Euthanasia Persuasive Essay free essay sample

If a person is terminally ill, their illness will be the cause of their death no matter how much treatment is received. Certain illnesses and diseases cause a lot of pain such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, pancreatic cancer, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Radiation treatments for cancer cause patients suffering from that disease to experience a great deal of pain also. Sometimes the pain from terminal illnesses or diseases is too unbearable for the patient to want to live, and they want to be released from the illness’ painful clutch. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are two ways to end the life of a person. Euthanasia is the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy (Merriam-Webster), also defined by the Oxford dictionary as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. We will write a custom essay sample on Euthanasia Persuasive Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In places where euthanasia is allowed, it is only legal when it is voluntary active euthanasia, or the intentionally administering medication or other interventions to cause patient’s death at the explicit request and with fully informed consent. Physician-assisted suicide is suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent (Merriam-Webster). For terminally ill patients, this is an outlet for their suffering in life, which is very advantageous to the person. Euthanasia and physician- Hughes 2 assisted suicide should be legalized for all terminally ill patients who have these options available to them. The issue of legalizing euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide has created a large debate among many people throughout the world including residents and medical professionals. There are many pros to the legalization, but many people are also strongly against it and think it would cause more problems than it would solve. For many terminally ill, they are devoid of simple pleasures, and functional capability, while also suffering pain and long hours of consciousness of the hopelessness of their state (Asch). However, choosing life or death is a personal decision and those who are suffering should be able to choose to end their life. If placed in the terminal disease situation, opponents to euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide would not want to spend their last days on earth suffering or even eventually becoming a vegetable. â€Å"The ingestion of a controlled substance in order to accelerate death may spare the terminally ill patient much suffering, both physical pain and the anguish that, for some, accompanies helplessness and dependence,† (Dick and Lindsey). States should think of ways to make sure the terminally ill do not suffer but not make doctors have to assist in their death (Appel). However, as of the society of America right now, that is not possible. There are many arguments against euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. A loss of trust between the ill person at hand and the doctor treating them is a small one. A sense of security in the patients’ doctors is argued, but some people have killed themselves in an early stage of illness because of fear that they would not have assistance later if wanted or needed (Rogatz). However, physicians are supposed to cure patients and alleviate pain and suffering. If Hughes 3 the patient thinks attempts at curing outweigh benefits, they should still help them but also try to stop suffering and pain (Dick and Lindsey). One of the only places on Earth to legalize physician-assisted suicide is the state of Oregon with a Death with Dignity Act. However, Oregon residents have a peace of mind knowing that if it came down to needing physician-assisted death, they would have it available (Dick and Lindsey). For doctors, a main concern with euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is the Hippocratic Oath taken in medical school, which says to do no harm (Rogatz). However, disconnecting a ventilator is not seen as murder when the physician does it but prescribing medication that the patient chooses to request and then take is considered harm and murder. Also today, the Hippocratic Oath in its original form is only issued in one medical school in the country. It is argued that patients requesting help with hastening death come mostly from those who have not been treated or diagnosed properly (Asch). There is a growing awareness that loss of dignity and of those attributes that we associate particularly with being human are the factors that most commonly reduce patients to a state of unrelieved misery and desperation,† (Rogatz). It would be to the doctor’s discretion and expertise to diagnose and treat the patient to the best of their ability, and the patient could seek a ssistance from another doctor if looking for more treatment. Fourth, some people do not believe that there are not enough requests to change the law. However, requests are not recorded and a study has shown many physicians have received at least one (Winget). The slippery slope argument is also a strong belief for opponents to Hughes 4 euthanasia and PAS. Summarized, they are as follows. 1. The patient must have an incurable condition causing severe, unrelenting suffering. 2. The patient must understand his or her condition and prognosis, which must be verified by an independent second opinion. 3. All reasonable palliative measures must have been presented to and considered by the patient. 4. The patient must clearly and repeatedly request assistance in dying. 5. A psychiatric consultation must be held to establish if the patient is suffering from a treatable depression. 6. The prescribing physician, absent a close preexisting relationship (which would be ideal) must get to know the patient well enough to understand the reasons for her or his request. 7. No physician should be expected to violate his or her own basic values. A physician who is unwilling to assist the patient should facilitate transfer to another physician who would be prepared to do so. 8. All of the foregoing must be clearly documented. (Rogatz). By creating requirements to be met before PAS could be received, this would solve the slippery slope argument. Another major argument against euthanasia and PAS is the abuse of these rights. The use of lethal prescribed drugs by physicians has not been used much or gotten out of control (in Oregon, where PAS is legal) (Dick and Lindsay). In Oregon, there have been about seventy people who took advantage of the law, and â€Å"almost all of these seventy patients had health insurance, most were on hospice care, and most were people with at least some college education,† (Asch). Also, it is ultimately up to the patient who receives the prescription whether or not to take it so they are in full control and make the final decision, and only a small portion of those who received PAS raised concerns about the cost (Asch). Hughes 5 Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are personal decisions that should be made when life for the patient is unbearable. Overall, it is a positive choice for terminally ill patients and is sometimes a better option for them than living. The arguments against euthanasia and PAS are not very strong. Most of those opposed to it also have never been terminally ill and do not know how it feels to want to end your life because of a painful illness or disease. Euthanasia and PAS should be legalized to be provided by physicians to those terminally ill to help end the pain and suffering and low enjoyment of life for those patients.

Affirmative Action Essays (3618 words) - Social Inequality

Affirmative Action Essays (3618 words) - Social Inequality Affirmative Action Thesis: Although many people believe that affirmative Action is a form of racism, it is actually used to help minorities find employment in an otherwise racist world. ?In the United States, equality is a recurring theme. It has flared into a fervent moral issue at crucial stages of American history: The revolutionary and Jacksonian Period, and the New Deal. In each era, the legitimacy of American society is challenged by some set of people unhappy with the degree of equality? (Verba and Orren). Following the Civil War, Congress passed a number of laws designed to put former slaves on an equal level with white people. The Fourteenth Amendment made the freedmen citizen and prohibited states from enforcing any law which took away the privliges of any citizen, depriving men of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law, or denied men equal protection of the laws. In 1875, Republican majority in Congress, aware that reconstruction would soon end, passed a civil right act to secure by law semblance of equality for Black Americans (Urofsky 19). Many white Americans really did not like the idea of equality for the Black Freedmen. ?Gideon Welles, who had been prevailing sentiment when he wrote in 1871: ?Thank God slavery is abolished, but the Negro is not, and never can be the equal of the white man. He is of an inferior race and must always remain so(Urofsky 23). The supreme court agreed and in 1883 passed the Civil Rights act which diluted much of th! e protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Joseph Bradely interpreted the enforcement provision of the amendment as strictly remedial; ?congress has the power to remedy a discriminatory state law, but could not take affirmative steps to protect blacks from other forms of prejudice? (Urofsky 21). As a result of this decision, the federal government took no action to combat racism in the country until the second world war (Urofsky 22). Because resentment continued to increase within the black communities and because of the threat of a march on Washington, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order on June 25, 1941. This order directed African Americans to be accepted into job-training programs in defense plants. The order also stated that discrimination would not be excepted by employers holding defense contracts. It also set up a fair employment practice commissions to investigate charges of racial discrimination. Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower continued to enforce fair employment legislation after Roosevelt?s policies because Congress was unwilling to do so. In 1954, the supreme court decision Brown v. Board of Education pressured both houses of Congress and the executive office to take some positive steps on behalf of civil rights. In January 1961, John F. Kennedy took office. Almost immediately Roy Wilkins of the NAACP called for action to promote employment opportunities for African Americans. John F. Kennedy responded with executive order 10925, which created a presidential commission on equal employment opportunity; it also mandated federal contractors to take ?Affirmative Action? to ensure that there would be no discrimination by ?race, creed, color or nationality.? This was not the first time that the government ordered it own contractors not only to avoid discrimination, but to take positive steps to redress the effects of discrimination in society. In some cases contractors were asked to pay employees doing similar work, the same amount of pay. Without congressional action an executive order could only last so long, and in 1963 Kennedy secured passage of the Equal Pay Act. The Equal Pay Act prohibited employers from paying women less than men for the same work. ?A short time later due to the assassination of kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson called for the passage of the Civil Rights Bill as a memorial to the late president kennedy. Lyndon B. Johnson skillfully guided and expanded versions of kennedy?s proposal through the house and senate. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law July 2, 1964. Title VII of the act banned employment discrimination based on ?race, color, sex, and nationality,? it also created a permanent equal employment opportunity commission to enforce its provisions. The act also for the first time included obligations not to discriminate to private employees, labor unions, and governmental agencies.(Urofsky

