Psy 375 Senior Interview Essay

1. What is the environment of your home like? Busy, before they got guardianship of their grandson, life was quiet and there was not very much that had to be done around the home. Once their grandson came to live with them at age 3, life became â€Å"a buzz† again. â€Å"Before our grandson came to us, we usually would get up in the morning, sit and relax as we drank our coffee and had a quiet breakfast together. Now, we (her and her spouse) are up early to get our grandson ready to go to school. † She also says â€Å"We had time for the things that we wanted to do in our later years of life, visiting family, traveling and such. Now our time is dedicated to raising our grandson who keeps us going and on our toes but we would not change the situations we are in now for the world. † 2. Has aging changed the home environment? Yes, when they were younger, they had the energy and health to do the things they wanted to. Sally says â€Å"With age came some small struggles to stay at the pace we had always had when we were younger. Things that were always easy slowly became more time consuming, housekeeping used to be something that I could complete pretty quickly; now, I am a little slower (with the help of my grandson). Otherwise, she says â€Å"life keeps us all busy. † 3. Do you rely on others for help with any activities in the home? Sally answers â€Å"No, we are still able and willing to do our chores and keep up with the necessary tasks that we have. Although, we do have â€Å"John† (grandson) visit family a few times a month so that we have time to recharge. † 4. Do you still drive? If so, how has aging changed how you drive? Sally answered, â€Å"Yes, we both (her and her husband Mike) still drive. Driving is something that you would think would stay the same as you grow old until you get old. When I am driving now, I feel like everyone is in a rush to get where they want to go and here I am taking my time, trying to be safe while all around me are probably cursing me and saying â€Å"Damn old lady is driving so slow. † (She laughed as she made the last remark. ) 5. What changes in your home do you face as you get older? Sally answers, â€Å"As my husband and I get older, we are starting to be slower at things that once took us very little time. I think as we continue to get older, we will continue to get slower. † She also says, â€Å"With having our grandson home with us, he is helping us when he sees us even struggle a little with even small things. I think as we get older, he will be the one to help us more than anyone else. Recreational Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do for recreation? What do you do now for enjoyment? Sally answers, â€Å"When we were younger and our children were at home with us, we would spend a lot of time outdoors. We loved to go camping, fishing and hunting as a family. As our children got older, they all had things that they were involved in that took that time away that we had for the fun things. † She then explained that as her and her husband grew older, that they became more focused on the things that they wanted to do like traveling and visiting family. Sally then explained â€Å"Now that we have our grandson, I go to the movies, library, and toy shopping an awful lot. † But then she explained that she takes pleasure in spending time with her grandson doing the things that he likes to do because she â€Å"loves to see the smile on his face. † Sally also explained that they are active members of a church that they go to twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) and they get great pleasure out of the service. 2. How often do you participate in these activities? Sally says â€Å"When â€Å"John† is a good boy at school and does what he is told here we usually take him out about once a week to do something special. † She then explains, â€Å"Church is a large part of our lives. We go to church not only to worship but also to have time with people that are around our age with and are like-minded. † 3. Have the things that do for recreation changed as you aged? As stated above, in their younger years, their recreation revolved around their family. As they got older, she says â€Å"The things we did slowed. We were not out all the time we possibly could have been. † Sally says, â€Å"We now spend time where we feel most comfortable, church and doing things with our grandson are what we do most now. † Social Support and Interactions: 1. Who do you interact with on a regular basis? Is this the same amount of contact you had in younger years of life? Sally says, â€Å"On a daily basis, my husband and grandson. I usually call my sister every couple days and see how she is doing and on a weekly basis the brothers and sisters I have at church. † She also says, â€Å"In the past, we had friends and neighbors that we were in contact with on a daily basis but as time went on, the friends we have kept are passing away or just losing contact with them all together. It is hard getting older and watching the friends you have start to pass away, it make me think that I will not always be here and then it makes me worry about who will keep our grandson when we are gone. † 2. Do you participate in any social clubs? Sally says, â€Å"The only real structured social club, if you can call it that, would be church activities. On Wednesdays, we go to church for bible study and social time where we talk with our friends there and on Sunday, we go to service that provides us with God’s word and time with our church brothers and sisters. † Meaningful Activities: 1. What gives your life meaning? Sally says, â€Å"My family is what gives my life meaning. I try to do as much as possible to stay in the loop of what is going on with my children and grandchildren. My children have always been the reason that we have worked so hard. We always wanted them to have the better things in life and we wanted them to be happy. † She also says â€Å"Now, my life revolves around taking care of â€Å"John† and making sure he feels that everything is okay and that he has a stable home to grow up in. † 2. Do you still engage in these activities as you did when you were younger? Sally says, â€Å"When we were younger, we had a lot more activities when our children were young. As they grew up, moved out on their own and had families of their own, our lives quieted down and the activities we were always doing changed into activities that â€Å"Mike† and I wanted to do until we got â€Å"John† and once we got â€Å"John† life became busy again with all of his activities. † Mental Stimulation: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, I had my work to keep my mind sharp. I was a secretary at the middle school in the town we live for almost 20 years and was always busy with the tasks that were I had to do. My children also kept my mind going and I loved helping them with their homework because this helped me keep my mind working and remembering how to do problems like math and science. † 2. What do you do now to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"Now to keep my mind sharp I do a lot of word and number puzzles. I love to do Sudoku puzzles and word find puzzles. Sudoku puzzles really keep my mind working because sometimes I feel like my hair is on fire when I am done with them (she chuckles.) I also spend time with â€Å"John† to helping him with his homework and I think this helps to keep me learning still because I have noticed that the way children are taught now has really changed from when I had my children in school. † Physical Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep physically fit? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, when my children lived at home, we were always on the go. We would go places where we would walk and hike through the woods like when we would go hunting or fishing. We lives close to the corner store so we would also just walk to the store when we needed a few things instead of get in the car and drive. † She also says â€Å"I never was a really big health nut who was always worried about exercise because my weight was never an issue. I felt that is my weight was good then I was getting plenty of exercise. † 2. What do you do to keep physically fit now? Sally says, â€Å"Nowadays we love to take â€Å"John† for walks at the local trails. It’s nice to be out in the fresh air and be able to not only spend time with â€Å"Mike† and â€Å"John† but to get a little exercise because I have noticed that the older I get the less muscle I seem to have. † â€Å"It seems like the little things are more of a challenge than they were in previous years. Even just opening a jar is sometimes a challenge. † 3. Are you able to keep up with the daily physical stresses that you are tasked with on a daily basis? Sally says, â€Å"Yes, it seems like I am still doing a pretty good job keeping up with everything I have to do on a daily basis (as she looks around her living room. ) She also says â€Å"Keeping a house clean is a chore in its own when you have a grandson to pick up after everywhere he goes. † She also says, â€Å"I get around to the things I need to do now when I get to them. I used to try to make sure the house was perfect when my children and â€Å"Mike† would come home each day and thought that having a clean house for them, food cooking and clothes laid out for them daily was what I was supposed to do. Now that I think about it, I would have much rather of been having fun with them instead of being worried about the house. † Ending the interview, her last statement is, â€Å"Life now is a little bit harder than it was when I was younger. It seems like the older I get, the slower I am. † She then tells me, â€Å"Make sure that you spend your time doing what makes you happy. †

