Building Performance Management through Employee Participation Essay - 3

Building Performance Management through Employee Participation - Essay Example Workers should be granted the chance to give their views and amendments be made as fast as possible to avoid poor job performance. According to JM experience, employees play a major role in company management. This is because they are the ones to be governed and must choose the management system suitable for them and the company (Grote, 23). There are certain parts of the performance management system that cannot be changed by employees no matter the claims. These unchangeable sections of the system also govern the employer and company activities. According to JM company, employees are part of the company management system and should be involved in any decision-making. In any organization, the management committee or board members must always consider the employee view or feedback before establishing performance management system. This should be done to protect employee rights and freedom. Actually, an employee should always have a conducive environment to attend to his or her job positively. The kind of performance management systems to be established should be employee friendly. Another way of making improvements in this type of system is employee motivation. This should be present in the system to enhance quality in employee performance. In most cases, the motivation is done through rewards . In the process of employee assessment, the hardworking should get a reward as tokens of their hard work while those who are found average should be advised accordingly (Rao, 16). Through rewards, employees will be dedicated to their work with the aim of being a reward winner. Companies that come up with a new performance management may face a lot of challenges linked to employee job performance. When they are forced into the rules and regulations of the new management system, they may find it very difficult to adapt hence have negative attitudes towards their jobs. This can in turn

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social identities Essay Example for Free

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social identities Essay We live in a world were physical appearance is the measurement of our self-worth. Media advertisements more often than not show how people can improve their appearance and why it is important. From job interviews to social events, how people look and dress determine other people’s impression. In this age of increased self-consciousness, fashion and appearance play a crucial role in establishing the social identity of a person. Fashion, as defined by many books and other resources, can be defined as the prevalent style and custom at a certain point in time and the word may also mean the study of this certain fashion trends. Even though there are many things that can be considered prevalent at a certain time, fashion more often than not points more to clothing or clothing style. Different periods of time have different fashion. There is no other applied art which affects the everyday lives of the people other than fashion. Fashion design is responsible for the clothing that we wear since the ancient times. Clothing does not only help us keep warm but it also shapes us in the psychological and social aspect. Basically, clothing forms a basis of a person’s social identity. Fashion has become a part of the culture since the early times. Different ethnic groups have different clothes which reflect their culture. Fashion based on some researches done by cultural scientists played a role in social and cultural structure, social differentiation and social integration (Davis, 1994, p. 16). Social identity is the way people are categorized or label themselves. This can be in forms of their race or ethnicity. This can also be defined as how people associate or identify themselves into certain groups which serve to heighten their self esteem because they have the same social identities. Since people are social animals, sociologists deemed that social identity is an important aspect of a person. People want to be assured that they belong to one group or they positively compare with other group of people. When talking about social identity in terms of fashion, it is more than how majority of sociologist in the world restrict the concept as mere social class or status. Social identity includes how people communicate with others through symbolic means such as the way they dress or through clothing. It is also the configuration of attributes and attitudes which people seek to attain and discuss about themselves. Fashion contributes to the redefinition and reconstruction of a certain social identity by continually adding something new to cultural artifacts. Everything undergoes evolution and perhaps fashion is one thing that changes fast it is fashion. People change the way they dress when the weather changes. People change the way they carry their clothes when something in their environment shifts. Studies and researchers which were geared towards understanding the culture of a certain society more often than not focus on artifacts which are evidences of the past and present culture of a place. The woven pieces of clothing are often considered as indicators of social customs and social hierarchies. Anthropologists consider clothing as less prone to changes done by the capitalist market and are therefore richer or more stable indicators of sociological and cultural truths. Because of this, anthropologists invested far more energy and resources in investigating and examining the significance of the structure, form, and pattern of clothing than other cultural artifacts. For an instance, the way American Indians wear their clothes which were originally made from animal skin is still the same as before. Emergence of new ways of clothing did not change their original culture (Breward, 2003, p. 64). Fashion and its effect on nineteenth century Attempts to reform the way people dress first appeared during the nineteenth century. The people were starting to get tired of the constricting features of clothing and the too elaborate features of dresses. Women who were fighting for their rights such as Elizabeth Stanton, Elizabeth Miller and Amelia Bloomer were the women who designed the then very famous bloomer dress which was consisted of an uncorseted mid-calf dress which was set over pantaloons (Stearns, 1994, p. 12). Many improvements were made since then to people’s clothing. Different eras reflected different styles of clothing and are more often than not also reflective of the prevalent social identity. For example, during the Victorian era it can be said that the clothing of the people were like straitjackets which aimed to constrict the movements and manners of people. Women during the Victorian era were expected by the society to move and behave only when instructed by their male counterpart. Another example of how clothing or fashion plays a role in the construction of social identity is the wearing of uniforms of the military, police or religious personas. The wearing of uniforms based on social researches done impose an aura of confidence and authority so that they can make the people around them follow their orders either willingly or unwillingly (Crane, 2001, p. 3). Clothing also affected the way people measure their social status or whether they were rich or poor during the early nineteenth century. Clothes were generally considered as one of the most valuable possessions during this time. During the Industrial Revolution, clothes were started to be manufactured by machines or in factories and these clothes cost more than average. Newly made clothes were not available to the poor because of the cost and they were left to use hand-me-downs or used clothing. Clothes were very expensive that it was even considered a form of currency by the rich and often replaced gold as means of payment. Fashion and clothing are also means in which people differentiate themselves from others. Rare fashion finds such as antique clothes are used by people who want to express their uniqueness from others. They may wear it as everyday clothing or on special occasion. Regardless of when they will wear it, these kinds of clothing are worn by people to establish an identity which is different from others (Barnard, 2002, p. 61). Another example of how clothing constructs social identities was when large immigrants arrived in the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century. The immigrants who arrived immediately disposed their new clothing and used the new clothes available in the country. Through this method, anthropologists were able to deduce that the people wanted to start a new social identity so they immediately dropped their old ways of clothing. Hats were also famous article of clothing during the nineteenth century and it played the most important role in distinguishing the social status of a person. The bowler hat which was designed in England in 1850 was originally made as an occupational hat but was soon adopted by the people from the upper class for sports. It was not too long until people from all social strata adopted the bowler hat for everyday use. Another example, the cap with visor which was mainly used by military officers, was also adopted by the working class by the middle of the nineteenth century. The visor cap, then known as the peaked cap was considered to be the most common head covering for the working man. Fashion and its effect on the twenty-first century In the recent years, especially the twenty-first century, clothes were not deemed with the same economic importance unlike in the previous centuries. Because of the cheap ready-made clothes that were made available to all social classes, clothes were not used as replacement for gold unlike before. Even though the economic value of clothes was not as significant as before, their symbolic value remained as important as before. The availability of clothes to all social classes made it possible for those who are not so very affluent to still express their individualities and own cultures. Another example of how clothes changed the way people perceive their social identities is if before women were not allowed to wear tight clothes or those which confine their body. Today women can wear tight clothes such as leotards and spandex whenever they like because of their liberalization. Women of today are not expected to conform much to how the society expects them to behave or to act. They are also not forced to stay at home anymore but women are now doing what the men do. Indeed, the gender equality experienced in this century is reflected in the way women dress. Cross-dressing or the wearing of clothing that is associated with a different gender, is also another way of how fashion reconstructed the social identity of people (Bullough, 1993, p. ). Homosexuals before were forced to follow the prescribed way of dressing for their gender. Unlike today where in homosexuals are free to dress the way they want, without being afraid of other people and punishments. They can wear women’s clothing and express their identities freely unlike before. Teenagers or adolescents also use fashion to set their own social identity from their parents or those fro m an older generation. If we turn on the television or visit a high school, we can see teenagers strutting outrageous clothes such as those with bright colors or elaborate designs. If people from an older generation prefer simpler designs of clothes, teenagers prefer those with dramatic effects to highlight the generation difference (Sloan, 2009). Perhaps this is how the youth of today’s generation set their social identity. If ever we see an old person dressing up the way the teenagers do, these persons are often considered out of the ordinary. This social identity is somehow embedded in the minds of the people and teenagers are now remembered this way. People who prefer work than leisure or vice versa can also be determined by the way they dress. During they first years of the twentieth century, the three-piece business suit was considered by many to be the epitome of the high social class and are often worn during important events. Though some wear the business suit as everyday apparel, others still consider it as a social class distinction. There were also strict regulations as to how a business should be worn and made. There were exact measurements for the lapels, collars and sleeves. The strict regulations about business suits were deemed as a factor in how people will achieve success. The use of the popular T-Shirt was associated with leisure. Because of its availability and cheap cost, majority of the public during the early twentieth century prefer shirts over the business suits. As time passed, t-shirts were used by people to set off political agendas such as imprinting political statements on t-shirts or other humorous statements. No matter what social class people belong in, rich or poor, t-shirts are favored by these people. Fashion transmitted by popular culture or music come and go very rapidly. Clothes designed because of the effect of the popular culture and the entertainment media are often highly androgynous. There are people who call themselves gothic and they are identified socially by their gloomy appearance and wearing of black colored clothes. Established rock groups also affect the fashion scene by popularizing leather clothes. Rap musicians like rock groups popularized the baggy clothes worn by some teenagers today. Indeed fashion drew a line between different genres of music and avid fans of the different music genres also follow this fashion therefore setting a social identity for them. Fashion undoubtedly constructs and affects the social identity of a person in more ways than one. Fashion and all the attributes it entails are a vast reservoir of meanings and culture of a certain society. From fashion magazines to television advertisements, fashion is a way of introducing something new to the public. Because of what they see in these popular advertisements, the people’s way of thinking is affected. People also depend on clothes and trend of fashion to express themselves and their uniqueness. Without this part of our culture, people will have lesser chances of expressing themselves and their individuality.