Bussiness Plan- physiotherapy clinic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bussiness Plan- physiotherapy clinic - Essay Example A partnership serves both the short term and long-term interests of the organization (Eisner, 2010). Firstly, as a recent graduate I have few financial resources. Secondly, I have limited experience working in a real world healthcare setting. As a result, having a partner with an established record of accomplishment in the physiotherapy healthcare segment and the financial resources to support the business is strategic. The business would benefit from our partnership as we merge our skills and abilities to deliver high quality and effective healthcare for our clients. The location of a business plays a significant role in determining success (Spaeder, 2014). The location of the business at the outskirts of the city is informed by a desire to have a serene environment for clients to recover. Although it means that clients have a difficult time accessing it as opposed to the city, the cost of renting the compound is significantly cheaper. In addition, it is crucial to get a big office space at an affordable rate. An analysis of the market demonstrated a demand for physiotherapy services. According to the US Physical Therapy organization (2014), the market is estimated at $ 19 billion and is projected to experience an annual growth rate of over 5%. Firstly, the area has many sports teams whose players would need regular physiotherapy attention. In addition, a large segment of the population is aging. As a result, there will be demand for physiotherapy services to deal with backaches and other forms of pain that are associated with the aging process (NHS, 2014). Physiotherapy plays an integral role in successful aging (Cox, 2004). Furthermore, the demand for physiotherapy services exceeds supply in the state. Although the clinic will cater for everyone, it is necessary on the female gender and aging demographic. The competitors include Elite Clinic and Monsanto Clinic. The former caters

The study of the hip-hop culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The study of the hip-hop culture - Essay Example The study of the hip-hop culture Some of the professional fields concerned with the study of the hip-hop culture include musicology, literature, African-American studies, linguistics, and so forth (Leach, 9; Alridge and Stewart, 190). In academic and professional conferences, hip-hop culture topics are receiving a wider attention as people strive to understand this culture. Equally, hip-hop materials are currently being sought after by research institutions (including Harvard and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) to provide researchers with adequate materials in the analysis of the hip-hop culture (Leach, 9). This essay compares Eminem’s video for â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† with N.W.A.’s video for â€Å"Straight Outta Compton†. In the analysis of these different rap videos, the essay constructs an argument about how hip-hop has changed since its formation in the 1970s. Defining and Understanding Hip-hop and Rap Numerous people (including knowledgeable hip-hop writers and lis teners) do not understand the meanings of rap and hip-hop; particularly, many of these individuals think that the two are interchangeable. Nonetheless, hip-hop is a cultural movement originating from South Bronx, New York. It has four main/primary elements that include rap, graffiti, DJing (also known as turntablism), and break dancing. Other elements that are also part of the hip-hop culture include language, beat boxing, and fashion. Among these elements, rap is the most popular and the most celebrated element of the hip-hop culture. ... Rapping is also known as emceeing. In this hip-hop element, the rapper or the performer speaks rhythmically to a musical beat; his/her words rhyme from one sentence to the other. In the modern hip-hop perspective, an MC is different from a rapper. An MC is an individual with superior lyrical ability; on the other hand, a rapper focuses less on lyrical prowess. Particularly, this characteristic is evident in many of the mainstream rappers today (Aces and Eighths). Although it originated in New York, hip-hop has its roots in African-American and West African music. Griots are a group of West African singers and poets whose musical style is similar to that of the hip-hop culture. They have an oral tradition similar to the one in rap music; however, theirs dates back to hundreds of years. In the City of New York, griot-like musical performances from artists such as Mansur Nuriddin and The Last Poets influenced the post-civil rights era culture in the 1960s. In the 1970s, block parties be came common creating the humble beginnings of the hip-hop culture (Aces and Eighths). â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† by Eminem â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† is a hip-hop song done by Marshall Bruce Mathers III who is popular by the name Eminem. In the process of writing this song, Eminem sought assistance from Andre Romelle Young (popular by the name Dr. Dre) and Thomas Joseph Coster Junior (popular by the name Tommy Coster Jr). Eminem was writing this song for his third studio album â€Å"The Marshall Mathers LP† released on 23 May 2000. This song was the lead single in this album. The song was highly successful as it reached number one in UK (United Kingdom) and number four on the â€Å"Billboard Hot

Study Guide History Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Study Guide History Questions - Essay Example The paper "Study Guide History Questions" presents a set of study guide questions regarding different periods of world history such as World War I and World War II and the Chinese Qing dynasty. Total war is a conflict characterized by military targeting civilian resources and infrastructure, food blockades, as well as a military draft for men and production of materials. During the Great War, the central powers comprised of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. During the Great War, the defensive techniques included the use of barbed wire and trenches while the offensive power were machine guns, flamethrowers, mustard gas, submarines, tanks, and aircraft (zeppelins, planes). Therefore, the primary demands and messages conveyed by nations’ propaganda posters in the Great War were "Women of Britain say GO!", "The empire needs men!", "Canada’s new army needs men like you", "I want you for U.S. Army", "Who is absent? Is it you?". Also, the pro-war messages could be found in George M. Cohan’s song â€Å"Over There†. The song is calling upon the young and energetic members of the society (male) to take up arms and fight the enemy. It also emphasizes the cultural perception of masculinity as the protector of the community. During the Great War, the government control mechanisms were required such as buy war bonds (propaganda posters), the military draft, government control of private industries, munitions factory workers needed, rationing, anti-sedition legislation.