“a Fable” by Mark Twain

John Alarcon American Lit. Mr. Mason Research paper â€Å"A Fable† by Mark Twain- Close reading In this short story a painting is the reason for the occurrences described. Animals in this story are portrayed in a human like manner, each having their own ideas and feelings and a common method of communication. The painter’s cat is portrayed as a well-mannered and intelligent being. In the sentence â€Å"The animals out in the woods heard of this through the housecat, who was greatly admired by them because he was so learned†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the cat is made to look astute because the other animals are oblivious to many of the things he tells them. To a human, what the cat says may not sound accurate or right but to a group of animals that’s don’t know any better the cat seems brilliant. The vocabulary used by the cat to describe the painting and the mirror, also indicated that the cat is smart. The adjectives he uses are large and descriptive, the way he speaks and constructs his sentences shows how his level of thinking is superior. The Other animals were not described and interacted with in-depth enough to identify a personality for each of them. They were all made to be similar to one another because they were all in the same situation with the same opinions and ideas toward the painting . The only animal that stood out besides the cat was the ass. This being that he was the only one to have a doubt in the toward the greatly admired cat’s story. The cat aroused the interest and curiosity of the animals. He was the one that informed then of said painting. It was the doubts of the ass that provoked the animals to finally get a look at the painting. The ass was the first to investigate the situation; all the other animals after him got the same result from looking in the mirror. They stood in front of the painting which and all they saw was a reflection of themselves. Being that a different animal looked in the mirror every time, every animal got there own unique reflection of them self’s and were convinced it was the only thing inside the mirror and there was no â€Å"dainty and charming† painting. What the author is trying to explain in this story is that every person has their own meaning and opinion to a story. The painting being a story or work of literature and the mirror being your imagination that gives its own unique reflection and understanding of the text.

Decision Making Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decision Making Case Study Analysis - Essay Example Mary, as a relatively new and inexperienced probation officer has a fresh outlook and different expectations from the system. Her approach to the case places more importance on "positivism" and a "watchman style" as she has not yet become part of the system; the cultural ethos of the organization on the other hand in entrenched in "classicalism" and has a rigid "legalistic" approach (Stojkovic, Kalinich, & Klofas, 2003, p. 295). If only rational guidelines were to be considered, then, based on the crime score and offender score parameters (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p 312), the offender qualifies for probation. Moreover, the offence is one of statutory rape and charges have been filed by the parents of the girl, over the objections of the victim. Hence more discretion, within the boundaries of bounded rationality is warranted and needs to be the primary factor in this case. Political considerations, however legitimate should not fly in the face of natural justice. Most decisions are arrived at keeping an organization's long-term goals in mind and solutions fall in to well established and acceptable solutions for identified problems - the 'garbage can' concept. To that extent, organizational culture is a definitive influencing factor. In fact it is this deeply ingrained ethos which influences the advice given to Mary by her supervisor. This kind of 'standard operating procedure' leads to the formation of 'legitimizing rituals' that further perpetuate the laid down decision making process. In effect, "equilibrium is set and protected" (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p 301). This is what Mary learns from the case. Symbolically the case is a sex offence and because of the pressure of organizational culture it has to be treated as one of many such cases rather than treating it on its own merits. The pre-set solution for such cases is the decision already 'arrived at'. This results in a compromise solution that though not exactly the best satisfies everyone in the system. This is because all decisions are made with incomplete information and although rationality requires the ability to choose between all possible courses of action, in practice all of them are not capable of being implemented due to various constraints. Hence the adoption of the concept of satisfycing i.e., "the attainment of acceptable rather than optimal results" (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p 298), which is a useful concept in criminal justice to satisfy diverse and contradictory interests. Cultural and Political Concerns in Decision Making Cultural and political concerns can never be left out of any decision making process as decisions are not made in a vacuum. Hence, understanding of thee limitations and learning how to work through them is a better option in the long run. This is what Mary realizes when it dawns on her that a compromise solution would have a better chance of success, since, "recommendations of probation officersgenerally correlate with sentencing decisions" (Stojkovic, et al., 2003, p. 302). The inputs given by Mary as a result of the PSI would provide crucial inputs that would influence the final outcome. Recommendations that are grounded in rationality and backed by the results of prediction models would certainly enhance the acceptability of the recommendations.

Health Priorities in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Priorities in Australia - Essay Example These areas may have a level of overlap within the six priority areas which have been defined therefore it is important to understand these areas on their own before the priority overlaps between them can be discussed. The NHPA (National Health Priority Areas) themselves were created as a response to global agenda put forward by the WHO (World Health Organisation) which was to focus on those areas which make up the majority of patient cases around the world (Browne et. al., 2000). The priority areas for Australian health are overseen by the National Health Priority Action Council (NHPAC) that is made up of commonwealth, state, regional as well as local governments (AIHW, 2005). There are two primary objectives the NHPAC looks at before considering any health related problem as a priority areas. First, the NHPAC examines whether making a health issue a priority objective could significantly contribute towards lessening the burden of illness and injury on Australians. Second, the NHPAC sees if the area to be focused on will improve health related issues and if it will decrease the burden on our health system which is due to the diseases included in the priority area (AIHW, 2005). It is important to note that the NHPA did not start with the seven priority areas mentioned above because it shows that the NHPA is not a static body. Rather, like other scientific organisations, it is looking towards expanding itself and improving its position through active research and analysis which shows how the addition of a priority area can be beneficial for public health. Historically speaking, the NHPA initiative began with only four areas i.e. cardiovascular health, cancer control, injury prevention and mental health (AIHW, 2005). With time, Diabetes was added to the priority areas in 1997 with asthma being added in 1999 and musculoskeletal issues being added in 2002. It is clear that the government is not picking diseases randomly from the

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Review - Article Example Although the rates are low, the plan is continued to be criticized for its failure to maintain or raise the GDP and worsen the fiscal outcomes. The plan was only seen to raise the economic level at its initial stages of launch when the GDP increased by 8.3% in 2013-14 as compared to2010-11. It seems that the Prime Minister is trying to force this plan which not according to the opinions of the fiscal policy makers however much harm it might be causing to the economic development. The government should apply fiscal policy to come out of the economic problems it’s currently facing and the efforts to correct the situation without consideration of the fiscal policy will lead to the argument that discretionary fiscal policy is unnecessary. The fiscal policy is supposed to be sustainable and cyclic with adjustments to balance the economic situations. Like it had been experienced, criticism like those from Keynesians had brought back the economy to its recovery in the 1980 when the retail price inflation was seen to peak at 21.9%. This was reduced by the action of the bank which peaked its rate at 17%. By so doing, the rate of borrowing was raised hence only few people could afford to borrow funds. This reduces the money supply in the market which further raises the value of money thus reducing the inflation level. The prime minister should not expect monetary policy to achieve much since the debt of the country only changed from over-indebted banks to the over-indebted household borrowing. What the government should do is to use direct monetary financing of even larger fiscal deficits as this is seen to be more effective and less damaging than using looser monetary policy. The prime Minister however do not want to use the monetary and the fiscal policy to change the economy and this has made the UK economy by six times weaker th an it was