Inherited and Environmental Influences on Development

Inherited and Environmental Influences on Development The environmental and inherited influences on development, also known as, nature and nurture both play key roles in the shaping of developmental processes. Nature refers to inherited or biological traits such as, abilities and capacities that are genetically passed down by ones parents. On the other hand, nurture refers to environmental influences that play a role in shaping our behaviors, such as methods of childrearing and other products of society. Differences in lateralization of the brain between males and females may be ascribed to both genetic differences in the corpus callosum, which is larger in women, and environmental factors; girls usually receive more extensive verbal encouragement than boys do. Both nature and nurture are theorized to be attributing factors that influence and shape development. Developmental Psychologists place strong emphasis on the belief that both nature and nurture are leading causes that influence and shape human behavior and development by either biological factors: nature, or environmental factors: nurture. 1. What are some inherited influences on development? 2. What are some environmental influences on development? 3. What role does socialization play as an environmental influence on development? Psychologists and developmental experts have been able to attribute the behaviors of an individual to particular influences on development that can be separated into two categories: inherited and environmental influences on development. What are some inherited influences on development? It is widely speculated that factors of inherited influence are more important than the environmental factors that affect a childs growth and development. Obviously we know that inherited biological factors do play a great role in shaping human development, this is a widely acknowledged fact. While this is true, one must still not disregard the significance of environmental influences in the early stages of growth and development. Many studies emphasizing the significance of inherited influences are, however, impossible to disregard or ignore. For example, it is almost universally accepted that a child faces biological risks in their mental and physical development when the mother smokes cigarettes during pregnancy. However, many would argue that you cannot directly attribute negative social behaviors to the mother smoking tobacco during pregnancy. According to research presented at the Behavior Genetics Association, there is uncertainty about why there are links between maternal smo king during pregnancy and offspring antisocial behavior. This uncertainty creates room for the argument that environmental influences can be attributed as the factor responsible for these negative behavioral developments. However, many scholars still argue that recent research and data indicates that findings differ for offspring antisocial behavior where the association with prenatal smoking appears to be entirely explained by inherited pathways that are not attributable to maternal antisocial behavior. This argument is strengthened by data presented at the Behavior Genetics Association in 2007, below is a graph of the findings. The research showed an increased rate of antisocial behaviors amongst the offspring of parents who smoked during pregnancy. (Rice, 2007) (PNAS, 2007) What are some environmental influences on development? The environmental impacts on ones behavior can often determine factors that will shape future behaviors. During critical and sensitive periods development can be greatly affected. Critical periods occur when the existence of certain types of environmental stimuli become necessary for development to continue conventionally. It is theorized that development during the critical period is easily influenced, specifically in the area of personality and social development. On the other hand, during sensitive periods the organism becomes particularly vulnerable to certain types of stimuli in their environment. Unlike critical periods, the absence of stimuli in a sensitive period does not always result in immutable consequences. What role does socialization play as an environmental influence on development? Societal influences are believed to play a large role on the environmental impacts of development. The way we have been socialized or conditioned is a response to environmental stimuli. For instance, gender is something socially constructed and society places expectations on individuals according to their gender, which will determine the roles they will later fulfill in society. A publication from U.C. Santa Cruz states the following of gender acquisition and the societal influences that are perpetuated around them. Gender stereotypes in infants are perpetuated by societys expectations and perceptions. Societal influences, preconceived notions and expectations enforce already existing gender stereotypesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In the study of forty-eight children, their mothers, and 16 college students, gender based stereotypes influenced interaction with infants which in turn socialized the infants to conform to their respective gender role. Ratings of the female infants centered on their small size and beauty. Male infants are judged usually according to their ability and intelligence. While evidence of gender stereotyping in infant ratings are becoming less dominant after adolescence, sex stereotyping in adults behavior towards infants has changed little. Obviously, society shapes the gender stereotypes that both children and adults hold. (Rivera, 1996) Research by psychologists over the last several decades has increasingly pointed to hereditary factors being more important, especially for basic personality traits such as emotional tone.   However, the acquisition of values, beliefs, and expectations seem to be due more to socialization and unique experiences, especially during childhood. (Oneil, 2006) Most psychologists and developmental specialists agree upon the fact that influences from both inherited and environmental elements are equally important to the construction of growth and development. However, certain behaviors and growth patterns are believed to result from greater attributes of environmental and inherited influences. Theoretical Perspectives Examining the Development of Children With (ADHD) Trends have shown that the amount of children in the United States diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, additionally known as (ADHD) over time has steadily increased among young children and adolescent youth. The exponential surge in diagnosis of ADHD has increased the amount of prescription drugs used to treat individuals. Issues surrounding these developments pose a multitude of questions that include: 1. How are applications of the theoretical perspectives of development examined to help understand disorders such as ADHD? 2. What are the associated risk factors of medications used to treat ADHD in children? The increasingly steady number of children being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the U.S has resulted in an array of developmental obstacles; the actual number of children diagnosed with ADHD remains unknown, as does the amount of those children that are being treated with prescription medications. How are Applications of the theoretical perspectives of development examined to help understand disorders such as ADHD? Theoretical perspectives that lifespan Developmentalists examine as they identify the different patterns of growth, change, and behavioral stability that take place in the duration of the entire lifespan help bring further understanding to behaviors and the possibly of treating undesired behaviors. Among these theoretical perspectives include, learning, language, cognitive, social, moral, and personality development. All of these perspectives can be applied to assist the understanding of behaviors including the behaviors of children with ADHD. A commonly used behavioral method for the treatment of ADHD is the approach of cognitive behavioral therapy. A definition for cognitive behavioral therapy has been provided by, the Mayo Clinic. With cognitive behavioral therapy, you work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. By helping you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking, cognitive behavioral therapy allows you to view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way (Mayo Clinic Staff). What are the associated risk factors of medications used to treat ADHD in children? An in depth analysis addressing the associated risks of prescription medications used to treat ADHD in children must be taken into strong consideration before any decisions are made to place that child on such medications. The most commonly prescribed drugs to both children and adults for the treatment of ADHD are stimulants. A publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded the following of children undergoing treatment for ADHD: NSCH does not assess use of ADHD treatments other than medicationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦thus, the number of children with reported ADHD diagnoses who received other types of treatments is not known. Studies indicate that the use of stimulants, prescribed to treat ADHD can lead to harmful side-affects. Not to mention the risk of becoming reliant upon, or even addicted to prescription stimulants. (Kennedy, 2005) Distinctions Separating Self-Concept and Self-Esteem The image that an individual perceives him or herself as is believed to greatly influence the social and cognitive development of that individual. The establishment of self-concept and self-esteem are two greatly influential aspects of a childs development. Environmental and inherited influences are theorized to have affect on the development of self-concept. Promotion of social development by parents or caregivers may substantially increase the likelihood of a child developing a positive self-esteem depending on variables such as nature and nurture of the situation. 1. What differences separate self-concept from self-esteem? 2. What are the theoretical perspectives on self-concept and self-esteem? 3. How can caregivers facilitate childrens development in these areas? The development of the self in early and middle childhood encompasses the growth of independent ideas and goals, which veer from expectations of the primary role models, the process where developments of social comparisons are made reflects ones self-concept, however, self-esteem refers to the way an individual perceives themselves through self evaluation; both are vital to social development and can be positively or negatively influenced by caregivers. What differences separate self-concept from self-esteem? The term self-concept refers to the perception regarding what one is like as an individual, and that individuals identity. The self-concept allows individuals to identify with specific characteristics of the self that allow them to differ from other individuals. For instance, a response to a question exemplifying ones individual strengths reflects ones self-concept, or identity. The development of self-concept is primarily used to reflect strengths perceived by an individual about his or her self that are used to provide meaning to their actions and purpose in life. In children, self-concepts may not be accurate; an individuals self-concept changes throughout life, this is dependant upon changes in a cultures views regarding others outside of their own, changes involving state institutions, and products of other societal and environmental influences. According to research found by William W. Purkry, author of: An Overview of Self-Concept Theory for Counselors. Highlights: An ERIC/CAP S Digest: Self-concept is learned. As far as we know, no one is born with a self-concept. It gradually emerges in the early months of life and is shaped and reshaped through repeated perceived experiences, particularly with significant others. (Purkey, 1988) The term self-esteem refers to an individuals overall and distinct positive and negative self-evaluation. Many important developments on an individuals self-esteem transpire during middle childhood. Throughout this phase, children experience the maturation of Internal standards. Which is often times the reason that children progressively compare themselves to others. For the majority of children, self-esteem increases as the transition from early childhood to middle childhood takes place. Feelings of inadequacy that relate to an individuals capacity to do most things takes place when that individuals self-esteem is negative. What are the theoretical perspectives on self-concept and self-esteem? There are a multitude of theoretical perspectives that give possible explanation to functions of self-concept and self-esteem. The Educational Resources Information center (ERIC) provides a publication of An Overview of Self-Concept Theory for Counselors, which identifies some of the influential theorists that have contributed to theories of self-concept. By far the most influential and eloquent voice in self-concept theory was that of Carl Rogers (1947) who introduced an entire system of helping built around the importance of the self. In Rogers view, the self is the central ingredient in human personality and personal adjustment. Rogers described the self as a social product, developing out of interpersonal relationships and striving for consistency. He maintained that there is a basic human need for positive regard both from others and from oneself. He also believed that in every person there is a tendency towards self-actualization and development so long as this is permitted and encouraged by an inviting environment. (p. 2) Some of the other theoretical perspectives of self-concept and self-esteem in development include: Piagets stages of cognitive development, Erik Eriksons psychosocial development, Carl Rogers conception of self, Vygotskys approach to cognitive development, Lawrence Kohlbergs development of social learning and moral reasoning, and Abraham Maslows theories on personality. Humanistic psychologist, Carl Rogers theorized that the self was divided into two parts, the real self and the ideal self. An article written by Herb Stevenson for Natural Passages, states the flowing of the ideal self vs. the real self. The ideal self is some fantasy that we carry around as a measure of what we might be if the fairy god mother ever shows up. Often, this is a picture of life, our life, that we have changed very little since childhood. By taking the time to really examine the depth of the ideal self, we see indirectly how we have judged or dismissed whom we are. The real self is a comparison to that ideal self. It is a description of who am I, really, right now. By comparing the ideal with the real, we begin to see