Analysing leadership and determinants of Leadership Effectiveness

Analysing leadership and determinants of Leadership Effectiveness Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he/she is giving directions and activities to a group moving towards a common purpose. A leader is seen as someone who sets the paths in an effort to influence people to adhere to those paths. Leadership is an action and not just a position. It can be shown via different people in various situations. A person may not born to be a leader but can be cultured through the upbringing and environment. But there are people who have innate capabilities to become leaders even though they are not exposed. These innate characteristics need to be polished in order for the person to let his or her leadership skills and capabilities shine through. Such leaders also need to be further equipped with certain competencies so that they can pick up qualities that they should demonstrate to become even greater leaders. A leaders personal characteristics are also vital for the developments and motivations of the organizations. True leaders such as the teachers who illustrated that leadership is an action (teaching and leading the students) and not a position. Personal characteristics can also determine what type of leadership approach a person will demonstrate and how effective his or her leadership capabilities are in different situations. Touching the lives and affecting the outcome of many different expectations, a teacher is the epitome of a leader. A leader has his or her own style of motivating the people in the organizations. A leader must find the best skills in order to provide directions, motivations and purposes. Effective leaders are flexible. Organizational Leadership Model The effective leadership influence is not the same for everyone. It depends on their ranks in the organization and abilities which are required in leaders. The three basic leadership roles identified: initiation, speech, and management. 1. Initiation Initiation refers to planned decision making on policy formulation or structural change. These vital decisions are the determinants of the organizations culture and mission. 2. Speech Strategic decisions and methods designed for implementation within the establishment. It includes adjusting or adding on to the present structure towards new policy demands. 3. Management Management is putting into practice the policies and measures that are available to maintain the operations of the organization efficiently. These three kinds of Leadership are naturally executed at diverse ranks in the company with different abilities and skills. The top level management would initiate new policies that involve a change in the businesss structure or understanding the companys mission. An understanding of the entire organization, culture, mission, vision and how it correlates with the external parties is mandatory for these top level individuals. They represent the organization and what the business stands for. Understanding the policy decisions and practicing them to the existing organization via utterance or speech is usually made by the intermediate-level managers. They must uphold a two-way point of reference by taking orders from the above management and adapting them for the lower groups of people in the organization. Type of Leadership Process Typical Organizational Level Cognitive (Knowledge) Affective (Emotion) Initiation: Change, creation and elimination of structure Top echelons System perspective Charisma Speech: supplementing and piecing out of structure Intermediate levels: pivotal roles Subsystem perspective: two-way orientation Integration of primary and secondary relations: human relation skills Management: use of existing structure Lower levels Technical knowledge and understanding of system of rules Concern with equity in use of rewards and sanctions EXHIBIT 16.1 The three Leadership Models. The Position in the Organization. The Skill Requirements A companys policies and procedures will be administered by the Lower-level supervisors. These personnel must possess both the technical knowledge and a clear perception of the organizations rules in order to be successful. They have to continually deal with issues such as equity, rewards and punishments in leading others. Therefore, leadership plays a crucial role in an organization because it has direct impact on the effectiveness of the organizations. Leadership is when a person manipulates others to perform a task at their own will which they would not normally do. Leadership is a vital process to an organization and it can be deliberated on three different stages; i.e. the individual, group and organization. Analysis at the individual stage: the leadership studies have paid attention on the successful leader personalities. Behaviors of both formal and informal leaders are focused at the group level. The effectiveness of an organization is decided by the relations between the leader, follower and circumstances. The studies have caused an emergence of different theories of leadership, namely situational and contingency. In Search for Leadership The requirements in selecting and training efficient leaders were emphasized during the World War I and the quarter century between World War l and World War II; numerous studies were made to examine the personal characteristics of good leaders. These studies are usually referred as characteristic studies since the primary goal was to classify the traits and personal characteristics of successful leaders. The diverse methods used to study these leadership traits could possibly be the reason in the irregularities of the results. The manner of studies was not consistent in identifying the leaders. A majority of the studies was in comparing efficient with inefficient leaders or leaders with non-leaders. Some were identified by external observers, others selected by the group by way of recommendation or voting, nominated by observers such as teachers while some were chosen because they are already in leadership positions. The studies conducted were in conflict as to the way they deliberated on the traits. Some traits were measured by mental tests; others relied on viewers to spot the traits they have seen while some depended on the persons to report their own personality traits. The trait studies were quite unsatisfactory as a whole especially since they had hoped to develop an accurate measure of leadership effectiveness. The spotlight on the leadership research moved because of the flimsy results, to contingency studies which investigated more than just traits of a leader. Numerous traits formed an important divergence in leadership effectiveness and they interrelated with other conditional variables to stimulate the effectiveness of the leader. Physical Behaviors Physical attributes including height, weight, health and appearance are also examined in the studies. It was concluded that there is a relationship between the above features and leadership. Apparently leaders have the tendency to be taller, heavier, better fitness, greater physique, higher energy output and more attractive in appearance. However, these types of results were not always reliable and consistent. The results neither are too weak in general and not consistent to be effective in selecting leaders nor are they helpful for training functions since not much can be made to alter most of these physical traits. Intellect It was generally agreed that leaders are more intellectual than non-leaders and the relationship was shown in the various studies. The relationship could probably begin from the reality that leadership functions depend mostly on success in problem solving. Leadership roles such as initiation, speech and management necessitate great mental ability. In general, it is safe to assume that leaders seem to be more intelligent than non-leaders but the relationships are small. Many other variables other than intellect inspire leadership effectiveness. It was also suggested that leaders should not be too intelligent than the group because associates who are notably brilliant than others are rarely chosen as leaders since the other members tend to snub them. Individuals with high IQs are inclined to have different sets of vocabulary, networks and aspirations that would create communication and inter-relations problems. Leaders do extremely well generally at school/college/university and score better grades. It is important for effective leadership to know how to do things. Thus general and practical knowledge are essential for leaders to make better decisions. Characteristic Traits Only a partial of the characteristic traits seem to be related to leadership and most are not especially convincing. It was suggested that the average leader is more social, has greater initiative, is more persistent, smart in getting things done, highly self-confident, cooperative, and adaptable to situations and possesses excellent communication skills. Leaders were found to be more emotionally mature than non-leaders in the personality integration or emotional adjustment. It can be concluded that personal characteristics are related to leadership. Effective leadership does not depend on a mixture of personality traits only because situational variables are also important since they always decide whether a character was associated with effective leadership either positively or negatively. Therefore, it can be deduced that effective leadership depends on the leaders characteristics, his subordinates and the nature of the task at hand. Many leadership styles were based on studies of leaders behaviors. The finest researches on the styles of leadership are made together at the same time; i.e. The State University in Ohio and the Michigan University. Researchers acknowledged two leader behaviors that were similar although the investigations were conducted separately. As a result, a two dimensional aspects of leadership have been to used to form the Managerial Grid. Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Leadership Due to the diverse political systems in the US and Germany before World War II, studies of leadership have been inspired which evaluated the three leadership styles: the authoritarian, the democratic and the laissez faire. In the democratic leadership style, decisions were made by vote of majority; equal participation encouraged; criticism and punishment minimal. In the autocratic leader, the leader made all the decisions and others must follow the set procedures strictly. In the laissez-faire leader, there was minimal actual leadership and others were permitted to work and play as usual without proper directives. Initiating Structure and Consideration The two leadership factors were initiating structure and consideration which include leadership behaviors in organizing and defining the tasks to be performed and goal achievements. A leader who assigns people to do specific jobs, expected workers to follow set routines and meet deadlines. The consideration factor is friendliness, showing trust, exhibiting warmth and concern for followers. Production-Centered and Employee-Centered Leader Behaviors Production centered behaviors were akin to initiating structure in which leaders would establish targets, gave directives, checked on operations and planned the group Employees work. Centered behaviors were similar to the considerations dimension in which the leader would develop a caring personal relationship with the subordinates and encouraged a two-way communication with them. The associations between the production-centered and employee-centered behaviors are found to be independent scopes of leadership. A leader with strong production orientation does not mean that he is disinterested in the employees. Managerial Grid Robert Blake and Jane Mouton had created a framework which relates task accomplishment to concern for people called the Managerial Grid. They both assumed that concern for production and concern for people would produce the most effective leadership style. There are leaders primarily more concerned with accomplishing the production and task not concerned about people. This person wants the job done and schedule followed at all costs. There is also individual who is not concerned whether the group produces anything but concerned more about the personal needs and interests of the team members. Ideally, leaders should be concerned about meeting schedules in order to get the work done and simultaneously are concerned about the team members interest and feelings too. The Managerial Grid is popular among managers. It is extensively used by organisations as part of their training program to assess leadership style. However, the effectiveness of the Managerial Grid is not consistently supported. The factors which are considered in determining leadership styles interact in complicated ways which resulted in various leadership styles. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP In assessing leadership effectiveness, there are many factors that must be combined. A situational leadership model developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard considers three variables: (1) the guidance and the direction provided by the leaders (task behavior) (2) the emotional support given by the leader (relationship behavior) (3) the maturity level exhibited in performing the task As a result, four potential leadership styles have been created using a combination of the above factors: S1: Telling Give instructions and supervise performance closely. Suited for followers who are unwilling but of low maturity. S2: Selling Decide and provide opportunity for explanation. Appropriate for followers who are not able but willing. S3: Participating Sharing ideas in making decisions. Suited for followers who are able but not willing. S4: Delegating Responsibility handed over for decisions and performance. Appropriate for groups who are able and willing. Contingency Theory of Leadership Fiedler studied the interaction of leadership style and situation. He identified and developed ways to measure leadership orientation of the leader and situational factors which influence leadership. Leader Orientation Two types of leaders were identified, i.e. relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Leaders who are relationship-oriented tend to look at others as coworkers and look upon interpersonal relations as a requirement towards accomplishing the task. However, for task-oriented leaders, they react strongly against people whom they could not get along with in performing a task. Situational favorableness (1) relationships between leader and member can be good or bad; (2) the task is relatively well planned or not; and (3) the leaders authority is relatively strong or weak. The task structure becomes the second most important situational variable based on evaluation of four aspects of the task structure. Clarity: whether requirements of the tasks are stated clearly, Multiplicity: which the problems encounter can be solved. Verifiability: which the correctness of the decisions can be ascertained. Specificity: which there are generally more solutions involved in performing the task. Group effectiveness Relationship-oriented leaders perform excellently well in situations where concern for the team members is apparently necessary in order to motivate them to perform well. People