Predictably Irrational Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Predictably Irrational - Research Paper Example As a philosophical example, one could agree that there are many religions. Most all of them profess faith in God or a god, and yet none of them can completely agree on a universal doctrine which clearly expresses shared values. If that is not an example of people being predictably irrational, there are certainly more examples to follow. However, that is just an idea to illustrate the point that there can be many different viewpoints, but only one truth viewed from multiple avenues. These truths certainly stem from pluralism, as, we live in a pluralistic society to be sure in the 21st century all around the globe. Also, the fact that Cartesian dualism plays a major role in making this cliche of â€Å"predictably irrational† a phrase which some people may regard with diffidence—one naturally distrusts conflicting ontological meanings, when they can coexist together as a phrase and make sense. II. Thesis (90 words) No doubt, it is difficult to accurately pinpoint this seem ingly cliche phrase describing someone who is predictably irrational. Although somewhat of an unusual phrase, one person can completely be irrational as well as predictably so. This extended definition, if you will, is going to be broken up into manageable sections t oread. Predictable irrationality will be proven by: giving an extended definition of predictability; what predictability is not; what irrationality is; what an extended definition of rationality is; and, finally, what is the definition of someone who is predictably irrational. III. The Nature of Predictability Part I (115 words) To introduce the idea of predictability, predictability is usually the assumption that a pattern is set. People count on predictability—the prediction that the stock market will rise, that the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, and that they will have three square meals per day. Predictability governs the land. Schedules, timetables, and clocks dictate where we are and what we do, most of the time. Predictability itself is cliche. â€Å"[W]e might adjust our definition and instead term cliche a predictable or unoriginal turn of phrase or action.†1 This is why predictability would fit in so well with the idea of irrationality—but more on that point later soon ahead. IV. The Nature of Predictability Part II (85 words) Another issue that concerns predictability is that something or someone predictable is never vague or indeterminate. â€Å"The existence of widespread predictability is a potential embarrassment to claims of radical indeterminacy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2 Thus, the very nature of predictability is one’s ability to describe what is going to happen when. Predictability directly contradicts unpredictability precisely because of the fact that it leads to concrete evidence of forming types of patterns. When something is unpredictable, it has the tendency to be vague. This leads us to our next point. V. The Nature of Unpredictability (10 0 words) Unpredictability is, by its very nature, in contra of predictability. However, by studying what unpredictability is, we can find out more about predictability. Unpredictability is precluded by the inability to be predictable. Thus, surprises become commonplace. There are no patterns, everything is in flux, constantly. Now, if everything was that unpredictable in the world, think about how horrible

Ryanair's globalisation process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ryanair's globalisation process - Essay Example However, new markets come with more challenges in some cases leading to losses to the firm (GOLDMAN & NIEUWENHUIZEN 2006, p.9). Therefore, proper evaluation of the market has to be undertaken to ensure higher chances of success in the new market. Opening up of markets also means a new challenge to the existing market leaders as they are faced with new competition thus the need to change strategy. Changes in regulation also affect the operation of firms in the market thus the need to regularly check regulations to ensure compliance (LOWENDAHL 2005, p.163). At times, the firm may be forced to get back to the drawing board to formulate new way forward so as to be profitable in the global market. Any business desiring to compete in the global market has to make the bold decision of taking on a risky investment (SHETH, PARVATIYAR & SHAINESH, 2001, p.34). In the process of globalization, signing of agreement between Ire and London to open up air traffic between them was the beginning of globalization process in the two countries presenting Ryanair an opportunity to explore new market. In anticipation of increased air traffic between Irish and London, Ryanair made the bold decision of applying for the newly available license to be given to a second firm after the signing of the new air service agreement. Without any past records on the success of the rout in air traffic, applying for the license to operate the route was risky as returns were not assured. Other firms not applying for the license is an indication that there was general fear of investing in new markets. The opportunity came with additional cost requiring additional resources. This is the cost of globalization that the firm had to incur so as to earn revenue from the new investment. The firm incurred cost of purchasing two more planes to satisfy the increasing operations. Increased competition in the market place is also forcing big firms to change their operations to maintain their market

Innovation report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Innovation report - Essay Example It is a lesson from the module for the experiences through toughness that makes people have a feeling that the level of innovation transpires to make it feasible (Hisrich & Kearney 23). As stated above, the last year has presented a comprehensive pathway for experiencing new things as well as learning plenty through practicality. Most of us believed they had perfect plans leading to their success prior joining the class. However, my group’s belief was gradually broadened and the feasibility planning is a critical tool in achieving success through the experiences of practical feasibility through the creation of products. The other essential skill that will facilitate my growth in the future is that of team management. Our module allows learners to work within groups towards get innovative products. There needed to have an understanding of the capacities of group members as well as having ultimate forces in adjusting with each member in making the innovation successful Interacting and working in such groups is tough (Hisrich & Kearney 72). The company we formed was composed of three equal partners who were leaders and managers. We appreciated that leaders are people who do the right things while managers do things the right way. In doing right things and making things right, the group had equal responsibilities as managers and leaders. The main hindrance was time management for group activities. I feel that the group members and me could have achieved even more in terms of succeeding the products and the company in the event that we properly and usefully managed our time. I recall that there is no amount of money that can buy time back (Hisrich & Kearney 28). This understanding and the group’s improper management of time taught great lessons as well as the methodology of deciding the future using ideal time management skills. The group had a long-term goal for the company and our

International Transactions Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Transactions Law - Assignment Example The harmonization rationale is meant to develop a comprehensive legal basis for the easy and free movement of trade across boundaries of nations. The aim of harmonization is to make the regulations of different nations similar. Such similarity leads to the adoption of common law principles which reduce the differences among states laws. International trade may be hindered by obsolete laws which are unsuited for business practice. The international law on the transaction for the sale of goods should aid in the harmonization of international trade (Scott, 2005). International laws on the sale of goods are generally similar in character. The common laws are continually reviewed through dispute arbitration and through the establishment of policies by international associations (Martinussane, 2006). The international laws have seen the creation of conventions that govern the contracts on the sale of goods internationally. Such conventions include the Vienna Convention, which has the merit of neutrality and hence more acceptable. There has also been the development of standard contracts, which aim to achieve a fair balance in the transactions of sales. Contracts for the international sales of goods (CISG) incorporate principles of common, civil, and socialist law (Bridge, 2009). The CISG compromises the principle of international trade from different legal systems. This has led to the complexity of international trade harmonization. This is because it does not apply to consumer transactions, the sale of the auction, and sale of stocks such as s hares and investment securities (Taussig, 2007). The CISG rules relate to offering and acceptance, which is a combination of civil and common law. There are several deviations, which lead to complexity of the rules that govern international transactions (Madl, 2002).