the gaps in perception we have created, the judgments we have made about ourselves, and the gaps that could be preventing us from fully living our lives in the moment as the person that we truly are. (para. 3) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill defines the concept of representational mapping as the following: Representational mapping can be described as the self-descriptions that are logical connections among components that can be made primarily concrete, overly positive, and all or nothing. They contain concrete and abstract components, more realistic (but still always positive: above average effect) shades of grey (Steps in self development). How can caregivers facilitate childrens development in these areas? The importance of promoting the development of a healthy self-esteem in children is an environmental influence on behavior that is greatly affected by parenting techniques. Parents and caregivers can facilitate childrens development in the areas of self-concept and self-esteem through childrearing styles. The most effective way to do so is through the implementation of authoritative childrearing techniques. Authoritative parents have the perfect balance of emotional support, warm and loving qualities; yet, they set clear boundaries for behavior. Certain techniques of parenting have proven to result in negative effects on a childs self-esteem. For instance, Authoritarian parents are extremely controlling and there word is the law, there is no toleration for expression of disagreement. Authoritarian parents enforce strict methods of discipline and punishment that negatively reinforce behaviors of that child, which is likely to result in an increase of the unwanted behaviors occurring a gain under the same circumstances. The use of positive and negative reinforcers when applied properly has been a proven method of modifying behaviors. The U.K. site Kids Behaviour provides useful information on how to properly apply positive and negative reinforcement to promote desired behavioral responses (Morrisey, 2008). Applying the childrearing approaches of reinforcement to daily activities can facilitate the development of both a positive self-esteem and self-concept. In the 2009 publication, Anderson, Hughes, and Fuemmeler addressed some of the specific issues that surround parental attitudes and child activity. The objective of this study examined the parental attitudes on children based on the particular types and levels of intensity in physical activity that children engaged in, which could give explanation to the gender differences associated with these activities, in addition to the evaluation of physical engagement serving as a mechanism to shorten time spent engaged in sedentary behaviors. A design of a community sample with participants, which included, 681 parents and 433 children of the mean age of 9.9 years conveyed the importance of activities such as moderate to vigorous intensity levels in the areas of team an individual activities including, sports, physical activity and household chores. (p. 428) As Anderson et al. (2009) conducted their evaluations separate structural models were used to determine factors that differed between boys and girls in relation to parental attitudes and physical activity. Separate structural models (LISREL 8.7) for girls and boys tested whether parental attitudes were related to child TV and computer via child attitudes, sport team participation, and physical activity, controlling for demographic factors. Main Outcome Measures: Child 7-day physical activity, sport teams, weekly TV, computer. Results: Parent- child attitude congruence was more prevalent among boys, and attitudes varied by ethnicity, parent education, and number of children. Positive parent- child attitudes for vigorous team sports were related to increased team participation and physical activity, as well as reduced TV and computer in boys and girls. Value of moderate intensity household chores, such as cleaning house and doing laundry, was related to decreased team participation and increased TV in boys. Only organized team sports, not general physical activity, was related to reduced TV and computer. Conclusion: Results support parents role in socializing childrens achievement task v alues, affecting child activity by transferring specific attitudes. Value of vigorous intensity sports provided the most benefits to activity and reduction of sedentary behavior, while valuing household chores had unexpected negative effects. (p. 428) Sexual Behaviors of Adolescents and the Associated Risks The adolescent years are characterized by the development of ones personal sense of identity. During this phase a transition from middle childhood to early adulthood takes place. In these years, young adults entering puberty explore an array of sexual behaviors that will play a role in shaping their sexual identities. With the exploration of such sexual behaviors follows the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy. 1. What associated risks are involved with sexual behaviors in adolescents? 2. What are the statistics of sexually transmitted diseases among teens? 3. What are the statistics of pregnancies among teens? As middle-childhood transitions into the adolescent years an array of physical, cognitive and social changes take place, these are main contributors to the sexual behaviors explored individuals in their adolescent years, however, there are associated risks with connected with these sexual behaviors that include, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. What associated risks are involved with sexual behaviors in adolescents? The exploration of newly discovered sexual desires among adolescents come with repercussions. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common among teens. Another primary concern that surrounds the engagement of sexual activity in teens is the possibility of becoming pregnant. Precautionary measures to ensure safety when acting upon sexual urges and needs must be taken into consideration before any sexual contact is to occur. The enforcement of sex-ed in many public schools throughout the U.S decreases the chances of individuals acting upon sexual desires without first examining the risks, and increases likeliness of the use of condoms and other contraceptives. What are the statistics of sexually transmitted diseases among U.S. teens? One of the largest concerns surrounding the sexual voyages of adolescents is the threat of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Prepared by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, The Executive Summary, part of the Workshop Summary: Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention states that: Recently, a number of Federal agencies sponsored a workshop to answer the following question: What is the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of latex male condom-use to prevent STD transmission during vaginal intercourse? This workshop was attended by 180 persons, and the data from numerous peer-reviewed published studies were discussed. Following the workshop, a panel of 28 experts worked to develop this report. (p. 1) In the United States, more than 65 million individuals are living with an STD, the majority of which are incurable viral infections. Approximately 15 million new sexually transmitted infections occur annually in the U.S. In the United States, approximately 493,000 individuals have died from AIDS, and 800,000-900,000 peopleare living with HIV disease. (p. 1) AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME) is one of the primary causes of death among youth. AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease that is induced by the HIV virus. There is no known cure for the disease. A basic list of facts regarding the contraction of the HIV virus was provided by, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. HIV can be passed from person to person if someone with HIV infection has sex with or shares drug injection needles with another person. It also can be passed from a mother to her baby when she is pregnant, when she delivers the baby, or if she breast-feeds her baby. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is found in blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk. HIV is spread most often by having sex without using a condom, or by sharing needles. People can be infected with HIV without knowing it. An HIV test is the only way to know for sure. There are treatments that help people with HIV stay healthier, but there is still no cure. Choosing not to have sex and never sharing needles are good ways to protect yourself. Practicing safer sex means always using a new condom with a water-based lubricant. You cannot get HIV from shaking hands, water fountains, bathrooms or eating utensils. (Alto, 2010) In 2009, 46% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse, and 14% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life.1 In 2009, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse.1 In 2002, 11% of males and females aged 15-19 had engaged in anal sex with someone of the opposite sex; 3% of males aged 15-19 had had anal sex with a male.2 In 2002, 55% of males and 54% of females aged 15-19 had engaged in oral sex with someone of the opposite sex.2 In 2006, an estimated 5,259 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14% of the persons diagnosed that year.3 Each year, there are approximately 19 million new STD infections, and almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24.4 In 2002, 12% of all pregnancies, or 757,000, occurred among adolescents aged 15-19.5 (Rowe, 2010) What are the pregnancies statistics among U.S. teens? An epidemic surrounding teenage pregnancy has emerged in America; every day in the U.S. a high volume of adolescents give birth. The statistics of teen pregnancy seem to appear much lower in other industrialized nations. Teens in the U.S. are likely to use birth control. The narrow-mindedness that surrounds the practice of premarital sex in the U.S. can be rooted to a lack of sex education. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, teen pregnancy among girls between the ages of 15-19 have shown trends that have decreased by 37 percent between 1988 and 2005. However, the teen pregnancy rate between 2005 and 2006 increased 3 percent. Proper sex education has proven to be one of the most effective measures of reducing the risks among youth of contracting STDs and teenage pregnancy. Promoting proper awareness through sex education provides individuals with the information needed to practice the measures of safe sex (Henshaw, 2010). Life Expectancy Calculations According to the calculations provided by MSNs life expectancy calculator, my approximate life expectancy is 86 years of age. The positive and negative factors of my lifestyle were examined. (Msn, 2011) 1. What lifestyle modifications can be made to increase my longevity? 2. Who are the youngest and oldest people you have known, and what lifestyle choices attributed to their longevity? A variety of important developmental components of physical and mental health are main attributers to the longevity of ones lifespan, some of these factors depend on levels of stress, personality type, engagement in physical activity, in addition to, a variety of behavioral and genetic predispositions that are theorized to influence the human lifespan. What lifestyle modifications can be made to increase my longevity? Stress has a large impact on health factors that include, personality type. Type A personalities are believed to be more prone to the disposition of heart disease. Listed below are some of the personality traits of type A and type B personalities, provided by the website changingminds.org, which provides further information in regard to these associated health issues. The Type A personality generally lives at a higher stress level. This is driven by They enjoy achievement of goals, with greater enjoyment in achieving of more difficult goals. They are thus constantly working hard to achieve these. They find it difficult to stop, even when they have achieved goals. They feel the pressure of time, constantly working flat out. They are highly competitive and will, if necessary create competition. They hate failure and will work hard to avoid it. They are generally pretty fit and often well-educated (a result of their anxiety). The Type B personality generally lives at a lower stress level and are typically: They work steadily, enjoying achievements but not becoming stressed when they are not achieved. When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the game or back down. They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts. They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds (Type A and type B). Unfortunately I carry more characteristics of the type A personality, which predisposes me to such health complications later in life that are associated with type A personalities. Although, I cannot change my entire personality, there are, however, certain behavioral modification techniques I can apply to everyday life to reduce specific stressors. I carry certain tendencies that border obsessive-compulsive behaviors, which is a common characteristic of type A personalities. These obsessive behaviors are stressors that can be controlled through behavior modification techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Who are the youngest and oldest people you have known, and what lifestyle choices attributed to their longevity? The longest living individual I have known personally would have to be my great-grandmother on my fathers side who lived to the age of 87, which is close to the approximation of my life according to the lifespan calculator. She was always a physically active individual that enjoyed the simplicities in life. Her laidback attitude leads me to say that she had a type B personality. The youngest person in my life that has died was caused by something that could have been prevented. I was a small child at the time, but twenty-eight year old Mark, my fathers closest friend suffered from an addiction to heroin that engulfed his entire existence. His addiction caused him to contract the HIV virus, which soon after turned into full-blown AIDS that facilitated the slow deterioration leading to his death less than two years after contracting the virus. It is unknown whether he contracted the virus through sharing of needles, or having unprotected sex. Thee use of hard narcotics such as heroin would have eventually lead to death if measures were not taken to control the addiction. However, the lifestyles often associated with drug addicts follow a set of lifestyle influences put forth by peers. Addicts often associated with addicts and share things like needles and engage in unprotected sex, which is an unfortunate cause of death affecting many individuals that suffer f rom such disorders as drug addiction.