naturally prefer leaders who care about them and their welfare. However, task-oriented leaders are clearly more effective in impossible situations. Path-Goal Model Directive leadership: subordinates are told what to be expected. Specific guide, standards and work schedules are provided to ensure that task are performed as expected. Supportive leadership: subordinates are treated equally and show concern for their needs and well-being; develop pleasant interpersonal relationships among the group members. Achievement-oriented leadership: challenging goals are set and subordinates are expected to perform at their highest level, improvement in performance always. Participative leadership: subordinates are consulted on suggestions and ideas in making decisions. Situational Aspects The distinctive personalities of those who follow and the environmental factors which affect the leadership style are called situational aspects or features of the situation. Significant characteristics of the followers which have been identified as determinants of leadership style are: (1). Followers with internal locus of control believe that they are rewarded for their own effort. Meanwhile, followers with external locus of control believe that external forces have a control on their rewards. (2). Authoritarianism: an individuals willingness to accept the influence of others. (3). Abilities: The followers ability and experience influence a leader whether they are able to work with an achievement oriented leader or a supportive leader who are patient enough to provide encouragement and instruction. The path-goal model recognizes three environmental factors which effect leadership styles: the nature of the task to be performed, the existing organizations authority system the organizational norms and dynamics The above factors may influence the effectiveness of various styles of leadership in a many ways. NORMATIVE DECISION-MAKING MODEL OF LEADERSHIP Based on the contingency theory of leadership, this leadership model does not assume any leadership style as appropriate for all situations. Leaders must develop a range of leadership styles and take on the most appropriate style depending on the situation. Leaders are required to know in which circumstances they need to consult others and vice versa. Even though the leader may be the chairman of the group, he/she is just one of the group members and does not have or even try to influence the other group members to adopt or follow a particular solution. The principle in selecting a leadership approach. The two measures/principles used for assessing the efficiency of a leadership style are excellence and approval. The quality of the decisions made refers to the accurateness of the actions taken and the extent which some objectives are achieved. The quality of decisions depends on accurate and relevant information Conferring with other group members often provides additional information. Diagnostic decision rules. In order to save time and minimize costs, some managers choose the lead autocratically. If the aim was to further the subordinates personal development, the participative style is selected. In some strategies, the manager decides alone. At times, the manager decides on his own after earlier consultations with his subordinates. Comparing the leadership models. All situational leadership models emphasize on the effect of external factors on a particular leadership style. Different leadership styles suggest styles that are determined by various situational factors. The models focus on different methods, which are situational factors and criteria for selecting the best style: task-oriented versus relationship-oriented. The normative decision-making model ascertains three leadership styles, namely autocratic, consultative, and participative. In each model, situational factors which influence the effectiveness of leadership are somewhat different. A significant reason which contributes to this is that normative decision- making model likens leadership to decision making and considers only this aspect of the leadership function. The model also uses different criteria for evaluating leadership effectiveness. DETERMINANTS OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS Although identifying what makes an effective leader seems like a simple task, however, individuals who are in leadership positions are often faced with a dilemma on deciding which leadership pattern to practice. Choosing a Leadership Style Choosing the most appropriate leadership style to adopt depends largely on the context of the organization. A successful leader must be capable of assessing the situational forces in the organization and respond accordingly to the needs. The forces include the organization culture, business goals as well as the organizations strategic plans. Effective leaders must understand themselves, the group, company and social environment. Strategies for Improving Leadership One of the main variables to improve leadership relates largely to the organizations reward system. Leaders should not overlook his capacity to reward his followers accordingly since followers will respond otherwise. For instance, the managers of high- performing groups generally are compensated according to their achievements. Considerate leaders manage to create satisfaction among their performing subordinates while at the same time; changes in the behavior of the leaders could be caused by the performance of the subordinates. Constraints on leader behavior. Leaders have limited opportunities to influence others. Leadership effectiveness is inhibited by a variety of factors. For example, the managerial decisions are planned ahead due to factors such as organizational structure, state and federal law, technological specifications and innovations as well as the absence of other alternatives. Many other organisational factors can impose limitations on the leaders capability to communicate with subordinates or reinforce their behavior towards achieving the organisational purpose. For example, organisational policies, nature of task, skills and abilities of available resources and other external factors may impede the capacities of organisational leaders. External factors. In terms of external factors, leaders are constrained by factors that they have no control on such as state and federal laws. Other external factors include the world economy and global issues. Irrespective of their leadership style, leaders with unskilled resources will face great challenges in leading. The availability of skilled followers is subjected to the external labor market. Organizational policies. The organization may limit a leaders effectiveness by hampering the amount of communication between leaders and followers. The existing company policies may also pose restrictions on the ability of leaders to reward or punish followers. Group factors. Leaders may find it hard to penetrate or influence group members who are highly unified. This will create difficulty for leaders to demonstrate his true capabilities in performing tasks for the organisation. Individual proficiencies and competencies. The leaders own talents and aptitudes may become their constraints because leaders can only possess limited expertise, energy, and power. Some situations may need greater amount of skills, experience and capabilities compared to what the leader may possibly have. Substitutes for leadership. Leadership is an extremely important function. It has an enormous influence on the value of organizations, especially in a business environment. However, in complex situations, we may not know exactly which leadership behaviour will be the most effective to adopt. In addition, certain situations warrant that leadership may be unnecessary subordinates. SUMMARY 1. Leadership is the increasing influence which occurs when an individual manipulates others to do task voluntarily which they would not do otherwise. The basic leadership roles include initiation of policy and structure, speech, and management. Leadership is required within organizations to provide direction to employees towards a common organisational objective. 2. The studies of leadership were mainly studies on traits that tried to identify the characteristics of effective leaders. The studies focused mainly on physical traits, intellect and characteristic. The results were usually weak and inconsistent although some personal characteristics were always related to leadership. Most studies concluded that apart from behaviour characteristics and traits of the leader, the nature of subordinates and the type of task to be performed were as equally important to determine success. 3. Another approach to studying leadership set on leader behaviors; i.e. how leaders actually behave. One of the studies compared the three leadership methods i.e. the authoritarian type, the democratic style and the laissez-faire mode. A democratic leadership produced the greatest satisfaction among subordinates while autocratic leadership style encouraged high level of productivity in the organisation. 4. A research conducted at the same time at two different universities identified two groups of similar behaviors of leadership. At The State University in Ohio, the researchers identified these two leader behaviors as initiating constitution and thought whereas at the Michigan University, the two parallel features were called the production-centered which focus more on the production and the employee-centered with the workers as the focal point. These two leader behaviors seem to relate leadership functions which are essential to the effectiveness of a group. A matrix named Managerial Grid had been formed based on these two factors. The Managerial Grid correlates the concern for production and the concern for people in identifying leadership effectives. 5. As a result of unsuccessful researches conducted to identify superior leadership behaviors, four situational theories of leadership were developed instead. Theories have suggested that the effective of leadership style depends largely upon situational factors, especially nature of the group and the task to be performed. 6. A situational leadership model that matches various amalgamations of chore and relationship manners with maturity of the subordinates. As the number of followers increases, the appropriate leadership style that should be employed would be telling, selling, participating and delegating. 7. Three situational variables are used to assess the most appropriate leadership style. The variables are the connection between the leader and the members (either good or bad), the task (structured or unstructured) and the strength of the leaders power. Based on findings, the most effective leadership style when these three variables formed an extremely favorable or unfavorable circumstance is task-oriented leadership. Nevertheless, a leader with high concerns for interpersonal associations is most effective when there were intermediate levels of favorableness. 8. The path goal model theory is derived from expectancy theory. It suggests that effective leaders must clarify the paths to attract followers. Based on this theory, the command, the sympathetic, the accomplishment-oriented and the contributive leadership styles emerged. The most appropriate leadership style is dependent on two types of situational factors: characteristics of followers as well as the internal/external environment. Three significant characteristics of follower are the locus of control (internal or external), authoritarianism and personal capabilities. The three environmental attributes are nature of the task to be performed, the existing organisational authority system and norms and dynamics of members. 9. The three leadership styles identified are autocratic, consultative and group decision making. Determining which style is most appropriate depends largely on several factors such as considerations whether adequate information is made available to the leader when making decision alone, whether the goals of the organisation are acceptable by the subordinates, or whether the followers accept decisions made without their involvement. 10. Members of the group also have a reciprocal influence on the leader. Group member can induce heir leaders behavior by reacting to the specific leaders behaviors selectively. The power and influence of a leader can also be limited due to certain external factors such as policies of the organisation, norms of the group members as well as the skills and abilities of followers. POSITIONING ON LEADERSHIP CRISIS Many leadership theories have been in existence as more people try to determine the most effective leadership style available. In addition, various leadership models and approaches have been used to produce identified types of leaders. Arthur G. Jago (1982) had projected a structure that organizes leadership theories that are based on each theorys focal point and approach. However, effective leadership also depends on specific situations, among other factors. The result of exposure to different experiences in life throughout the learning process also have the potential to produce mature leaders with high capabilities to lead organisations. Coupled with certain identified competencies which can be acquired, these leaders can demonstrate high skills and capabilities in their capacities as organisational leaders. There are various kinds of behavior that leaders can display to its followers. The two leadership behaviors that have been consistently identified are called the production-centered and the consideration-centered activities. A person can change his or her behaviour without being forced to based on the amount of influence exerted by another individual. Influence is also a contributing factor in shaping the behavior or personality of people. I concur with A. Ange on the presence of leadership crisis but I also foresee the resolutions taken and are still being taken to resolve the problem. Many organizations are spending money in sending their employees to be groomed and trained for future growth of the company whereby they are exposed to different methods of management and how to be great leaders. Leaders are born to leaders but in some circumstances, situations and environments also play a huge role in creating a leader. Leaders with innate capabilities also need to be exposed to certain conditions in order to build their characters and polish their leadership capabilities. Some can be shaped through exposure to various lifelong knowledge and skills training available today. With all kinds of methods and approaches easily accessible, average leaders can become even greater leaders with enough exposure and experience. Leaders come and go and new ones are always on the threshold to take over the empty space. The qualities of the leaders and their leadership styles vary but they are vital in the development and motivation processes of the organizations. There is a crisis in good leadership but it is not at a critical point. Big organizations would have everything in place for the future growth of the company and would have in line the replacements for all aspects of the management. Even small to medium sized organizations have planned their management line-ups for the future. The ongoing programs and trainings that are conducted by organizations to produce capable leaders and gr