Cultural Identity Essay Example for Free

Cultural Identity Essay Stuart Hall beings his discussion on Cultural Identity and Diaspora with a discussion on the emerging new cinema in the Caribbean which is known as Third Cinema. This new form of cinema is considered as the visual representation of the Afro-Caribbean subjects- â€Å"blacks† of the diasporas of the west- the new post colonial subjects. Using this discussion as a starting point Hall addresses the issues of identity, cultural practices, and cultural production. There is a new cinema emerging in the Caribbean known as the Third Cinema. It is considered as the visual representation of the Afro-Caribbean in the post colonial context. In this visual medium â€Å"Blacks† are represented as the new postcolonial subjects. In the context of cultural identity hall questions regarding the identity of this emerging new subjects. From where does he speak? Very often identity is represented as a finished product. Hall argues that instead of considering cultural identity as a finished product we should think of it a production which is never complete and is always in process. He discusses two ways of reflecting on cultural identity. Firstly, identity understood as a collective, shared history among individuals affiliated by race or ethnicity that is considered to be fixed or stable. According to this understanding our cultural identity reflects the common historical experiences and shared cultural codes which provide us as â€Å"one people.† This is known as the oneness of cultural identity, beneath the shifting divisions and changes of our actual history. From the perspective of the Caribbean’s this would be the Caribbeanness of the black experience. This is the identity the Black diaspora must discover. This understanding did play a crucial role in the Negritude movements. It was a creative mode of representing the true identity of the marginalised people. Indeed this act of rediscovery has played crucial role in the emergence of many of the important social movements of our time like feminist, ani-colonial and anti-racist. Stuart Hall also explores a second form of cultural identity that exist among the Caribbean, this is an identity understood as unstable, metamorphic, and even contradictory which signifies an identity marked by multiple points of similarities as well as differences. This cultural identity refers to â€Å"what they really are†, or rather â€Å"what they have become.† Without understanding this new identity one cannot speak of Caribbean identity as â€Å"one identity or on experience.† There are ruptures and discontinuities that constitute the Caribbean’s uniqueness. Based on this second understanding of identity as an unstable Hall discusses Caribbean cultural identity as one of heterogeneous composites. It is this second notion of identity that offers a proper understanding of the traumatic character of the colonial experience of the Caribbean people. To explain the process of identity formation, Hall uses Derridas theory ‘differance’ as support, and Hall sees the temporary positioning of identity as strategic and arbitrary. He then uses the three presencesAfrican, European, and Americanin the Caribbean to illustrate the idea of traces in our identity. A Caribbean experiences three kinds of cultural identities. Firstly, the cultural identity of the Africans which is considered as site of the repressed, secondly, the cultural identity of the Europeans which is the site of the colonialist, and thirdly, the cultural identity of the Americans which is a new world- a site of cultural confrontation. Thus the presence of these three cultural identities offers the possibility of creolization and points of new becoming. Finally, he defines the Caribbean identity as diaspora identity.