External and Internal Conflict in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

External and Internal Conflict in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† manifests a duality of conflict – both an external conflict and an internal conflict. It is the purpose of this essay to explore both types of conflict as manifested in the story.    In the opening lines of the tale there is a compulsion, representing internal conflict, indicated on the part of both the protagonist and his wife Faith:    "Dearest heart," whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to his ear, "pr'ythee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!"    "My love and my Faith," replied young Goodman Brown, "of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt now and sunrise. What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married!"    And Faith, hopeful that the compulsion will not get the best of her during the night, responds:    "Then God bless you!" said Faith, with the pink ribbons, "and may you find all well, when you come back."    Q.D. Leavis says in â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet† that â€Å"It is a journey he takes under compulsion, and it should not escape us that she tries to stop him because she is under a similar compulsion to go on a ‘journey’ herself† (36). So the main male and female characters are manifesting similar compulsions toward evil against which they must struggle. And these are the main in... ...ung Goodman Brown.† And both strands come together at the baptismal ceremony at the climax of the story where Goodman resolves his conflicts favorably.    WORKS CITED    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html    Lang, H.J. â€Å"How Ambiguous is Hawthorne?† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence â€Å"Six Tales.† In Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.         

Bias in Historical Description Essay

The article reviewed was Behan McCullagh’s Bias in Historical Description, Interpretation, and Explanation in which he gave a brief but thorough outlook on the manner to which historical accounts are peppered with biased analysis and his opinion on how historians would be able to diminish, if not fully obliterate, from the nature of recounting past events. Why History is Biased McCullagh started of his piece by constructing four reasons as to why he thought that historical writings are mainly biased. His first reason was that he believed historians misinterpreted evidences without properly asserting the truth about its justification. His second reason was that information may already have been omitted by historians in compiling such past accounts that cater to make their views balanced. The third reason was that he deems general description of any historical information may include certain facts that are possibly false due to the uncertainty of most available sources. Lastly, his fourth reason was in reference to causal explanations, concisely described in the article as events that substantially modify the likelihood of the event, which are usually focused on a few important causes that renders a misleading point of view in the reader’s comprehension of the process of events (McCullagh, 2000). McCullagh voiced out that historians who often make mistakes in incorporating biases in their interpretations are typically motivated rather than accidental. He also noted difference between personal and cultural biases, delineating that the latter is far more difficult to be rectified than the other as it is ingrained, yet maintaining that historians must still try to do away with personal bias. He then goes on to further illustrate the concept of bias in historical accounts (McCullagh, 2000). The concept of Bias in Historical Accounts: McCullagh elucidated on the point that historians choose subjects which are of interests to them, inevitably providing a more partial basis to their interpretation of historical information. Consequently, historians are said to be products of their environment or culture, which will naturally hold general notions about the past. Thus, written accounts by historians are subjected to the availability of information gathered and on the decisions made through constant debates on what gets included and what should be disregarded. Such process is said to most likely offer misleading descriptions of historical accounts that have a particular cause (McCullagh, 2000). However, McCullagh has held that preconceived notions about a historical subject that are not biased could be observed in occurrences that involves transformation within a country’s economy as well as social structures. Biases are only attached when selective causes are highlighted while others of equal importance are disregarded (McCullagh, 2000). The perception of biases in constructing history should be avoided as according to McCullagh it provides a deceptive account of the historical subject which may cause misunderstandings and unnecessary negative consequences in conflict-driven situations. McCullagh presented three reasons as to why there are some who think that there is no way to evade the prospect of bias in historical accounts. First was that the interests of historians are automatically considered in determining the historical importance of a subject, the information extracted and the word preferences to use. The second was that preconceptions of historians and their contemporaries have biased point of views and the third one is the reiterated thought that historians have ingrained cultural beliefs and principles (McCullagh, 2000). Overcoming Personal Bias: McCullagh presented his opinion on how historians could be able to avoid injecting biases in interpreting historical data. He stated that historians should be committed to standards of rational thinking that would bring about a justified description of the past. One way to impose this is through peer reviews so as to motivate historians to follow certain acceptable guidelines in rational inquiry. The role of the historian is an important factor in maintaining social responsibility and creating a fair account of historical events (McCullagh, 2000). He denotes that multiplicity in perspectives is another way to produce rational historical inquiry as it presents different views of witnesses which melds relevant information into one account (McCullagh, 2000). McCullagh also pondered upon the notion that for people to prevail over biases, historians must accept that historiography is limited within itself and that the end of the discipline should also be considered in interpreting the past in a postmodern view (McCullagh, 2000). Reference: McCullagh, C. B. 2000. â€Å"Bias in Historical Description, Interpretation, and Explanation. † History & Theory 39(1): 39 – 66.

WEEK 6 COLLOQUY PAPER Essays - Philosophy, Ethics, Free Essays

WEEK 6 COLLOQUY PAPER Essays - Philosophy, Ethics, Free Essays WEEK 6 COLLOQUY PAPER Module 6 is about distributive justice. It focuses on how people should distribute resources among the citizens in a community. There are many questions that concerns the justice of distribution. John Rawls said that no one should be disadvantaged for because of the things they never chose. He feels as if all primary goods should be dispersed equa lly in society unless allocation works in a way that it is equal to the ones who are less fortunate . Everyone needs primary goods and because these goods are needed to go through life day by day. There are two types of primary goods: social and natural. Social primary goods are the things that every individual is believed to desire disregarding his or her plan on life. Natural primary goods are influenced by social organization s. But these goods are not directly apportioned by them. Examples of natural primary goods are: intelligence, talent and ability. Whether the distribution of economic resources are classified as inequality, it is justified on the condition of the ones who are least well off. Nozick believes that the g overnment should have limited access of the rights of citizens along with their liberty and property. He also feels that people are entitled to their accredited belongings despite the state of others. Without the act of fraud or force, we can restore holdings to what they would have been. This is how injustice is rectified.

To What Extent did the reforms of the Constituent Assembly reshape France Essay Example