Themewriters Anonymous :: Creative Writing Essays

Themewriters Anonymous Hi. My name is Ben and I am a themewriter. I should have a Ph.D. in "Black Rot" There I said it. Is there some clinic for themewriters where I can check myself in. The first step is admitting that you have a problem. Judging from some of the discussion that has gone on, I feel good because I realize that I am not alone. I think we have to realize that we are all themewriters to a certain extent. Once we realize this, we can try to move beyond that theme. I am trying to move beyond the theme one step at a time. Was I doing it again? Sorry, it's a difficult habit to break. What does it mean to move beyond the theme? I don't know. That is why I have come here tonight. When we first started talking about themewriting I looked at themewriters with disdain. There is no way that I could be one of those robots. I didn't want to accept the fact that I was a themewriter because I had always been successful in classes. I was super at sitting down the night before a paper was due, whipping out a theme and receiving an "A" on a "well-organized, coherent paper." I would give myself a pat on the back, get drunk and celebrate my genius. Looking back, I am not completely devastated to find out that I'm a themewriter. After all, that was the only way I knew how to write. Themes don\'92t contribute to the understanding of the reader. They only communicate on the surface. You can get your one main point across and beat it to death in the five paragraph format. For a longer paper, just add paragraphs to the body. My question is, once we get beyond the theme where do we go? I have used the theme as a crutch- an excuse not to do any real thinking or contemplation on a subject. I just puke back what the instructor has already told me in an attractive, organized manner. This method is easier for a teacher to grade but I don't think it contributes to the understanding of everyone involved. By communicating in themes, we learn facts- not understanding or deeper meaning. In the handout written by Laib, we can see that organization is one of the keys to enhancing the understanding of both the reader and the writer.