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Causes, Effects, Treatment

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Causes, Effects, Treatment Antisocial Personality Disorder Crystal Fulp Antisocial Personality Disorder Personality disorders affect many people in society, but are understood by few. Personality disorders are defined as a deeply ingrained, maladaptive and specific problem behavior or pattern. Such problem patterns typically manifest themselves by early adolescence and have an impairing impact on the person’s functioning in life with a particular emphasis on the impact that such disorders have on their relationships and quality of life (Comer, 2014). There are a total of ten personality disorders that have been categorized into three distinct clusters. Disorders under the first cluster (cluster A) are said to be odd personality disorders because they cause people to exhibit behaviors that can be seen as â€Å"odd† or â€Å"eccentric†. Disorders listed under the second cluster (cluster B) are said to be dramatic personality disorders because they cause people to exhibit overly dramatic, emotional, or aggressive behaviors. Disorders listed under the final cluster (cl uster C) are said to be anxious personality disorders because they cause people to behave in overly anxious or fearful ways (Comer, 2014). All ten of the personality disorders can be devastating, but the dramatic personality disorders are marked by behaviors that are overly dramatic, emotional, and/or aggressive. The dramatic personality disorders are more commonly diagnosed than any other personality disorder. However, the antisocial personality and borderline personality disorders have gained more attention from researchers because the actions of those diagnosed tend to effect more people (Comer, 2014). The remainder of this discussion will cover the Antisocial Personality Disorder in detail. The disorder will be defined along with the most common symptom configurations, which will lead to a discussion about the historical and current etiological causes of the disorder. The final portion of the discussion will cover treatment modalities. Definition of Disorder Symptom Configuration Antisocial personality disorder is defined as exhibiting a pervasive pattern of behavior where someone disregards and violates the rights of others (APA 2013). This disorder can only be diagnosed if the patient/client exhibits behaviors that satisfy certain criterion. The criterion used to diagnose this disorder is as follows: Source: (APA, 2013) The essential feature of Antisocial Personality Disorder is exhibiting a complete disregard for the rights of others that lead to a violation of the aforementioned rights (APA, 2013). People with Antisocial personality disorder are very deceitful and manipulative. They will go to extravagant lengths in order to control others or get them to do what it is they want them to do. These people also exhibit an inability to plan ahead and a lack a moral conscience. Simply put, these people do not feel remorse if their actions cause any harm or discomfort to other people. They tend to rationalize their behaviors by saying, â€Å"They were stupid for doing that, so they deserved what they got† or something similar (Comer, 2014). People with this disorder may also exhibit consistent irresponsible behaviors such as failing to obtain and keep employment, paying child support, paying off debts, or even appropriately caring for themselves or others (including their own children or spouses). It’s important to note that these behaviors must not be confused with the antisocial behaviors exclusive to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (APA, 2014). It’s also common for people who suffer from this disorder to be more likely to exhibit criminal behavior than others. In fact, a study found that at least thirty percent of incarcerated individuals exhibit symptoms consistent with Antisocial Personality Disorder (Comer, 2014). They are also much more likely to abuse alcohol or other controlled substances. In fact, people with Antisocial Personality Disorder are much more likely to participate in risky behaviors than the average population (Comer, 2014) Antisocial Personality Disorder: A Case Example It can be hard to imagine what this disorder would look like in the real world. Imagine a twenty-two year old man named Jacob. Jacob is currently serving a five year sentence in a minimum security penitentiary for assault and felony larceny. Jacob has a long disciplinary record both inside and outside of the prison. Since he’s been incarcerated he’s been involved in numerous physical altercations and is known to be irritable and prone to exhibiting aggressive behavior when it’s not appropriate. He’s also been cited for possessing drugs and alcohol inside the prison (Black, 1999; Comer, 2014; Oliviera-Souz et al., 2008). Jacob is being referred to the prison psychologist because of his most recent offense. In the past month he has been found guilty of an assault during which he beat a fellow inmate with a lunch tray. When the psychologist asked Jacob why he reacted that way he said, â€Å"He shouldn’t have been in my way. He got what he deserved.† Jacob didn’t exhibit any guilt or remorse for what he had done. Fallowing this discussion Jacob told the psychologist about his actions as a teenager. Jacob admitted to being involved in criminal activities and consuming alcohol while underage. He also admitted to breaking into places and selling controlled substances. He went on to talk about how he used to hurt animals. When asked if he felt bad about it he responded that he didn’t and viewed it as more of a game than anything else (Black, 1999; Comer, 2014; Oliviera-Souz et al., 2008). Over the next few months, the psychologist notices that Jacob often acts without thinking of the consequences and treats his criminality as a game of wit. He’s also highly irresponsible and lacks a moral conscience as indicated by his past and present crimes. The psychologist concludes that Jacob is exhibiting behaviors consistent with Antisocial Personality Disorder and refers to him to the prison’s treatment program (Black, 1999; Comer, 2014; Oliviera-Souz et al., 2008). Causes of Antisocial Personality Disorder General Information about Causes There doesn’t seem to be a single cause of Antisocial Personality Disorder. In fact, there seem to be many different possibilities presented from many different angles, especially in relations to genetics and certain environmental factors. For the sake of time, this discussion will focus on the behavioral/cognitive and biological perspectives on this disorder. However, it seems important to note that lower socioeconomic status has been correlated with the development of this disorder (APA, 2013). Common Biological Perspectives Genetics plays an important role in the development of Antisocial Personal Disorder. People who had parents who were diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder are much more likely to develop the disorder themselves (APA, 2013). Researchers have also found serotonin levels to be correlated with Antisocial Personality Disorder (Black, 2014). However, this finding really isn’t that surprising when one considers that significantly lower serotonin levels have been found in regards to other psychological disorders such as depression (Comer, 2014). Behavior/Cognitive Causes of Antisocial Personality Disorder There are many possible behavioral causes of Antisocial Personality disorder. However, behavioral researchers believe that there is a correlation between antisocial personality behaviors and modeling. Simply put, these researchers believe that children can learn antisocial behaviors from their parents (Comer, 2014). After all, children learn from watching the people around them and then imitating that behavior (as indicated by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory). Furthermore, researchers have also found a correlation between antisocial behaviors and people who had lived in violent households. It has been found that children who lived in households where violence and aggression was a common occurrence are more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors than children who didn’t grow up in violent and/aggressive households. Children who lived with parents who abused alcohol and/or controlled substances have also been found to be more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors (Black , 2014). It’s also important to note that child abuse has been correlated with the development of antisocial personality disorder. Simply put, children who are abused are much more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors than children who weren’t abused (Black, 2014). This research indicates that parental modeling and disturbed or volatile environments could be connected with the development of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Cognitive theorists point to society’s individualism and egocentrism as a possible cause. People with Antisocial Personality Disorder have attitudes that continually trivialize the needs of others (Elwood et al., 2004). There is an argument among cognitive researchers that these attitudes are much more prevalent in society than people believe them to be (Comer, 2014). Differential Diagnosis Considerations for Antisocial Personality Disorder Personality Traits People with Antisocial Personality Disorder exhibit very specific personality traits. These personality traits serve to help them achieve their ends at whatever cost as they are only concerned with their own wants/needs. People with this disorder have been known to exhibit a complete lack of empathy (APA, 2013). They may also be callous and cynical. People with this disorder may also have an inflated or arrogant self appraisal along with being cocky and opinionated. These people tend to have a superficial charm that draws people and can appear to be very intelligent and informed to others (APA, 2013) Ages and Populations Effected In order to be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder one must be at least eighteen years of age, however, antisocial behaviors consistent with conduct disorders must be present prior to fifteen years of age. Antisocial behaviors consistent with conducts disorders include aggression towards people or animals, theft, deceitfulness, destruction of property, or rule violations (APA, 2013). These behaviors violate the social norms of adolescence’s aged fifteen and under and as such a history of such behaviors is required to diagnose someone with Antisocial Personality Disorder. This disorder typically develops by late adolescence or early adulthood. One interesting phenomena related to this disorder is that the symptoms usually even out by forty years of age. That would mean that this disorder begins to develop in one’s adolescence, peek in their mid-twenties and thirties, and decrease in intensity by age forty. It’s also important to note that men are much m ore likely to be diagnosed with this disorder than women (APA, 2013). Dual Diagnosis Patterns Diagnosing Antisocial Personality Disorder can be very tricky under the best circumstances. A diagnosis is only given to someone who is at least eighteen years of age and has a history of behaviors indicative of conduct disorders. In the event that an adult doesn’t meet the criteria to be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder they may be diagnosed with a conduct disorder (APA, 2013). Diagnosing this disorder is made even more difficult when substance abuse is involved. In these cases, a diagnosis is only given if there is a history of antisocial behaviors in the client/patient’s adolescence and childhood. If both the substance abuse and the antisocial personality behaviors existed together in childhood then it’s necessary to evaluate the client/patient for both substance abuse disorder and antisocial personality disorder (APA, 2013). Clinicians should also keep in mind that the features of Antisocial Personality Disorder are similar to that of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. This diagnosis can only be given if the antisocial behaviors aren’t exclusive to either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. To that end, the criterion for this disorder can be easily confused with other disorders, so it’s important to pay close attention to the patient’s history (or lack thereof) of antisocial behaviors (APA, 2013). Treatment Modalities for Antisocial Personality Disorder Treating personality disorders can be very difficult to do. In relation to Antisocial Personality Disorder the available treatments range from being completely ineffective to only moderately effective, this doesn’t result in an overly positive prognosis (Comer, 2014). There are currently three treatments available for this disorder. One form of treatment is medications. Certain therapies have also been shown to be somewhat effective in treating this disorder, specifically cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and psychotherapy (Comer, 2014). Using medications to treat any psychological disorder is a trial and error process at best. Using psychotropic drugs to treat Antisocial Personality Disorder is no different. At this point, the Food and Drug Administration (ADA) has not approved any drug to be used to treat this disorder specifically (Mayo Clinic, 2013). However, psychiatrists have found that some drugs can help alleviate the symptoms of this disorder. These drugs tend to be the atypical (newer) antipsychotic drugs. These drugs have been found to be moderately effective in some clients/patients (Comer, 2014). Psychotherapy, otherwise known as talk therapy can also be used to help treat this disorder; however, this treatment approach isn’t effective in all situation and patients/clients. In fact, this treatment approach will only be effective if the patient/client realizes and/or admits that they contribute to their own problems. This type of therapy can be administered in a clinical one-on-one setting or in a group setting (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be moderately effective in the treatment of Antisocial Personality Disorder (Hoermann, Zupannick, Dombeck, 2014). Cognitive/behavior theorists argue that the only way to change dysfunctional behavior is to change the dysfunctional thought behind it. After all, according to cognitive-behavior theories one’s cognitions lead to their behaviors be them good or bad. CBT not only focuses on changing dysfunctional thoughts, but it also seeks to challenge the dysfunctional core beliefs underlying their dysfunctional thought patterns (Hoermann, Zupannick, Dombeck, 2014). CBT therapists work with people on accurately interpreting the world around them and then changing or redirecting dysfunctional thought patterns (Hoermann, Zupannick, Dombeck, 2014). For people with Antisocial Personality Disorder, CBT would involve trying to help these patients/clients develop impulse control and a moral conscience (Comer, 2014). The problem with treating this disorder is that the people who have it aren’t very likely to seek treatment out for themselves because they don’t see their behavior as a problem (Comer, 2014). In fact, most people with this disorder that are in treatment originally went to see a mental health professional for a different reason entirely. There are also a large number of people with this disorder who don’t receive treatment until forced to by the criminal justice system as a part of their probation/parole or incarceration programs (Comer, 2014). Antisocial Personality Disorder Construct Antisocial Personality Disorder is one of the most commonly researched personality disorders, but there is still much to be discovered (Comer, 2014). For instance, the DSM-V states that the symptoms of this disorder tend to level out by forty years of age (APA, 2013). Why does that occur? Do certain neurochemicals, such as serotonin behave differently by age forty? The DSM-V also states that the criminality present in those with this disorder can sometimes be confused with â€Å"normal† criminal behavior (criminal behavior not associated with this disorder specifically). Other than the criterion listed, what criterion can clinicians use to help differentiate the two? This may be my own point of view only, but the criterion used to diagnose this disorder seems convoluted and easily confused with the criterion for other mental disorders (APA, 2013). Conclusion Antisocial Personality Disorder is a very serious personality disorder that can have devastating consequences for those who have it. This disorder makes it hard to do basic things, such as form and maintain healthy relationships and stay within the boundaries of both society and the law (APA, 2014). Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that it’s a problem until they are either incarcerated or forced into treatment by judges. Even then most people don’t consider it to be a problem and the disorder in general is made difficult to treat because of the personality traits and attitudes of the people who have it (Comer, 2014). What is clear is that more research needs to be done in the hope that further research can uncover a more suitable treatment method that will greatly increase the quality of life for people who have this disorder. References American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association. Black,D.W., Larson,C.L. (1999). Bad boys, bad men: Confronting antisocial personality disorder. New York: Oxford University Press. Black,D. (2014). What Causes Antisocial Personality Disorder? RetrievedApril15, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-causes-antisocial-personality-disorder/000652 Comer,R.J. (2014). Abnormal psychology. New York, NY: Worth Pub. Elwood,C.E., Poythress,N.G., Douglas,K.S. (2004). Evaluation of the Hare P-SCAN in a non-clinical population. Personality and Individual Differences. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00156-9 Hoermann,S., Zupannick,C., Dombeck,M. (2005). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Personality Disorders (CBT). RetrievedApril15, 2014, from http://sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=41578cn=8 Mayo Clinic (2013, April 12). Antisocial personality disorder Treatments and drugs. RetrievedApril15, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/basics/treatment/con-20027920 Oliveira-Souza,R.D., Moll,J., Ignà ¡cio,F.A., Hare,R.D. (2008). Psychopathy in a Civil Psychiatric Outpatient Sample. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(4). doi:10.1177/0093854807310853