To What Extent did the reforms of the Constituent Assembly reshape France Essay Example To What Extent did the reforms of the Constituent Assembly reshape France Paper To What Extent did the reforms of the Constituent Assembly reshape France Paper Essay Topic: History After October 1789, most people in France believed that the revolution was over. But the Constituent Assembly still wanted more reforms, they thought that France very much needed this, because it was not really in a fit state, and people were still being unfairly treated by the government and finance systems. It made reforms in 5 areas, government, religion, laws, finances and economy. Everyone in the assembly agreed that they should enforce the principles of the Declaration of Rights, which were that everyone is equal, and no individual might exercise any authority not expressly emanating from the nation. They wanted to produce a system that was representative of the country, was the same all over the country, decentralised and humanitarian. The assembly also agreed that they wanted an end to the ancien regime, and a limited monarchy. They were all great believers of the enlightenment, and wanted to apply the philosophies to end conflict, cruelty, superstition and poverty. There were 2 key principles to the way in which they reformed the local government, one of which was the decentralisation. They wanted the power to pass from the central government in Paris to the local authorities, making it much more difficult for the King to recover the power that he lost because of the revolution. The other key principle is to elect the officials, and to ensure stability would be responsible to those who elected them. Both these were a huge shift away from the old Ancien Regime. The Constituent Assembly enforced their new ideas by the Decrees of December 1789 and January 1790. These meant that France was divided into 83 departments, which were subdivided into 547 districts and 43,360 municipalities. The municipalities were grouped into Cantons, which acted as areas for elections and justices of the peace. All of the divisions were run by elected councils, except the cantons. The voting and election system worked as follows: The active citizens who could vote for municipal officials and vote in national elections had to pay 3 days labour in taxes, anyone who didnt pay this, couldnt vote. People who paid equivalent of 10 days labour could elect members of district and department, elect members to National Assembly and could become officials. And people who paid equivalent of 50 days could become a deputy in the National Assembly. This did mean that realistically, only the rich or financially well off people could elect councils. There was definitely a revolution in who governed, because in the South, bourgeois landowners controlled the new councils, and in the Northern towns the bourgeois controlled new councils, and in the Northern countryside, laboreurs controlled them. This was a huge change from the rich upper classes controlling to the middle and lower classes beginning to control. The councils did do a lot of work for the country, they assessed and collected taxes, they controlled the National Guard, maintained law and order, administered the clerical oath, carried out public works, and controlled the requisition of grain. In towns the councils were very effective; there were a good supply of literate, talented men. But in villages there very few literate and talented men so there were poor deputies. Also in Catholic areas, officials disliked persecuting priests who had refused to take the oath of loyalty, and consequently resigned and areas were left without any effective local government. In 1789, the royal administration collapsed, and very few taxes were collected, meaning that the Assembly desperately needed money so they decided to continue with the old financial system of direct and indirect taxation until 1791 which was very unpopular. The people wanted the demands made in the cahiers to be met immediately. After outbreaks of violence in Picardy, the government gave way, and abolished the gabelle in March 1790 and within a year all indirect taxes were abolished aswell. Before the new system operated effectively, the Assembly voted that in November 1789 the land that belonged to the church would be sold to the people. This money would then pay the Clergy. The government issues bands which people bought and used to buy church land. It was hoped that the Clergy would support the new regime because they would be dependant on it for their salaries. Members of the bourgeoisie bought most of the land near towns, and the peasants bought the land that was away from the towns. By 1799 the peasants had bought 52% of the land, while the Bourgeoisie has bought 48%. The bourgeoisie often resold their land to the peasants, it is estimated that the number of peasant smallholders increased by a million between 1789 and 1810. The new financial system began in January 1791, indirect taxes had been abolished, and now there was a main tax on land, which replaced indirect taxes and taille and vingtieme. There was also a property tax, which was unpopular, as people saw it as the old capitation in a new form. The new financial system was much better than the old, it benefited the poor a lot because of the abolition of indirect taxes, and there would no longer be any privileges or exemptions. It was much fairer in respect of the fact that all property and income was to be taxed on the same basis. The economic reforms that were enforced included the lassiez-faire attitude to trade and industry, the assembly believed that trade and industry should be free from any government interference, and therefore introduced free trade in grain in August 1789 and removed price controls. There was a creation of a single system of weights and measures which was the decimal system, which the whole population of France had to use now. In June 1971 80,000 workers were threatening a strike, so the assembly passed the Le Chapelier Law, named after Le Chapelier (the deputy who proposed it). This law made trade unions and employers organisations forbidden. Bargaining, picketing and strikes were made illegal. The assembly really wanted to give the poor some relief, and concluded that nearly 2 million people could only live from begging. However, when it came to action, the Assembly took none because there was not enough money. The Constituent Assembly changed the legal system in the same uniformity that it changed the local government. There were to be the same law and law-courts throughout the country. In each canton there was a J. P whose main job was to make the different parties to agree, but now could judge very minor civil cases without appeal. The more serious civil cases were sent to a District court. They made a criminal court in each department and these would deal with criminal cases and the defendants would be found guilty or innocent by a jury. At the head of the whole system was a Court of Appeal, whos Judges were elected. All the judges were elected by active citizens, but only those who had been lawyers for five years could be elected. This ensured that all the judges were fair and well qualified. The overall legal system was improved aswell, torture and mutilation was abolished and the use of the death penalty was vastly reduced. A new more efficient method of execution was introduced, the guillotine. The Assemblys legal reforms made a huge difference to France. Before, the system of justice was absolutely terrible it was barbarous and corrupt. However, after the reforms, it was one of the most enlightened in Europe. The Constituent Assembly had various ideas about religion. They wanted to create a church that was totally free from abuses, free from papal control, democratic and linked to the new systems; especially local government. Under the ancien regime the Catholic Church in France had not been very closely linked with the state, the Assemble wanted to change this. In August 1789 the Assembly ended the privileges of the Church, abolished the tithe, annates and pluralism. Most parish clergy supported these measures. The Decree of December 1789 gave civil rights to Protestants, and in September 1791 these rights included Jews. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy in July 1790 was a big turning point; it adapted the organisation of the church in a way similar to the adaptations of the local government. The number of bishoprics would be reduced from 135 to 83, meaning there would be fewer Clergy. The clergy was divided into Seculars and Regulars. Seculars were under control of a bishop, and a parish priest had control of a distinct area the benefice, they had responsibility for the salvation of people. In regulars were the members of religious orders who were under direct control of their superior. This included enclosed contemplatives. The Clergy demanded that the reforms be submitted to a National Assembly of the French Church but the Constituent Assembly refused to agree to this. Because a Church assembly was not allowed to discuss the matter, the Clergy waited for the Pope to give his opinion, however he took too long to respond and in November 1790 the National Assembly declared that the Clergy must take an oath to the Constitution. This split the clergy. In France 55% of the clergy took the oath, but when the Pope finally condemned the Civil Constitution in March 1791, many retracted their oath. The Civil Constitution of the clergy had momentous results; it destroyed the revolutionary consensus which had existed since 1789. There were now two churches in Catholic Churches in France, one which accepted the revolution and the other that was approved by the Pope but regarded as against the revolution. About half of the people now rejected revolution because they were faced with a choice between revolution and religion. This was one result of the Civil Constitution, another was the Kings attempt to flee France in June 1791, leading to the downfall of the monarchy. The Constituent Assembly drew up the Constitution of 1791, which would replace an absolute monarchy. Real power was to be passed to an elected assembly. The King would have a suspended veto and there would be one elected assembly. In September the King reluctantly accepted the Constitution, but Marie Antoinette said that the Constitution was so monstrous that it cannot survive for long, and was determined to overthrow it. The reforms that the Constituent Assembly made reshaped France in a big way; the whole Government system was changed entirely, and so was the legal system, the financial system and religion. The reforms moved away from the ancien regime and the peasants and bourgeoisie benefited very much from the reforms. The middle classes now controlled new councils, and the poor became landowners. Indirect taxation was abolished, which helped everyone very much, and was definitely a big change in the way the country used to be run. The King lost more and more power from the Constitution of 1791. However, the religious reforms did make some people go against the revolution, and lost the Constituent Assembly some popularity, but it did definitely reshape France.

Beef Scares Europe essays

Beef Scares Europe essays The strange disease, called bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as BSE, had its origin in 1985, when the first official case of mad-cow disease was detected in Britain. In 1988 Britain ordered the slaughter of all cattle infected with BSE but the British manufacturers continued to export banned animal feed to the Continent. In 1990 a cat with symptoms of BSE was discovered. The British Government was frightened and started to watch for human cases. In 1995, the first person died of a Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), the human version of mad-cow disease. Because of this tragic incident the continental Europeans stopped to buy British Beef, British cows and British animal feed in the mid-1990s and thats the reason why many European states felt themselves safe. Nevertheless in the last few weeks the first cases of BSE have been announced in Germany and Spain. In France a panic broke out as well because three supermarkets made public that meat from a dozen cows, which had an infected animal among them, had made its way into the shops. The outcome was that the beef prize dropped down immeasurably. The French public is eating 50 percent less beef than they did a few weeks ago and five neighbour-countries dont import meat from France anymore. The number of victims in Britain has increased to 82 in the last few days. Since last summer also two people in France and one person in Ireland have died from the disease. Doctors say that CJD is a mysterious, incurable illness that attacks the nervous system and destroys the brain and all its functions. Nobody knows when the illness will break out because the human form of the disease can incubate for a decade or more before symptoms appear. Unfortunately there is no cure for it but there are a number of medicaments which can relieve the pain. The bad news is that the number of victims is rising now about 40% because of the long incubation period. ...

Socratic Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Socratic Philosophy - Essay Example The original speech given by Socrates was written by Xenophon, but Plato's version is still considered to be the most reliable source of gaining information about the history of the Socrates. There is no assurance considering how close are Plato's words to the words employed by Socrates in the actual speech at the time of his trial but it is believed that they are as closest as they can be. The speech given by Socrates was an attempt to defend himself from the accusations that were presented in the court against him. These charges included his corruptive activities in order to deliberately corrupt young minds along with his belief in atheism and creation of new deities. Plato was the only one who was able to revive the existence of Socrates in that court and his true state of mind. 'The apology' begins with the confusion that Socrates explained during the trial which said that he does not know if people of Athens, which were presented in the courts as the jury have been convinced by his accusers to join the jury. According to Plato's version of Socrates, he believed in the instant usage of words that came right from his mind rather than the usage of metaphors and perhaps words that over elaborate. The speech clearly presents Socrates notion of philosophy, which was an integral part of his undeveloped wisdom and his belief that philosophy can never be there unless one a dmits the intensity of Ignorance. The Trial: There three men who accused Socrates were Anytus, son of Anthemion who according to Socrates became a part of the indictment to represent the anger of the politicians and craftsmen. Socrates explained the eminence of virtue and that it cannot be taught while providing evidences to prove that many Athenians have sons who are in many ways mediocre as compared to the greatness that they had to offer. He precedes with real life examples of Pericles and Thucydides to strongly support the notion. Anytus was aggravated by Socrates' offensive remarks and impolite behavior that persuaded Anytus to convict him for various charges. The second man to represent the accusations was Meletus, the only speaker during Socrates' defense speech. Socrates mentions that Meletus joined the indictment to represent the poets; he also describes Meletus's appearance as a young hook-nosed man who is not known to many. During their discussion Meletus permits Socrates to bombard him with baffling queries that entrapped him in Socrates little conspiracy. Meletus accused Socrates of atheism and his belief in demi-gods. The third and the final accuser was Lycon, a remarkable rhetorician who as per Socrates joined the indictment on behalf of the rhetoricians. Along with Lycon, Nails is also believed to be an accuser who strongly represented the indictment and the charges pressed against Socrates. Nails became a democratic politician right after the downfall of the four hundred; he accused Socrates for his active part as one of the thirty tyrants who were solely responsible for the execution of his son, Autolycus. Socrates was faced by a set of two accusations which he had to defend himself from. The first set of accusations comprises of his conviction in various sorts of crimes and his big mouth that has only offensive words to convey. This set of accusations

