to overseas organizations then you are like Bob.

Decision Making Process Essay

It is never easy to make decisions in life, especially life changing decisions. The decision making process is a very difficult process that is used by everyone in one way or another. Some people may alter the decision making process in order to fit their own needs and their own personal circumstances, but there is a model that has been provided in order to show the basic steps. The decision making process model includes six different steps. The first step is to identify and diagnose the issue. After figuring out the issue, then one must figure out alternative solutions to the problem. Before making the choice, one would first evaluate the alternative solutions that have already been suggested. Making the decision is then followed by implementing the solution. Once the solution has been implemented for a little while, the solution must then be evaluated. Choosing a college to attend is one of the most difficult decisions that one could make. For most young people, the decision to attend college is the most important decision they have made thus far (Dolinsky, 2010, p. 62-776). There are costs for the courses, course materials, and other related expenses. There are also issues such as the times of the classes, the courses offered, and the length of time it will take to earn a degree. An individual would have to figure out if the college that they are looking in to is the right choice for them. When debating with myself to attend college, I had a lot to think about, as do others. First I had to figure out if I truly wanted to attend college. With a son, I needed to make sure I was making the right decision for the both of us. I figured out that going to a traditional college was not for me since I didn’t just have myself to worry about. I was already working full time and being a single mother. So it was a little difficult to even make the decision to further my education. I fought with myself long and hard about this situation and finally determined that going back to school was going to benefit my son more than hurt him, especially with me being a single mother. Studies show that more and more students are taking online classes anyway, so I figured it would be a good idea. I even found out that more than 3. 2 students have taken at least one online class, as of 2005 (More Students Are Learning Online, Report Says, P. 32). After I had decided to attend college, I needed to figure out which college or university would fit my needs the best. To find the right college of nearly 4,000 choices, you have to really know what you want, and then carefully weigh out what schools have to offer (Fitzgerald, N, p. 10). I had to do a lot of research into each university that I had available to me. As I previously stated, I could not attend a traditional college as I had little to no time to leave my house. I also needed to determine which university had the degree in which I wanted to obtain, which was my associates in accounting. Then I needed to figure out which university was more cost effective. I needed to ask questions like how much did they charge per credit hour? Were their materials included in with the price? What type of materials was required? There was so much information that I needed to obtain to set my heart on one university. I believe that my thought process in making my decision is a little bit similar to the one that was provided for us. I had to figure out the issue, in which was determining that I wanted to attend college. Then I needed to make a plan to figure out which college would be right for me. This step had a lot of different options. That’s when I needed to evaluate the different options and make my decision. I then chose the University of Phoenix. I gave my choice a chance and earned my associates degree. I evaluated my decision and decided to go back for my bachelor’s degree!