The Blameless Pearl in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter - The Suffering of the Blameless Pearl   Ã‚   The Puritan life is based purely on sin. The Puritans believe that all people are sinners and are thus despised and hated by God. Sinners are subject to the worst punishments and suffer the worst torment. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, several characters serve as models of sinners in agony from their error. Both Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne bear the punishment of their adultery, which evidenced itself in their daughter Pearl. While Dimmesdale plagues himself with guilt and Hester lives with the brand of the scarlet "A", it is Pearl who receives the worst penalty, suffering for a sin which she did not even commit. The village where she resides associates her with the circumstances of her birth, branding her with a reputation as difficult to bear as her mother's. Although many in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter endure the results of sin, none have punishment equal to that of little Pearl's.    From the moment she is born in the cold, heartless prison, Pearl is placed under scrutiny. The townspeople see her as a visible reminder of sin, and it isn't long until even her own mother searches for evil in her. The girl is described as "the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!"(Hawthorne 103). With her fascination from an early age with the scarlet letter, Hester believes that Pearl's very reason for existence is to torment her mother. Hester fails to realize that the letter is just something bright and significant to which Pearl reacts; instead, she sees every glance, every word aimed at the letter, every touch of Pearl's tiny fingers to her bosom as an added torture resulting from her adultery. Hester, considering Pearl's very existence, goes so far as to question if the impish child is even her own. "Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!"(Hawthorne 99) she tells Pearl, only half-jokingly. In her own way, she wonders whet her Pearl was sent to her by God or by a demon wishing to cause her pain. She is not alone in this speculation; many of the town's citizens believe there is something of the Devil in Pearl.

Economic and Environmental Benefits of Global Organic Production Essay

Economic and Environmental Benefits of Global Organic Production Although organic production as an entity is controversial, it is gaining momentum across the world in terms of sales. Organic foods have become more popular as people become more concerned about what it is they are consuming. This increased demand for organic products has lead to organic production on a global scale. With an increase in global organic production have come many benefits both economically and environmentally. Organic agriculture's aim is, 'to augment ecological processes that foster plant nutrition yet conserve soil and water resources. Organic systems eliminate agrochemicals and reduce other external inputs to improve the environment and farm economics' (Pimental, et al). Organic production is not only beneficial to the population as a whole but to the small time farmers who are attempting to survive in a capitalist world. In the U.S., 'National Organic Standards Program prohibits the use of synthetic chemicals, genetically modified organisms, and sewage sludge in organically certified production' (Pimental, et al). These types of eliminations mean less costs and more environmental benefits. Organic production is a step towards self-sustainable farming. As this movement spreads across the world, sales continue to climb with a higher demand for organic products. This demand creates a larger profit margin making it a logical move for small farmers to switch to organic production. ?Organic food sales total more than $7 billion per year and are growing at double-digit rates? (Pimental, et al). When farmers begin to think in terms of profit instead of yield, organic production becomes a viable move. Farmers benefit from this style of agricul... ...thout damage to the land or through killing off key species in the ecological web. The globalization of organic production provides hope for the future through the sustainability of the small farmer and the environment. An increase in profit margins will allow farmers who are struggling to survive against big corporations an edge. For the environment, this means sustainability of soil and biodiversity. It also means the elimination of chemicals that are harming water sources and the health of people. In the end, the globalization of organic production is a beneficial move whether organic foods are better for people or not. Works Cited Pimental, David; Hepperly, Paul; Hanson, James; Douds, David; and Seidel, Rita. ?Environmental, Energetic, and Economic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems?. Vol. 55 No. 7. BioScience, July 2005.

Evolution From A Molecular Perspective Essay -- essays research papers

Evolution From A Molecular Perspective Introduction: Why globular evolution? Evolution has been a heavily debated issue since Charles Darwin first documented the theory in 1859. However, until just recently, adaptation at a molecular level has been overlooked except by the scientific world. Now with the help of modern technology, the protein sequences of nearly every known living thing have either been established or are in the process of establishment, and are widely accessible via the internet. With the knowledge of these sequences, one can actually look at several organisms genetic codes and point out the similarities. Entire genomes of creatures have been sequenced, and the human genome project is well underway and ahead of schedule. With this new knowledge comes worries, for humans, however. What if the information stored in our genes was available to the public? Would insurance companies and employers base their selections on these traits? Also, with the total knowledge of every sequence of every amino acid chain in a person's genome, couldn't a laboratory perceivably reconstruct an exact copy of, or clone, that person? These are all issues that will have to be dealt with in the near future, but for now we need only concern ourselves with the objective observation of these proteins in our attempt to explain our ever mysterious origin. As humans, we are the first creatures to question exactly where we came from and how we got here. Some cling to religious creationism as a means, while others embrace the evolutionary theory. As of now, and possibly forever, neither can be proven to be absolute truth with hard facts, and both have their opposing arguments. The point of this paper being composed is not to attempt to abolish the creationist view, a feat that at this point seems impossible, but merely to educate those seeking to unravel the mystery of our forthcoming by pointing out facts that exist in the modern world and that can be quite easily and independently researched. It is conceivable that the two ideas, creationism and evolutionism, can exist symbiotica lly due to the fact that both views have very good points. Hemoglobin: Comparisons between species Of all the proteins in living things, hemoglobin is "the second most interesting substance in the world," as American bioche... ...FHDHPETLDRFDKFKGLK--TEPDMKGSEDLKKHGQTVLTALGAQ--LKKKG 6. ---- TEWEHVNKVWAVVEPDIPAVG--LAILLRLFKEHKETKDLFPKFKEI---PVQQLGNNEDLRKHGVTVLRALGNI-- LKQKG 1. Human Man 2. Cow 3. Sperm Whale 4. Platypus 5. Chicken 6. Shark Table 1.3 Sequence comparisons of globin (information gathered from Hemoglobin and from "Genbank") 1 25 50 75 80 MYOGLOBIN (part two) 1. HHEAEIKPLAQSHATKHKIP--VKYLEFISECIIQVLQSKHPGDFGA--DAQGAMNKALELFRKDMASNYKELG-- FQG 2. HHEAEVKHLAESHANKHKVP--IKYLEFISDAIIHVLHAKHPSNFAA-- DAQGAMNKALELFRKDMASNYKELG--FQG 3. HHEAELKPLAQSHATKHKIP-- IKYLEFISEAIIKVLHSRHPGDFGA--DAQGAMNKALELFRKDIAAKYKELG--YQG 4. QHEAELKPLAQSHATKHKIS--IKFLEYISEAIIHVLQSKHSADFGA--DAQAAMGKALELFRNDMAAKYKEFG--FQG 5. HHEADLKPLAQTHATKHKIP--VKYLEFISEVIIKVIAEKHAADFGA--DSQAAMKKALELFRDDMASKYKEFG-- FQG 6. KHSTNVKELADTHINKHKIP--PKNFVLITNIAVKVLTEMYPSDMIG-- PMQESFSKVFTVICSDLETLYKEAD--FQG 1. Human Man 2. Cow 3. Sperm Whale 4. Platypus 5. Chicken 6. Shark