Why Saudi Arabia has not joined the CISG And should it join now Research Paper

Why Saudi Arabia has not joined the CISG And should it join now - Research Paper Example The popularity of the CISG was however restricted in some Arab Islamic countries due to the presence of conflicting and ambiguous principles. Though certain modification have been done by some of the Islamic countries in signing to the convention but still countries like Saudi Arab have refrained themselves from taking part in the CISG. The factors which prevent Saudi Arab from being a part of the CISG have been studied over here. A special analysis of the article 78 of the CISG has been carefully studied over here. Critical recommendations have been made for analyzing whether CISG should involve them in the treaty and be a part of the global treaty. CISG: The CISG (Convention for the International Sale of goods) is an important adoption in the international business transaction. The area covered by CISG is huge and a large portion of the international business transaction is under its control. The CISG covers only the buying and selling of goods. The various signatories of CISG have decided to implement the laws of the CISG in a uniform fashion. The United Nations Convention for International Sale of goods is applicable to international transactions of goods. However it does not applies to transaction of personal and family household. The CISG came into effectiveness in the year 1988, and fifty eight countries have been the signatory of the treaty including four Islamic countries from the Arab. The success of the CISG can be attributed to the expansion of the global business worldwide. However the establishment of the CISG came into existence after a long struggle in the 1920’s. The evolution of CISG has been an important historical treaty in the international trade. However there exists disparity in terms of the understanding of the CISG and the Islamic law and it is found that many Arabic countries have refrained from joining or being a member nation of the treaty. The contracting propositions are discussed below. Analyzing the causes for Saudi Arabâ €™s non-participation in CISG CISG and Islamic law of Interest: Under the international law of the CISG Article 78 clearly underlines the payment of interest to the distressed party (Akaddaf). The convention of the CISG however does not have any clear rules or policies regarding the interest rate calculation or the time frame required for the payment of interest. However charging of interest is not promoted under the Islamic law and it is prohibited. According to Quran charging of interest is held as an injustice. A notion is held that in order to maintain equity and fairness in carrying out a trade transaction, charging of interest brings differences and becomes unfair in respect to the weaker party of the contract. The Islam idea regarding this unfairness is somewhat similar to the Uniform commercial code as followed in the American approach. Islam’s held the idea that charging of interest leads to the oppression of the poor and is generally believed that interest charg ing should be eliminated from the commercial transactions. Practice of providing loans is common in the Islamic countries but the theory of profit making is not encouraged to place a party in any sort of financial disadvantage. Relieving a person form the debt is assumed to be an act of charity according to Islamic laws and culture. Evidence of international arbitration regarding the charging of interest or â€Å"riba† also exists. It claimed that the policy regarding riba did not provide restriction on all cases where it led to a financial loss of one party due to the inability of one of the party to pay back in time (Twibell). Islamic Banking: Islamic banking came into functioning in the year 1970. It started its operation in Egypt. Soon it became popular in the other Islamic countries as well and became popular

Reasons for Quarrels between Friends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reasons for Quarrels between Friends - Essay Example .. severe and demonstrate a lack of trust and respect. In these cases, a firm break up may be the right answer. â€Å"She goes on to explain the reasons as to why friends could end up arguing and what the end result of that action brings for the parties concerned. As we grow up, we come to realize that we may have a lot of friends, but only one whom we feel deeply close and connected to. That person is termed as a best friend. A best friend is someone whom we share our inner most thoughts and feelings with. That friend is the physical representation of the trust that we have learned to share with other people. Then something happens, your best friend betrays you for some reason. The betrayal could be something as petty as telling your parents about the day that you skipped school to go see a movie or something major (as in the case of adults) that resulted in the breaking of the trust because your best friend told someone else about your secret or, in some cases, started some gossip about you based upon the secrets that you told her. Whatever the reason, the trust you gave that person was broken. The betrayal you feel can be so severe that arguing with your friend does not produce a healthy solution to the situation. Sometimes the only logical path for your relationship to take with that person is to end the friendship since the sense of betrayal is sometimes overwhelming. Other times the reason for the break-up or quarrel in a friendship stems from the lack of support from people whom you expected to have your back during rough patches of your life. Say for example you move to a new school but still live in the same neighborhood. Your classmates used to be the same kids who lived on the same block. Now, you have a totally new set of classmates whom you have to adjust to because the new school standards and social set up is a far cry from your old one. When you get home, you expect to see your neighbors, whom you consider to be friends, and spend time with the m. Sharing your thoughts and feelings and just letting them know how hard it is to adjust to your new set up. However, instead of lending you an ear and offering you a shoulder to cry on, your friend or friends choose instead to make a joke out of your situation and make you feel like an outsider within a group of people whom you thought were your friends. This lack of support can often be a major cause of friction between friends that could also lead to the breakup of friendships if the problem is not resolved in time. Oftentimes such cases of lack of friend support are just a minor reason for arguments between friends and, if caught in time, the friendship can actually still be mended. Let's not forget, arguments between friends can also be caused by petty jealousy over things as simple as who looked better in an outfit, or who got the higher grade in a test. This feeling of inferiority between friends often results in the jealous friend acting all unreasonable and mean towards th e other friend who is deemed to have gotten the better result in a given situation. This failure to be happy for the success of other friends is a major cause of arguments between friends but can usually be ironed out in the end with a simple explanation. Jealousy does not often result in the end of

Should cigarette smoking be banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Should cigarette smoking be banned - Essay Example Even though cigarette smokers may derive satisfaction from the act, they expose themselves to a number of substances that are harmful to their health and they expose non-smokers to these substances. While it would be moral to justify their utility if the adverse effects were limited to their bodies, cigarette smoking causes harm to non-smokers and this calls for its restricted use, that can be better achieved through a legal ban. This is because regulating smoking in public places alone is not sufficient to protect non-smokers from components of tobacco that they can encounter from smokers’ breath. Substances that cigarettes contain are also harmful to smokers and the adverse effects cannot be compared to the temporary feeling that a person attain after smoking. The net effects of such components are adverse to justify a legal ban on cigarette smoking. One of the components of cigarette is tar that has long term staining effects on fingers, teeth, and respiratory tissues. It a lso sticks on respiratory linings to hinder exchange of gases, a factor that has adverse effects on other body processes. Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide, a gas that is odorless and yet toxic. As a result, the gas can accumulate in an environment and threaten people’s life without being noticed and this is one of the ways in which cigarette smoking causes deaths. Cigarette also contains hydrogen cyanide, free radicals, and radioactive components that are harmful to the respiratory system and other body systems (Better Health Channel, 2013). Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also supports the need for illegalization of cigarette smoking. According to the federal agency, smoking is responsible for 20 percent of reported deaths in the United States. The data further explains that cigarette smoking causes more deaths than the combined effects of â€Å"Human

Islamic View of Medical Treatment Research Paper

Islamic View of Medical Treatment - Research Paper Example However, a new branch of thinkers interpret the possibilities in the principle and suggest that a temporary abstinence of child bearing chosen with mutual consent is acceptable by way of physical contraception methods which do not affect the structure and function of the body. Ap0artr from the application of medical resources for birth control, there is an equal challenge on the issues related to fertility treatments. Most of the women consider discussing problems related to conceiving a child and giving birth as taboo and ignore the chances of consulting a doctor for treatment of their failure. While on the other hand, pregnancy is the gift of God as per the belief of this religion and it must be treated as virtue of a woman to give effect to the sperm of the male. The Qur’an teaches us to respect the ability of women to bear a child as it says â€Å"If they have a burden (pregnant) then spend on them until they bring forth their burden† (Ch: 65:6, cited in Angelfire.c om, n.d) . Religious views are against the artificial methods of fertilizing as it strongly condemns the factor of the woman’s exposure of her private parts to a person other than her husband. However, the modern society is willing to allow medical treatment for infertility subject to conditions applied as per the guidelines of the derived principles. Euthanasia and Organ Donation As Islam has its own guidelines about handling birth and fertility related affairs, so it has a claim on the debate of euthanasia or the right of a person to choose death with assistance of a physician. On the basis of Islamic views, withdrawal of life supporting apparatuses for granting relief to an individual is not acceptable. Though there were primitive... This essay studies and evaluates some of the religious implications of medical treatment methods practiced by the scientifically inspired new society. As per the religious concept, marriage is meant for the basic purpose of having children as a contribution to the growth of the community. Any attempt to deliberate termination of pregnancy or the practices for attaining sterility endorses the principles of this religion. The fetus has an independent right to live within the mother’s body; therefore an attempt to abort it is an assault as well as a murder. Surgical methods of sterilization such as vasectomy and hysterectomy are not permissible in the religious point of view. As Islam has its own guidelines about handling birth and fertility related affairs, so it has a claim on the debate of euthanasia or the right of a person to choose death with assistance of a physician. On the basis of Islamic views, withdrawal of life supporting apparatuses for granting relief to an individ ual is not acceptable. In conclusion, Islam is a religion with absolute concern for integrity and the value of life. It believes in the principle of power of all knowledge meant for the well being of believers under the guidelines of the Prophet. Therefore the topics discussed in the essay are subject to scientific consultation in the present day community while considering the essential factor that the religion never allowed them for convenience but it approves them for the concept that necessity can sometimes over rule prohibitions.