Lack of Proper Discipline

They are everywhere, in the malls, the grocery store, airports and even public parks.   The nation is being over run by spoiled screaming children, who know if they scream loudly enough their parents will give in and give them their way just to keep them quiet.   The reason children are allowed to behave this way is because parents fear they will be charged with abuse if they speak harshly or dare spank a child. Innocent parents are constantly being reported to the child protective workers for simply spanking children with their hands or picking up a squirming hard to hold onto child and removing them from a store.   The witness assumes that because the child is making all manners of noise the parent is causing them harm.  Ã‚   Once protective services are called, the children can tell any type of horror story they want to make up and the workers will automatically believe them, because they could not imagine that children could lie. The children have learned this and know that a parent will never discipline them in public places, therefore the child causes scenes in public places to control the parent.   There is and should be a limit to the amount of discipline a parent can inflict upon children and child abusers should be punished.   No parent who intentionally inflicts injuries such as cigarette burns or broken bones to a child should continue to be allowed to raise their children. The problem is however, that the child abuse laws have become strict to the point that normal caring parents do not dare to set limits for children for fear of losing their children. Many people every year have their children removed from their homes at least temporarily due to mistaken reports and children telling stories to turn innocent disciplinary practices into reports of child abuse.   This fear has led parents to allow children to control them, children who grow believing they can get away with breaking laws as they did parental rules, and a society of people filled with disrespectful people. In past generations, parents disciplined children when they misbehaved, thus teaching the children to follow the parent’s rules and to obey what they told them.   Unfortunately, during those generations parents sometimes went to the extremes with discipline to the point that the children were injured and actual abuse sometimes occurred.   Due to this abuse, laws were created to protect the children. These laws were important and well intentioned.   However, because of the laws, parental disciplinary practices were forced to go from parents being allowed to do whatever they needed to in order to make their children behave to being reported for child abuse if they even speak harshly to their children.   There should be some middle ground.   Parents still need to be able to make their children mind within reason (spanking with hand, scolding, and physically removing from places or situations). Children in current society know that their parents are afraid to spank or in most cases even scold them especially in public. For this reason the children throw temper tantrums in the malls if the parents tell them they do not need the expensive toy they want.   The parents could continue to say no and the child would then continue to argue until the frustrated parent gives in and gets them the toy.   The same thing happens in the grocery store for the best snack and in the park when the child refuses to go home when the parent tells them it is time to go.   This allows the child to be in control of the parent rather than the parent in control of the child. Because these children learn that they do not have to listen to or obey their parents, they grow up with the belief that they do not have to listen to anyone.   This leads them to take advantage of other people and make decisions based only upon the advantages that can be gained for themselves regardless of the effects these decisions may have on others.   This complete disregard of rules often includes such things as the law.   If they as teenagers or sometimes even adults see something in a store they want, they may be very inclined to take it. They have never been taught that they have to earn things and they can not just take what they want, therefore they feel entitled to take anything they want any time they want it.   They are more likely to cause harm to people who attempt to keep them from achieving their goals or cheat others out of opportunities.   This has helped lead to the increased crime rate in the country.   Crimes such as shoplifting, assault and in some cases even murder come as a result of spoiled undisciplined children growing into spoiled undisciplined adults. In the generations when children were still disciplined for not listening to parents, children were taught to respect their elders and other people as well as rules.   The children of the modern generation learn to respect no one and nothing, because they have no rules to follow.   They simply learn that no means they simply need to throw a bigger fit or do whatever else they need to do in order to get their way. As adults, these people yell at others and call other people names any time they want to for no reason.   They push and shove their way to the front of lines even if it means stepping on all of the people in front of them.   By taking away the rights of parents to teach their children to be respectful of others, society is creating a whole group of people who do not care about anyone. This is the society where people run over and trample each other in malls to get the last hot children’s toy in the store before Christmas.   Stampedes like those of frightened cattle herds leave people injured or even dead, when large groups of people all try to enter popular events or exit buildings in a hurry.   Once people would stop to assist others, but now if someone falls down, the others simply step over or on them and go on. It is sad to discover that laws designed to protect children have effectively led to an entire society of people who do not care about anyone but themselves.   The laws were needed, but some people have said that violence leads to violence and therefore children should never be subjected to physical discipline.   While it is true that extreme and unnecessary punishment is abusive and may lead children to imitate violence later, there is a middle ground between the two extremes. A swat from a parent’s hand on the seat of the pants does little more than embarrass the child in public.   This would lead the child to be less likely to throw screaming tantrums in public, which embarrass the well intentioned parents who did nothing more than choose to take their children out into public with them.   Children who are raised with some degree of discipline and well defined rules that are followed through with, grow up to be much more well-rounded, respectful and realistic adults. If a child is allowed to raise a parent instead of providing the parents the right to raise the child, then the crime rate will continue to rise and people will become increasingly more disrespectful.   People have begun to look at hand outs and even luxuries as entitlements rather than things that should be strived for and earned.   These declines in society are caused by over zealous people, who as well intentioned as the may have been have taken away all leverage parents once had to teach their children that rules are made for a reason and the word â€Å"no† actually means no not â€Å"scream louder†. Most people who become parents take the first look at the helpless new life and want to give the child the whole world.   They do not wish to inflict harm or create hardship for the child in any way.   They do however want that child to grow into a happy healthy, well adjusted adult.   In order to be a well-adjusted adult, the person needs to respect laws, rules and other people.   No one learns this automatically, it has to be taught, and the parents, who want the world for their children should have the right to teach this. They need to be able to set limits and follow through with discipline.   Loving parents who care for their children should not have to live in fear that if they discipline their children in order to teach them to respect rules and people, they will lose their children forever.   There should be more specific guidelines as to what constitutes abuse and it there should be more evidence to substantiate it rather than just taking the child’s word that Daddy hit me for a child to be removed from a home. In addition to this parents need to be informed as to what these guidelines are in order to insure they are operating within the limits of the laws. Although the days in which children should be seen and not heard are gone forever, the entire mall should not be subjected to hearing a child simply because the parent is afraid to discipline him. Lack of Proper Discipline They are everywhere, malls, grocery store, airports and even public places.  Running screaming as loud as they can where everyone can hear them. So that their  parents will give in to them just to keep them quiet. The reason why the children behaved  this way is that the children knows their rights. Parents are anxious to reprimand their  children or even punish their children in a certain way, otherwise, they will be  charged with child abuse. Innocent parents are the one being reported to the child  protected workers for spanking their children with their hands or just picking up a   squirming hard onto the child and removing them from any public places.And if the  observer assumes that that the child is making noise they think and conclude that the  parents is causing them harm, then call the protective services. Children can tell stories  that can get the sympathy of the workers just like telling a horror movie. The service  workers will entirely believe in the heartbreaking story of the children, because little  children doesn’t know how to fabricate stories and that they don’t tell a lie. Children  knows that there is a law that the parents cannot reprimand or hurt them in public places  as a result, the children will make scenes especially in public place. They are the ones  who are abusing their parents.There should be a boundary to the amount of discipline a parent can impose upon their children. Child abusers should be punished. No such parents who physically or emotionally abuse their children are allowed to raise them. However, the real problem is children abuse their rights to the point that normal caring parents do not dare to set limits in fear of losing their children.Every year, many children are temporarily removed from their homes due to mistaken reports and children telling stories   to turn innocent parents to disciplinary actions in child abuse.   This fear has led the parents to allow their children in control. Children who grew believing they can get away breaking laws as they did parental rules.  Ã‚   The society is full of discourteous people.In the past, parents reprimand their children when they misbehave implementing rules to follow and obey them. Unfortunately, during the past parents seem to discipline their children to the point that actual abuse occurred. Appropriate to this abuse, laws were created and implemented to protect the rights of the children. However, due to the laws, parents are forced not to take disciplinary actions for their children. They are not allowed to do what they ought to do in order to discipline them. There should be some focal points on this. Parents should be able to discipline their children at some points. In this generation, children know that parents are afraid to spank or scold them most especially in public places.Children take advantage of this by showing tantrums, refusing to listen to what parents say, ignoring them can b e a lot of trouble also to the parents. This behavior allows the child to be in control of their parents rather than the latter. Parents are more likely to feel manipulated by this kind of behavior They do not have to listen or obey because they can get what they want.  Ã‚   The last few decades have shown a rise of disobedience along with violence among children. and adolescents.This child learns that they don’t have to listen to anyone but themselves This children will grow up into spoiled, disrespectful adults and turn into a menace of the society. They do not listen to anyone, they believe in themselves and so they will break the law just to get what they want just like when they were still little children.Before, when children are well disciplined by their parents, they were taught to respect the elders and other people, as well as the law unlike in this modern generation now. In taking away, the rights of the parents in implementing their own disciplinary actions to c hildren, the society now is full of people that don’t care about anyone or anybody. They only think of themselves only. It is sad to know that the laws designed for the protection of the children were abused and used by the children. . This laws are good if you use it for the better and not exploit it.. While it is true that extreme and pointless punishments is rude and make children to imitate violence later, there is a focal point between the two extremes.If we look at it the other way, children will raise parents according to their manner as spoiled brats, discourteous individuals what will happen to the society? In reality, when an individual become a parent, most likely they do not want to inflict harm to their helpless child. They want to give the child the best of everything. Hence, protecting them from harm, showering them with love and affection. They want that child to grow up into a happy, healthy, well adjusted and good mannered adult.Parents should set limits, di scipline and teach their children about the rules and the law. They should inculcate the young minds with the rules and train them in a nice way so that when they grow up they will not depart from it. Parents should not be afraid in doing so. There are specific guidelines in constituting abuse. It is sad to realize that the laws was designed to protect the children but there is no result on the whole society because if we cannot discipline our children when they are still young, they will be more violence in the future they always think that they are always right.This is not in general but most children go in the wrong path in the future if they don’t know what discipline is. In the early generations children were closely controlled and monitored by their parents and they were trained how to respect for their elders and other people as well as they are the rulers. There’s a big difference between children born yesterday than today. Most modern children don’t kno w what respect is they have their own set of laws and one of their rules is parents should follow their set of laws. They don’t even call their parents as mom and dad, they only call them by names, not only their parents but for their sisters and brothers and even their elderly.They press on their way to the front of lines even if it means stepping on all of the people in front of them. They don’t care if other peoples hurt or not as long as they know that they are content of what they doing. Captivating away the rights of parents to teach their children to be deferential to others. But new society is creating an entire group of people who do not care about the right of a parent.A society where people run over and squash each other in malls to get the last hot children’s toy in the store before Christmas. Stampedes like those who are like a scared farm animal’s leave people hurt or even dead when huge groups of people all try to enter popular events or ex it buildings in a hurry. It’s so depressing to discover that laws wished-for to protect children have effectively led to an entire society who do not care about anyone but themselves. The laws were considered essential, but some people have said that violence leads to violence and therefore children should never be subjected to corporeal discipline.Research shows that although, love is the crucial basis on a child’s moral and civilized character is build, it is not enough. Parental discipline is extremely vital in helping a child to develop moral and civilized character.Work CitedBartkowski, John P. and W. Bradford Wilcox. â€Å"Conservative Protestant Child Discipline:The Case of Parental Yelling.† Social Forces. 79.1 (2000): 265-90.Baumrind, Diana. â€Å"The Discipline Controversy Revisited.† Family Relations. 45.4 (1996): 405-14Dowshen, Steven A., Neil Izenberg and Elizabeth R. Bass. The Kidshealth Guide forParents: Pregnancy to Age 5. Chicago, IL: McG raw-Hill Professional, 2002.Erlanger, Howard S. â€Å"Social Class and Corporal Punishment in Childrearing: AReassessment.† American Sociological Review. 39.1 (1974): 68-85.Flynn, Clifton P. â€Å"Regional Differences in Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment.† Journalof Marriage and the Family. 56.2 (1994): 314-24.Giles-Sims, Jean, Murray A. Straus and David B. Sugarman. â€Å"Child, Maternal and Family Characteristics Associated with Spanking.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Family Relations. 44.2 (1985): 170-176.Herzberger, Sharon D. and Howard Tennen. â€Å"The Effect of Self-Relevance on Judgments of Moderate and Severe Disciplinary Encounters.† Journal of Marriage and the Family.47.2 (1985): 311-18.Holden, George W., Pamela C. Miller and Susan D. Harris. â€Å"The Instrumental Side ofCorporal Punishment: Parents’ Reported Practices and Outcome Expectancies.†Journal of Marriage and the Family. 61.4 (1999): 908-19.Larzelere, Robert E. and Jack A. Merenda. â €Å"The Effectiveness of Parental Discipline forToddler Misbehavior at Different Levels of Child Distress.† Family Relations. 43.4(1994): 480-88.Larzelere, Robert E., Paul R. Sather, William N. Schneider, David B. Larson and Patricia L. Pike. â€Å"Punishment Enhances Reasoning’s Effectiveness as a Disciplinary Response to Toddlers.† Journal of Marriage and the Family. 60.2 (1998): 388-403.Pearson, Linda Joan and L. A. Stamford. The Discipline Miracle: The Clinically ProvenSystem for Raising Happy, Healthy and Well-behaved Kids. New York: AMACOM Books, 2006.Szalay, Lorand B., Jean Bryson Strohl and Kathleen T. Doherty. Psychological Forces in Substance Abuse Prevention. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.