Paschal Mystery

Gabrielle Murabito Brother Jim, S. A. C. New Testament 9 April 2013 Paschal Mystery Essay God had a wonderful plan for everything He created for all things that exist. The Paschal Mystery is Christ work of redemption through His Passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost. The term Paschal mystery comes from the Pasch, which is the Passover event of the Exodus. God sent the ancient Hebrews from slavery and death in Egypt, so Jesus could save us from original sin and eternal death. God the Father sent His Son to rescue all humanity.His Son did this by dying for the whole world. He willingly offered himself for the salvation through His suffering, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost. Christians call it the Paschal Mystery because we celebrate this in the sacrament of Eucharist. Eucharist represents Christ’s body and that was given to His followers on the Last Supper. It is all meant to show God’s love and Jesus’ suffering. Jesus redeemed himsel f through His passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost.Jesus’ passion is He, Himself, suffering through and eventually dying on the cross. In Mark 14:58, the footnote 14:38 states that â€Å"Everyone is faced with this struggle, the full force of which Jesus is accepted on our behalf and, through his bitter passion and death, achieved the victory†. Jesus accepted His passion when He accepted His cross and out of His own free will, died for us. Jesus’ death only lasted 3 hours. When others got crucified, it lasted days.Jesus was mocked until His death, beaten many times, had to carry His own cross, and when He was put on the cross, He eventually died from suffocation because He had too much fluid in His lungs from hanging. His death was very painful but He did it for all of us. In Mark 15:39, it says, â€Å"When the centurion who stood facing Him saw how He breathed his last he said, Truly this man was the Son of God! †. His death proved to e veryone that He, Jesus was the Son of God. On the third day, Jesus resurrected.Many did not believe, they were afraid. His resurrection changed Him physical. He was no longer the same. Jesus could walk through walls but could still be able to eat and touch people. His resurrection also proved that He was the Son of God. â€Å"So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. † Mark 16:19, explains the Ascension of Jesus. He ascended into heaven in His resurrected body. This proves that all humanity is taken into heaven.Jesus mission on earth has been accomplished and will return again someday. On the fifteenth day following Easter when the Holy Spirit is made present, given, and communicated as divine Person of the Trinity. Pentecost is an event when the Apostles and Disciples were in the upper room and the Holy Spirit came upon. â€Å"The Holy Spirit gave them abilities. † This event marked the beginni ng of the manifestation of the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. Now, Jesus’ mission will be completed through others. Jesus, the redeemer, saved the whole world from sin.

China

In my opinion theses terms would be ‘national' and ;corporate' culture, along with cross-cultural differences. Even within a culture there are many groupings and levels that are present within each Individuals mental outlook. These include cultural layers such as, national culture, regional culture, gender, generation, social as well as corporate culture. I will touch on these all very briefly In the main body of my essay but concentrate mainly on the national and corporate layers of culture. (www. Tama. Du) National Culture can be described as, † The result from one nation attributing characteristics to another, which can exult In stereotyping and prejudice. National culture needs to take account of differences In the groups and communities which all contribute to national culture. † (www. Pearson. Co. UK) If stereotyping and prejudice are occurring in the workplace this can have many detrimental effects on employees and their motivation or ability to work as part of the organization. Will pay more attention to how this could possibly affect business success later on In the essay.Corporate culture can be described, † The basic assumptions and beliefs held by employees about the organization they work for. (www. USC. Com) Corporate culture will affect the Interaction between diverse groupings within the workplace and like national culture, is very likely to have and effect on how the workforce perform. I am going to start the main body of my essay providing an outline of the concept of national culture and move on to the concepts of corporate culture, before comparing all firms are going to view success in the same way and ways can vary differently from firm to firm.For clarity I will touch on how different firms could view the term ‘being successful' and measuring their own success. I will then look at what those aspects that may be considered as a cross-cultural difference and how these factors are going to impede the organizatio n's success. Finishing with a few basic ideas on how to avoid the problems brought about by cross-cultural differences and how to manage these to become a potentially more successful organization. Finally I am going to conclude on any findings from my research and in a short summary, link those findings back to the essay title.A national culture attributes certain specific characteristics from one nation to another. This can be in the from of stereotyping and grouping all members of a action together in the same way. An example of national culture could be that the British drink far too much and have a tendency to become violent, giving rise to hooliganism especially in the context of football. To tarnish all football fans with this presentment would be incorrect as only a small minority are responsible for causing the trouble.On the other hand corporate culture refers to an individuals own personal views concerning the organization they are working for. These views and ideas are li kely to be brought about from the employees own experiences in the workplace and are robbery going to vary and change over time as they work for the organization. The difference between national and organizational or corporate culture would be that national culture is more associated with the nation as a whole and less about the individuals ideas.Where as corporate culture deals more with the individuals personal outlook on things concerning the work environment. The prejudice that comes with national culture may be forced upon the individual which is not the case for corporate culture, which allows the individual to build up beliefs through their past experiences. (wry. Tama. Du) With globalization becoming a much more common factor to consider for many businesses, this poses the problem of cross-cultural differences as barriers that have to be overcome if the firm is to stand the best chance of being successful.Globalization can have huge benefits for a firm's success if it is car ried out in the right way and attention is paid to details such as cultural differences. However the firm could end up paying heavily if they over look the importance and significance of cross-cultural differences for the employees they are working with. Cross-cultural differences may include such issues as the communication used and ethos of transferring information between cultures and departments, the of solving the same problem, also the area within the organization over which any information is dispersed. Www. Tapping. Com) The problem if communication between cultures is a tough one, as the same gestures is likely to have different meanings in different areas and cultures. A good example of this would be the fact that in Bulgaria shaking your head up and down means no rather the side to side in many other places. Along with gestures, words and phrases can have different meanings which could cause confusion when carrying out business across cultural lines. Also different cultur es make different assumptions when faced with the same situation.In international projects these differences could make or break the outcome from the start if processes and agreements are not clear to both cultural sides. Miscommunication is thought of as the largest cross-cultural barrier that has to be overcome by an organization, to achieve potential success. (www. Tapping. Com) The above problems would be made more aware at the national culture level but it is important not to forget the cross-cultural differences will still be occurring at the organizational or corporate level.These differences are mentioned below. An organization is unlikely to be structured in exactly the same way if set up in more than one country and this is going to affect the way in which day to day tasks are carried out in different places. Such things as distributing power and information throughout departments in the workplace are very varied in different countries. An example of this would be the way in which information is passed through a firm in Germany compared to that of an American firm.The German firm is likely to keep information within set departments and only inform those who need to know. Whereas as an American firm is likely to move information across departments more freely. (www. Tapping. Com) When talking about success in business there can be many interpretations and people will view success differently. Especially in different cultures when looking at the emphasis that is put on financial success it is clear to see it varies greatly. A good example of this would be the different outlooks between the Chinese and American culture.America places business as it's main priority with success being seen as achieving wealth. Economics are put first in the American outlook and the culture is very individual based. This places large emphasis on financial gain as being the measurement success. (www. Venturesome. Com) This differs from the Chinese outlook with China placing emphasis on building relationships and respect is given for wisdom and ability. This is not to say that China view no success in financial gain, as this is the baseline for business activity. (www. Venturesome. Mom) Schneider and Barbour state how, â€Å"each country has its unique institutional and point, only to become liabilities when the environment changes. Managers therefore need to evaluate the extent to which national culture can interfere with their many†¦ † (Mullions '07) This shows that if national culture is nurtured in the correct fashion by management then it can most certainly be advantageous to a business' success. However the flip side to this could be that if nurtured incorrectly projects undertaken are likely to be unsuccessful.It is proving to be a very important issue that has to be looked at and approached with care by managed as in the United States the Department of Labor released statistics showing how between 1985 and 2000 only around 15% of ne w entrants into the workforce in the USA were white males. This obviously shows Just how diverse he workforce is becoming and how much of an important factor culture in the workplace is for management. For all businesses success is determined by reaching corporate goals and objectives.Those goals and objectives are very likely to vary between different organizations and could be anything from breaking into a new market and merely surviving at first, to reaching set profits or targets in their current market. Avoiding the problem of cross-cultural differences can greatly help the organization to achieve success. For this to be done attention to those details mentioned above must be taken (communication etc. The main problem for firms may be confusion in communication methods, by paying fine attention to this any confusion can be reduced.Removing confusion can be done by, clarifying what is expected, removing general details, summarizing information and decisions as well as simplifyin g any language used. (www. Tapping. Com) In summary, when looking at the differences between national and corporate culture, it is easy to see that national culture refers to a much larger and impersonal outlook towards a nation, where as corporate culture is more about the individuals feelings towards their employer based on experience. Cross-cultural differences can include such things as communication and information sharing within an organization and how these are carried out.