Letter of Intent for Masters of Public Health Essay

Letter of Intent for Masters of Public Health - Essay Example Therefore, I believe that pursuing a masters in public health will enable me to play a crucial role in creating a healthy community, which has been my long term goal. My background education in various educational backgrounds in related fields will be a plus in my effort to achieve my goals. I have a bachelor degree in psychology and I am also a doctor’s assistant in a medical clinic. In my work environment, I have faced various medical situations in my line of work and because of the need to ensure that I progress career wise and also attain my goals of ensuring a healthy lifestyle for everyone in the community, pursuing a masters in public health will enable me to be a step forward in attaining my goals. I have various qualities that make me an eligible candidate for the MPH program. I am passionate about public health and I always take the initiative to research new trends in the area and this has always kept me in a position to have ready solutions in various situations that my arise in my line of work and also in case of any emergency or situation requiring my expertise. My motivation comes from the need to have a healthy community an d this has made me creative in various areas. The passion for my work as a public health officer has put in me the willingness to look for solutions to problems without giving up as this plays a crucial role in solving various medical issues that may arise. With a MPH I aim at playing a central role in improving the health of people around the world and I will achieve this by developing various strategies aimed at coming up with solutions for health problems. I envision myself collaborating with other professionals in the public health sector with the same goal of promoting wellness in communities all over the world. This program will give me the chance to advance my research skills which are paramount for coming up with real solutions to health related problems. My experience in psychology

Should cigarette smoking be banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Should cigarette smoking be banned - Essay Example Even though cigarette smokers may derive satisfaction from the act, they expose themselves to a number of substances that are harmful to their health and they expose non-smokers to these substances. While it would be moral to justify their utility if the adverse effects were limited to their bodies, cigarette smoking causes harm to non-smokers and this calls for its restricted use, that can be better achieved through a legal ban. This is because regulating smoking in public places alone is not sufficient to protect non-smokers from components of tobacco that they can encounter from smokers’ breath. Substances that cigarettes contain are also harmful to smokers and the adverse effects cannot be compared to the temporary feeling that a person attain after smoking. The net effects of such components are adverse to justify a legal ban on cigarette smoking. One of the components of cigarette is tar that has long term staining effects on fingers, teeth, and respiratory tissues. It a lso sticks on respiratory linings to hinder exchange of gases, a factor that has adverse effects on other body processes. Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide, a gas that is odorless and yet toxic. As a result, the gas can accumulate in an environment and threaten people’s life without being noticed and this is one of the ways in which cigarette smoking causes deaths. Cigarette also contains hydrogen cyanide, free radicals, and radioactive components that are harmful to the respiratory system and other body systems (Better Health Channel, 2013). Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also supports the need for illegalization of cigarette smoking. According to the federal agency, smoking is responsible for 20 percent of reported deaths in the United States. The data further explains that cigarette smoking causes more deaths than the combined effects of â€Å"Human

Letter of Intent for Masters of Public Health Essay

Letter of Intent for Masters of Public Health - Essay Example Therefore, I believe that pursuing a masters in public health will enable me to play a crucial role in creating a healthy community, which has been my long term goal. My background education in various educational backgrounds in related fields will be a plus in my effort to achieve my goals. I have a bachelor degree in psychology and I am also a doctor’s assistant in a medical clinic. In my work environment, I have faced various medical situations in my line of work and because of the need to ensure that I progress career wise and also attain my goals of ensuring a healthy lifestyle for everyone in the community, pursuing a masters in public health will enable me to be a step forward in attaining my goals. I have various qualities that make me an eligible candidate for the MPH program. I am passionate about public health and I always take the initiative to research new trends in the area and this has always kept me in a position to have ready solutions in various situations that my arise in my line of work and also in case of any emergency or situation requiring my expertise. My motivation comes from the need to have a healthy community an d this has made me creative in various areas. The passion for my work as a public health officer has put in me the willingness to look for solutions to problems without giving up as this plays a crucial role in solving various medical issues that may arise. With a MPH I aim at playing a central role in improving the health of people around the world and I will achieve this by developing various strategies aimed at coming up with solutions for health problems. I envision myself collaborating with other professionals in the public health sector with the same goal of promoting wellness in communities all over the world. This program will give me the chance to advance my research skills which are paramount for coming up with real solutions to health related problems. My experience in psychology