Why We Laugh Essays

Why We Laugh Essays Why We Laugh Essay Why We Laugh Essay Humour is a subject that has attracted the attention and interest of some of our greatest minds, from Aristotle and Kant to Freud. It has also fascinated and played an important part in the work of some of the greatest writers such as Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. However, curiously, after thousands of years spent trying to understand humour, there is still a great deal of controversy about what humour is or why something is funny. There are some interesting theories, though, on this matter. For Aristotle, comedy is based on â€Å"an imitation of men worse than the average,† of people who are â€Å"ridiculous†. Hobbes carried the same idea a bit further. He said, â€Å"the passion of laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from a sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly. † There is another theory that is probably the most important and most widely accepted of the explanations of humour. This theory argues that all humour involves some kind of a difference between what one expects and what one gets. One of the more interesting and controversial theories of humour stems from the work of Freud. The psychoanalytic theory of humour argues that humour is essentially masked aggression which gives us gratifications we desperately crave. As Freud wrote in his classic book- Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious- â€Å"and here at last we can understand what it is that jokes achieve in the service of their purpose. They make possible the satisfaction of an instinct (whether lustful or hostile) in the face of an obstacle that stands in its way. † Freud also recounts a number of wonderful Jewish jokes in his book and alludes to the remarkable amount of self-criticism found in jokes which all Jews tell about themselves. â€Å"Incidentally,’ he wrote, â€Å"I do not know whether there are many other instances of a people making fun of such a degree of its own character†. His use of the word â€Å"fun† is important. He did not regard Jewish jokes as masochistic (gratification gained from pain, deprivation). Just the opposite. It might be argued that since humour is an effective way to keeping in touch with reality, Jewish humour has been intimately connected with Jewish survival. Also, humour is not some kind of an idle and trivial matter but generally enables people to gain valuable insights into social and political matters. The fact of the matter is that this seemingly trivial, inconsequential, common thing we know as humour is very enigmatic and plays a vital role in our psychic lives and in society.

Is the ACT Easier Than the SAT

Is the ACT Easier Than the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because all US colleges accept scores from either the ACT or SAT, picking the test on which you’ll perform better is critical to your admission chances. But when parents and students ask whether the ACT is easier than the SAT, it can be hard to give a good answer. You might not know how the tests compare with each other or which one you're more likely to do better on. There aredifferences between the SAT and ACT that can make one or the other legitimately easier or harder for test takers. So how do you know whether the SAT or ACT is easier for you? Keep reading to learn the eight key factors that'll help you determine whether the ACT or SAT is easier. Although theACT and SAT differ in a lot of ways, only a few are really important to understanding whether the ACT or SAT is a better fit for you. Each student is different in each of the below factors. As a result,one testwill be easier for you depending on your own strengths and weaknesses. We’ve broken down our analysis into two major sections: content-related and format-related. ACT and SAT Content-Related Abilities: 6 Factors Before we get into specific content-related abilities, let's quickly go over the structures of the two tests. The SAT contains three sections: Reading Writing and Language (hereafter Writing) Math By contrast, the ACT contains four sections: English Math Reading Science Both tests also have an optional essay.Each section has a different format on the ACT than on the SAT, but only some of these differences really matter. Here are the most crucial factors to consider as well as our tips on what these might indicate about which test is easier for you. Factor 1: HowBroad Is Your Mathematical Knowledge? While the SAT and ACT both emphasize algebra questions in their math sections,the ACT's Math section typically tests a wider range of mathematical concepts- such aslogarithms, graphs of trig functions, and matrices- that the SAT doesn't cover. The ACT also has significantlymore questions dealing with geometry and trigonometrythan the SAT does.On the ACT's Math section, about a quarter to a third of the questions will be about geometry or trigonometry, while less than 10% of the SAT's math questions will focus on either of these topics. More SAT Math questions will focus on algebra, along with some other topics such as data analysis and modeling. In addition to testing a wider range of math topics,the ACT doesn't give you any math formulas at the beginning of the Math section, so you’ll need to have them all memorized. On the contrary, the SAT will give you most of the major math formulas you'll need for the test. Here are some key questions to ask yourself: Can I memorize all the formulas I'll need to know? Do I have strong geometry and trigonometry skills? Would I prefer to have primarilyalgebra-related questions? Bottom Line:If you’re more comfortable with algebra than you are with geometry and trigonometry, SAT Math will likely be easier for you than ACT Math will be. Factor 2: How Confident Are You Without a Calculator? Students are not allowed to have a calculator for part of the SAT Math section. The SAT Math section has two parts: a No Calculator part (20 questions) and a Calculator part (38 questions). By contrast, the ACT allows you to use a calculator for all math questions. Every question on the SAT No Calculator subsection is solvable by hand; however, these problems will sometimes require complicated calculations. If you aren't comfortable solving these questions without having a calculator to help you out, this part of the SAT might be challenging for you. Bottom Line:If you prefer always having access to a calculator on math problems, you might find ACT Math easier. Factor 3: Are You Comfortable With Scientific Terminology for ACT Science? Lots of people make a big deal out of the ACT Science section, but the truth is thatit's not actually about science. It doesn't test much knowledge of actual scientific facts, such as freezing points or solubility rules, but it does use a lot of scientific language. The Science sectionalso uses charts and graphs that will be familiar to students with strong science backgrounds. While the SAT incorporates some of these concepts into its three sections, you'll still be answering more questions like thison the ACT. The sample data below is typical of the ACT Science section: Source: Official ACT Practice Test 2005-06 You can answer questions about this information without knowing thatMg means magnesium, or that mol stands for the unit of measurement mole, or that˚C means degrees Celsius. That said, it's a lot faster and easier if you do know these things. And because your Science score factors into yourACT composite score, if you don't know Science well, the Science section can lower your overall score. Bottom Line:Comfort with scientific terms and experience gathering scientific data from charts and graphs will give you a greater advantage on the ACT. While you don't need experience in a lab, you should have some basic science knowledge for the ACT. Factor 4: Can You Remember the Location of Details in Reading Passages? An often-overlooked aspect concerning whether the SAT or ACT is easier for a student is the detail questions on the Reading sections of each test. In short, the SAT gives you more information to work with than the ACT does. Look at it like this: after you read about two pages of an academic book, do you tend to remember where the different pieces of information are located in that reading? Or do you need to go back over it to find specific details? Your answer to these questions canmake adifference between your SAT and ACT Reading scores. This is because one big, somewhat odd difference between the SAT and ACT is their treatment of details in their respective Reading sections. While both tests have questions about small, specific details from the readings,the SAT will usuallytell you what line they're referring to, whereas the ACT frequently does not. Here's a simple example from an ACT Reading section: This kind of question (we call it "fact-finding" at PrepScholar) isn't a challenge if you have the line numbers where the information is located. During the ACT, though, it can be difficult and time-consuming to skim a passageto figure out which specific parta question is referring to. On the SAT, most questions have a line number. Even if they don't, SAT Reading questions always proceed in chronological order. This means you'll have a general idea of where the key information is even if you're not given an exact line reference. If you can easily remember where information is located in a passage, these ACTquestions will be a piece of cake and give you extra time for the harder ones. If you don't, ACT Readingwill frustrate you and simply suck up your precious time. Bottom Line:The ability to remember the locations of details in reading passageswill give you a greater advantage on the ACT. Factor 5: How Easily Can You Cite Evidence for Your Answers? On Reading, the SAT has questions calledevidence-support questions, whichthe ACT doesn't have. These are two-part questions: thefirst question will ask you something general about the passage, whereasthe following question will ask you to cite the specific evidence that supports your answer to the previous question. Here's an exampleof one of these question pairs on the SAT: Source: Official SAT Practice Lesson Plans for Teachers by Teachers As you can see, these questions can be tricky because theyrequire higher-level thinking and strong reasoning skills. If you're stuck on the first question, you likely won't get the second one right either. Take the ACT, though, and you won't have to worry about Reading questions like these. Bottom Line:If you aren’t used to finding evidence to support your reasoning, SAT Reading might be more challenging for you than ACT Reading. Factor 6: Which Types of Writing Questions Do You Prefer? Both the SAT and the ACT Writing/English sections have passage-based questions, but the topics these questions focus on differ between the two tests. ACT English is slightly more focused on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. This sectionalso includes big picture questions thatask about the main idea of the passage, whereas SAT Writing doesn't include these types of questions. On the other hand,the SAT focuses more on questions about writing style. It also includes what are known as precision questions; these require you to select the most appropriate word or phrase. Because of precision and other similar questions, the SAT tends to test vocabulary a little more than the ACT does. Bottom Line:The Writing/English sections for both testsare highly similar. However, if you have a solid knowledge of grammar and sentence structure, youmight find ACT English easier, whereas if you prefer questions aboutwriting style and vocabulary,SAT Writing might be easier for you. Instead of flipping through a dictionary to learn vocab, why not check out our SAT vocab list? ACT and SAT Format-Related Abilities: 2 Factors For this section major section, we look at format-related abilities. Unlike content-related abilities, which deal with the content of the ACT and SAT, format-related abilities deal with the overall structures of the two tests and the testing requirements of your state. Below are the top two format-related factors to consider as well as our advice on whether the ACT or SAT might be easier for you. Factor 7: Are You Able to Avoid Getting Stuck on Challenging Questions? Especially in the Math sections of both tests and theSciencesection of the ACT, it's easy for many students to get wrapped up in trying to figure out a particularly challenging problem. This can turn into spending four or five minutes on a single question and missing other ones as a result. Why is this important? The ACT gives much less time per question. Here is a chart showing the time per question on both tests, for reference: Test Section Total Time # of Questions Time per Question ACT English 45 minutes 75 36 seconds Math 60 minutes 60 60 seconds Reading 35 minutes 40 53 seconds Science 35 minutes 40 53 seconds SAT Reading 65 minutes 52 75 seconds Writing 35 minutes 44 48 seconds Math No Calculator: 25 minutes Calculator: 55 minutes No Calculator: 20 Calculator: 38 No Calculator: 75 seconds Calculator: 86 seconds As you can see from this comparison chart, in all sections the ACT offers less time per question than the SAT does.While the ACT English and SAT Writing sections only differ by 12 seconds per question, the two tests' Reading sections differ by 22 seconds- that's almost half a minute more per question! With the Math sections, too, the ACT offers far less time per question. On the SAT Math Calculator subsection, you'll get about 86 seconds per question; however, you'll get 26 seconds less on each ACT Math question. Bottom Line:The ability to move on from difficult questions and work quickly will give you a greater advantage on the ACT. Factor 8: Do You Live in a State That Requires ACT or SAT Testing? This last factor is pretty cut and dried: if your state requires you to take one of the two tests, you'll likely find that test easier. The following 15 states use the ACT as part of their statewide testing regimen: Alabama Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada North Carolina North Dakota (students must take ACT or WorkKeys) South Carolina Utah Wisconsin Wyoming And the following eight regions use the SATas part of their testing regimen: Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Illinois Maine Michigan New Hampshire Having a required test can help you be more prepared for that exam. For example, if you live in a state that requires you to take the ACT, you'll likely receive significant in-school preparation for that exam, and yourteachers will be more familiar with how the ACT is formatted and what skills it tests. Even though you can still take the test your state doesn't require, you'll likely be less familiar with it and won't have had as much exposure to it as you did with the one required by your state. Bottom Line:Living in one of the states where the ACT or SAT is requiredwillgive you a slight advantage on that test.That said, if you’re committed toprepping seriously, you’ll get so much exposure to whichevertest you choose that this initial boost won’t make much of a difference in the end. What's your move: ACT or SAT? ACT vs SAT: How Do I Decide Which Test to Take? In this article, we’ve listed tons of important factors to help you figure out whether the ACT or SAT will be easier for you. But is there a quicker way to determine which test you should take? We recommend using the chart below to help organize your thoughts. For each question, answer yes or no (by marking it with an X or check mark) in accordance with your own personal strengths and weaknesses. Once finished, tally up your yes marks and give yourselfonepoint for each yes. For example, if you answered yes to the first question about trigonometry, you'd get one point. However, if you answered no, you'd earn zero points for that question. Question Yes No Are you good at applying trigonometry and geometry skills? Do you like being able to use a calculator on math questions? Are you good at memorizing lots of math formulas? Are you comfortable with scientific terms? Can you easily remember the locations of details in passages? Do you have strong grammar and punctuation skills? Can you work quickly and efficiently? Do you live in one of the mandatory ACT testing states? Are you OK with answering questions that arenot in chronological order? Is it difficult for you to find evidence in passages to support your answers? Do you struggle to answer questions about writing style? Do you often have trouble with vocabulary questions? Once you've tallied up your points, find your score below to learn what it means about which test will be easier for you: 1-4 points: The SAT's got your name on it! If you answered mostly "no" in the chart above, then you'll likely find the SAT easier than the ACT. With the SAT, you don't have to worry about as many geometry questions or a science section, and you'll get more time per question. 5-8 points: You can take the ACT or SAT If you answered "yes" and "no" an equal (or nearly equal) number of times, you can take either test. In other words,the SAT and ACT will be roughly the same difficulty based on the combination of strengths and weaknesses you noted above. 9-12 points: The ACT's the one for you! If you answered mostly "yes," then the ACT will be the easier test for you. With the ACT, you'll get to flex your science and trig muscles. You'll also get to focus more on grammar and punctuation knowledge and less on vocab and writing style. What's the Best Way to Figure Out Whether to Take the ACT or SAT? The above factors we covered are just general principles to guide your thinking. In the end, the best gauge of which test fits you better is to take a full-length practice test of each test and compare your scores on them.You can access all officialSAT practice tests and ACT practice testsfor free on our blog. We’ve also written guides on how to figure out what your target SAT score and target ACT score should be. Knowing this can help you determine how far you'll have to improve on each test. If your practice test score for one test is higher than it is for the other in relation to your target score, you'll likely have a better shot at getting into your target colleges using that test! What's Next? If you're aiming for a top ACT or SAT score, check out our guides togettinga perfect SAT scoreand a perfect ACT score. Both were written by our resident full scorer! Not sure when to take the ACT or SAT? Figure out the best test dates to take the SAT or ACT, and learn how to create an ACT/SAT study schedule for yourself. Whether you decide to take the SAT or ACT,youhaveto know what your target score is. Figure this out using ourSAT target score guideandACT target score guide. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT and ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160+ points or your ACT score by 4+ points. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Area of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Area of Finance - Essay Example It encloses within itself a host of other sub entities which take care of the money markets, the investors, shareholders, bonds, capital markets, venture investments, stakeholders, financial regulations, credit ratings and debts, bullish and bearish trends, etc. Now what a financial manager could do is to understand the basics related with all these sub entities and then choose a particular area where he thinks he would be best suited to have an understanding of that very sub entity. At the same time, he must make an endeavor to learn about the other entities so that he comes to terms with the whole financial ball game and does not feel left behind whilst the comparison is raised of him with his financial fellows. In the end, it is important to state here that a person belonging to the finance fraternity must try his hand at anything which is financially related and try his best to gain an understanding of the different financial terms before proceeding any further. Finance is a vast sea of information and knowledge, which needs a lot of research and patience to have sheer understanding

India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

India - Essay Example In his finding, he discovered that the Machiguenga gave out the smallest amount possible, and none of the second players rejected the offer no matter how small. Unlike the Machiguenga, the Westerners had a tendency to share things on an equality basis. Other people would reject a high offer. A repeat of the experiment in different parts of the world proved similar results. According to the study, Henrich concludes that humans are not similar throughout the world as believed by social scientists who focused their research in America. A system that works for the Westerners could fail in the east. According to Michael Brown, for thousands of years, spirituality has been, and still is a major factor in the Indians lives (History King 1). Everything they do is in accordance with their belief. In India, the people live together as one despite their diversity. Millions of people celebrating their religions gather in the River Ganges during the Komhala festival every year. The westerner could probably never understand the Indians way of life. How a man could renounce every material thing to pursue a spiritual life is still a puzzle to the British. The answer is the two worlds define civilization differently. The Western culture embraces individualism, materialism, rationality, and masculinity. On the contrary, India bases their civilization on renunciation, the female, and the inner life. It is unfair to judge other people’s culture, customs, and civilization by comparing it to our own. History King. â€Å"Legacy - The Origins of Civilization - Episode 2: India, the Empire of Spirit (Documentary).† YouTube Video Clip. Jul 5, 2014. Web. March 17, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffm-0FnVgmw Watters, Ethan. â€Å"We Aren’t the World.† Pacific Standard. Feb 25, 2013. Web. March 17, 2015.