Jewish Federation Apartments Essay Example for Free

Jewish Federation Apartments Essay The Jewish Federation Apartments is a ‘humanitarian’ housing public service organization for the elderly, those who are 62 years and above, and those who may be impaired in terms of mobility, those who are 18 years or older. The Jewish Federation Apartments is a public service offering founded and run by the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo. Preservation of the elderly people’s dignity, safety and decency of the occupants of the apartments is the main aim for maintaining the Jewish Federation Apartments. Through the years of activity, the Jewish Federation Apartments offer not only housing but also integrated social activities that encourage the apartments’ occupants to integrate not only with their family members, if any, and the community. Jewish Federation Apartments 1) Describe the agency’s mission statement. Identify the client base of the agency including the cultural groups The Jewish Federation Apartments was started by the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo to offer housing and humanitarian care to the elderly as well as those who may be mobility-impaired. The main mission of the Jewish Federation Apartments organization is to offer public service to those aged 62 years and those who are 18 years and older and are mobility-impaired. The main mission is to safeguard the dignity, decency and safety of occupants while offering social services. In any given community or society the elderly and mobility-impaired may feel the need for loving care that would give them the feeling of being a ‘normal’ part of the community. As it may be noted, both the elderly and mobility-impaired may have a sense of need to move around like any other member of the community. The mission of the Jewish Federation Apartments is to ensure that those who qualify to be tenants in the apartments get affordable housing in a safe environment and that their dignity and decency is sustained. Only those who are successful in qualifying for tenancy based on the Jewish tradition would attain residence in the Jewish Federation Apartments. The Board of Directors’, all offering their services voluntarily, goal is to ensure that the personal dignity, physical, emotional and spiritual life is of enhanced quality. These are all in the fulfillment of the Jewish Federation Apartments’ mission. According to the president of the Jewish Federation Apartments, that I interviewed, the place is predominantly occupied by Jews but this may only be so due to the fact that the apartments are a public service offered by the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo. Another reason this may be so is due to the fact that qualification for occupancy/tenancy is guide by the Jewish tradition. This, and many factors, has seen the apartment’s occupancy be mainly of Jewish oriented persons, though there are other cultures and other religious occupants such as the Polish, Italians and Persians. The Jewish Federation Apartments has always advertised or sought to attract applicants from all cultures religions, ethnicities and communities and this has seen it achieve its current diversity of occupancy cultures. The Jewish Russian community seems to be one that has the highest occupancy numbers; however, other communities are also increasing in number. In the past approximately half of the Jewish Federation Apartments was from the Jewish Russian community that moved to America a long time back. However, in recent years, this has changed and the Jewish Russian community seems to be reducing to about 35-40% of the whole community says the Jewish Federation Apartments president. Despite having an open invitation to all ethnics and religions and communities, the Jewish Federation Apartments seems to have low attraction of the African American community. The main reason why there seems to be no African Americans is that, the community seems slow to accepting change from their communities and neighborhoods. The African Americans seem not too keen on moving from their neighborhoods. This then explains why Jewish Federation Apartments’ occupancy has no African Americans despite there being a waiting list of the community, reveals the Jewish Federation Apartments president during the interview. Current occupation in the apartments is mainly of whites as African American communities are slow in taking up the challenge of change that may come from moving from their communities. In the past the African American were tenants in the apartments, however, they seem to have moved out since currently there are only a white population of tenants remaining. All these were revelations from the interview that I carried out with the president of the Jewish Federation Apartments. Despite there being a waiting list from the African Americans at the Jewish Federation Apartments, they do not want to move there yet. 2) Describe the agency’s cultural and linguistic competency plan Culturally, the Jewish Federation Apartments agency has been diversified, however with a reduced attention and interest from the African American community. The agency’s efforts to attract all communities to consider occupancy at the apartments have been generally attractive and open to all. Advertisement for apartments is open to everyone who is over 62 years and those who are above 18 and are mobility-impaired. The culture of the agency is to care safeguard and ensure that every tenant’s decency and dignity is enhanced. The current situation seems to lean more on the Jewish setting. Since the agency is in a predominantly white community, the cultural orientation may be leaning to the whites’ culture. The African American community on the other hand seem to be holding on to their cultures since they seem adamant about moving to the Jewish Federation Apartments despite a past occupancy and application for consideration for tenancy. Jewish Federation Apartments agency culture is that of a friendly and social environment that allows the tenants to interact though there are policies that govern occupancy of the premises by ‘outsiders’. One may therefore be right to say that the agency is well out to protect the qualified tenants and the community of Jewish Federation Apartments. One culture that the Jewish Federation Apartments community seems to have adapted is that of organized friendly activities that ensure all tenants have some sought of meeting point to engage in friendly socializing activities. In this way, many who may be old and rather disoriented would be uplifted emotionally and spiritually. By using a clear and concise tenant handbook, the agency’s aim is to give clear tenancy regulations that must be followed. By doing this, the agency is able to enhance the culture of organization and responsibility. This means that tenants are able to correlate and live peacefully with one another. The cultural plan of the agency is to maintain an open community culture that would ensure that all tenant correlate and live with harmony under the rules and regulations. Adequate, clear and precise communication has been one main challenge for the agency. Clear communication among all thee different language speakers, understanding each other and having clear and understandable communication with the agency are among the language challenges the agency faced. The legal tenancy documents print language, as well as all kinds of communication have to be clear and understandable. Linguistically, there has to be clear communication in order for all to understand each other. In order to make this possible, the agency would have to produce/print communication materials in understandable tenants’ languages. In the past, the agency printed documents in two main languages; English and Russian. This may be a sign that other language speaker, though of minority groups, may also desire to be able to get materials written in their language so they can understand. Legal documents are important and crucial and must be well understood to avoid any legal or regulatory conflicts. The agency may make plans to ensure that all tenants get these legal tenancy documents in languages that they can understand, however, since people who speak other languages seem to be quite few to justify the cost of translating these documents to specific individual languages. Past translations made to Russian have proven challenging since Russian tenant challenge the agency for not giving accurate translations. This may be a challenge of language translation that may affect may other language translations unless there be a specialized organization making standard and accurate translations. Lack of an official translation made the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), want to translate English to other languages such as Russian, Spanish, French, Polish, Chinese and other languages. Though this has not been done by HUD yet, it would give positive response if done, says the agency president. If the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) translated, the tenants may feel that the translation was done accurately and of higher standard. In the past, the agency had tried to make Russian translations as this would seem cost effective considering the Russian population that justified the translation efforts. The main translators that the agency has used in the past for the Russian language were the language institute as well as Russian translators. This has however not proven to be fully accepted by the Russian community. The community claims that the translations are not accurate hence posing a translation challenge to the agency. The main plans made by the agency to bridge cultural and language barriers are: †¢ From the interview with the Jewish Federal Apartments’ president, it seemed apparent that language would be most tasking and most challenging to the agency to deal with. During meetings tenants have had to come with translator who would translate to them so they would understand the meeting proceedings. †¢ The agency has made efforts to have its notices written in Russian as well and placed on the bulletin board. This would be a sign that the agency is making an effort towards fulfilling the laid out cultural and linguistic competence outlined by the National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CALS). †¢ In an effort to make communication between the agency and the tenants clear, when a tenant goes to the agency offices, he/she has to go with a translator who may be a relative, friend or fellow tenant. This, as easy as it my seem, is one of the many culturally and linguistically challenging issue that the agency may have to address urgently as availability of a good and accurate translator may require one who is neutral well versed with both languages i. e. the agency’s and tenant’s languages. †¢ English training is offered by the agency twice a week at the agency premises. This seems to be one of the agency plans to make communication with the tenant s easier and cost effective instead of having to translate all communication materials and finding a translator for each tenant speaking other languages. The main challenge with this kind of plan may be the ability, willingness and availability of the tenants to attend the classes. Great efforts were made in housing and urban development programs to facilitate affordable housing. Culturally competent services did not have a successful impact. To prove this, one may say that even with bilingual services and culturally appropriate information, caregivers do not consider that many minorities did not read or write in their native tongue, so that traditional mainstream communication methods were not reaching them. More importantly there were still not enough minority providers and caregivers (cited in Lecca et al, 1998). All plans by the agency to ensure that it conforms to the standards of CALS may seem rather wanting. However in order to ensure standard culturally and linguistically appropriate services, the agency would have to put more effort into ensuring that all tenants cultural and language needs are considered and integrated into the agency’s policies and culture. It may be recommended to the agency to work with HUD and CALS and other human service organizations to ensure a level of conformity to the standardized operational policies. Cultural competence is based on an organization’s policies, principles and structures working effectively across all cultures. Organizations have to contain the capacity to value diversity in cultures and linguistics, carry out self assessment to ensure they can manage the dynamics of visible diversity, have cultural knowledge and adapt to the diversity and cultural differences of the people and communities they serve/work with. In this way all individuals will have a sense of care and respect, decency and dignity as well as pride in their culture and language. This is the agency’s main objective and one that may help it conduct a self assessment to ensure conformity to these basin cultural competence guidelines . Organizational processes of policy making, management and administration as well as service delivery should be based on the foundation of cultural competence by considering and integrating the community or those they serve in all processes. The agency’s capacity to offer effective communication and convey information that is easily comprehended by all persons including those with low English proficiency, seemingly low literacy, and/or any form of disability would only be reviewed by the agency itself. The current situation at the agency implies a need for this to be accomplished to ensure all tenants’ cultural, linguistic and communication needs are well catered for. 3) Examine how the policies are implemented The Jewish Federation Apartments agency follows policies developed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD leases are the ones that have to be implemented and used by every house and its rules have to be followed. Individual human and support services offered by the agency have to be in the preferred language and communication medium of the tenants and community served. For this to be accomplished, the human service organizations such as the agency have to ensure that the policies conform to the government and/or local mandates that may be governing language access. Besides the lease document developed by HUD, the agency has house rules it has developed and documented. This two guiding documents have used at the agency by all tenants and observed by the staff, all communicated in English and Russian. All documents pertaining to the lease and house rules are communicate and provided to all tenants so as to ensure smooth operations at the agency apartments. According to Lecca et al, the health social and human service practitioners of today are no longer faced with patients/consumers of only one culture, but also with those who are of different cultural backgrounds and with different needs. With the changing and current demographic settings, agencies and human service providers have then to be culturally competent so as to meet the rapidly growing minority population. 4) Design a cultural and linguistic competency policy for the agency and suggestions of implementation strategies to improve the cultural and linguistic competency of the agency. Most social scientists and human service experts agree that if our community is more educated, better trained and healthier, productivity is an inevitable result. Housing projects and alternative community training employment and educational services have also incorporated culturally based competence service and methodologies with some success. In order for the agency to be competent in cultural and linguistic policies, there has to be a level of commitment that is not dependent on the availability of resources but rather on the aim of equitable, respectful, understandable and effective human service delivery. In order for this to be effective, a change in policy and policy implementation processes has to be implemented. Linguistically and culturally all ethnic and religious communities must be equally considered and served. All services offered by the agency have to be equally and clearly communicated to all culturally and linguistically diverse tenants. This kind of communication must also be clear, concise and understandable in the tenants preferred language and mode. In a bid to make this quest for equal, clear and understandable communication, the agency must collect all relevant data and information on all the tenants’ ethnicity, religious, cultural and family background before the lease of tenancy is offered and tenancy in commenced. Culturally and linguistically competent policies and communication frameworks have then to be implemented to ensure that the agency is culturally and linguistically competent. A policy or policies that may be implemented would be: †¢ Board of Directors and staff must exhibit behavior that can help build trust and understanding in the diverse agency. †¢ The agency has to strive to promote a feeling of acceptance for all tenants and staff to ensure both do work together to make the agency culturally and linguistically competent. †¢ The agency must be culturally and linguistically sensitive to the values of its management and operational processes and techniques. †¢ When the Jewish Federation Apartments’ tenants express doubts, concerns and feelings of need for some help or action to be taken on any given issues, whether it concerns their tenancy, environment or service, the agency must demonstrate acceptance and understanding of the problems by identifying clearly, the employees concerns and discussing them thoroughly. †¢ The agency must show consideration, respect and understanding to all tenants at the apartments. †¢ Since minorities may not be prompt and willing to reveal that they may not understand the language of communication, all modes of communication such as diagrams should be used to ensure that agency-tenants communication is clear and understandable. †¢ All communication whether verbal or written should be in the tenant’s preferred language, respectable, concise and understandable. †¢ The agency should implement strategies to recruit, retain and promote at all levels of the organization, diverse staff and leadership that represents the demographic qualities of the Jewish Federal Apartments’ tenants. In the past the agency seemed to have been challenged by the notion or reality of having to conform to standard culturally and linguistically competence. Currently this may be achieved if only the agency would: †¢ Work with the existing standard and well known translators to make translation of all communication materials that all can understand. †¢ If translators are needed the agency should try and have staff be the ones translating other that tenants bringing their own translators. This would help them avoid situations where a tenant’s own translator, being a relative or friend, being unable to translate some word that may be embarrassing. †¢ The agency should offer language assistance at no cost and inform the tenants that this service is available by posting a notice on the notice board. This would ensure that all tenants are informed of the ‘right’ to language assistance. †¢ Knowledge and general understanding of the Jewish Federal Apartments tenants’ cultures should be encouraged for all staff. This would help them communicate effectively especially in case of an emergency. In conclusion, in order for the agency to attain effective and efficient culturally and linguistically competence, it will have to embrace the fact that diversity of cultures, languages, ethnics e. t. c. in inevitable. This will then help the agency ensure that its prepared for competent service delivery. References Jewish Federation Apartments (2007), Tenant Selection. Retrieved April 19, 2009, from http://www. jewishfederationhousing. org/selection. html Lecca, Pedro J. , Quervalu, I. , Nunes, J. V. , Gonzales, H. F. (1998). Cultural Competency in Health, Social and Human Services: Directions for the Twenty-first Century. NY: Garland Publisher. Fong, Rowena (Ed). (2004). Culturally Competent Practice with Immigrant and Refugee Children and Families (Social Work Practice with Children and Families). NY: The Guilford Press. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (2001), National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care. Retrieved April 14, 2009, from http://www. omhrc. gov/templates/browse. Aspx? lvl= 2lvlID=15 U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments Office of Policy Development and Research (2009), About HUD. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from http://www. hud. gov/ about /index. cfm Personal communication, April, 2009