Discuss how ICT has changed modern society Essay

Our modern day world becomes more and more modern every day, with new technologies and advances coming up. ICT impacts all parts of our lives, and has had a massive impact to society, the environment and its future. Information and Communication technology opened up a whole new industry in the work sector, and that is clearly one of its many advantages. The ICT industry in Australia alone employs over 541,000 professionals. Meaning over half a million people with actual degrees in ICT related subjects. At least 500,000-1,000,000 are expected as amateurs who have worked in the industry before. Our reliance on computers and technology is the reason that this number continues to increase. Although employment rates in ICT have stabilised from the roaring it had over the past decade, it is still employing thousands of people annually. Increased employments rates in this sector allows a fast form of global communication and trade. ICT also left a mark on the way in which society communicates. E-mails, instant messaging, video conferences are all new ways in which people communicate effectively every day. These in turn, impact the economy. People have a much better standard of living as they don’t have to pay for phone bills, plane tickets, or spend money on gas to visit their friends. Instead, this can all be done within a few seconds with a computer costing less than a single plane ticket. Many schools worldwide use the internet for interactive trips for their students. With the economy suffering in the USA, may schools have adopted using video websites such as YouTube to keep the students interested with the issues of the world. It is only human to get a rush as soon as you sit down in front of a computer, same for kids. Students studying Applied ICT at AS and A2 level are learning topics that were taught at degree levels only a decade ago. So ICT skills needed for the workforce are actually taught earlier on in life now. That’s how vitally important they are. Nothing can be ‘complete’ without mentioning global warming. ICT has reduced CO2 emissions from paper refineries worldwide, which in turn reduces the amount of global warming. Also, if you were to write on paper, you would need plenty of light and paper to do so, instead, ICT gives you the light of the screen, and pixel paper. This can also lead to a decrease in global warming statistics that have been rising ever since it was proven. No matter how flat you make a pancake, it will still have two sides. So does the argument about the impact of ICT. Every upside comes with an equal downside, for example, even though ICT courses are offered to much younger ages now, that still doesn’t disregard the fact that specialist equipment and rooms are needed for these courses. Specialists for troubleshooting must be on call, and security can be one of the major issues, as people know they’re constantly being watched, and this may effect their strive to learn. For example if someone knows they’re being watched, they wont be so eager to learn anymore. Security issues and the feeling of always being watched and monitored can consequentially cause panic attacks, and increase stress. Stress is the number one leading factor for heart attacks worldwide. ICT is a package that comes with health risks. Some include; extremely low frequency radiation ( caused by the lack of sun and being exposed to electricity for too long), Eyestrain (caused by poor lighting and a flickering screen, causes headaches, weak vision and pain), and Repetitive Strain Injury ( caused by repetition of the same movement , causes aching in arms and shoulders, loss of strength). The wrong posture while using the computer is a theory for the increase in rates of Scoliosis. As jobs are being created by ICT, jobs are also lost as many office clerks and people are being replaced by machinery. Delicate and secure information can be easily duplicated without a trace. This raises the whole security of ICT issue IT crime, hacking, fraud, and tacking were one of the most important issues of our time at the stat of the millennium. In 2004, the  leading cause of credit card fraud was from the internet, and unsecure websites that sold merchandise such as books, electronics, and even furniture.

The European Chivalry: the Ideals and Practices

The Ideals and Practices Andrew Daniels Strayed University Abstract This paper focuses on the ideals and practices of chivalry, specifically in the Middle Ages. During this time, a list of Ten Commandments pertaining to chivalry existed. Knights were expected to uphold a certain code that impacted their country, church, king, and fellow man. This paper will elaborate on those individual commandments and explore what each mandate meant for a knight, and it will show how those obligations affected various aspects of their lives.Also, the paper will touch on heavily In relation to a knight's demeanor toward a woman, and the rules that were to be followed when engaging in courtly love. Lastly, one will see how some of these ideas have carried into modern day, though they have been altered throughout time. Picture King Arthur, a knight In shining armor, waging war against his former knight Lancelot to prove his love for Guinevere. Most people envision such scenes when they hear the word à ¢â‚¬Å"chivalry. While dragon-slaying knights and tales of rescuing damsels in distress have contributed to our notion of chivalry, many more unifying aspects make up what it means to be chivalrous. I will be delving into the true meaning behind the principles and what it means to be a knight devoted to the ideals of chivalry. Knights first evolved in the eighth century under the direction of the French ruler Charlemagne; It was from this time that the Idea of chivalry arose. Though the code of chivalry was never formally written, it was understood by all as a way of culture and moral conduct.During the Middle Ages, knights upheld the ideals and practices delineated in The Code of Chivalry. These values ranged from dedication to the church, to defending the weak and defending your country, and loading yourself to a higher standard by being faithful to your word and respecting others. The unspoken Ten Commandments revealed the duties a knight was to defend. This paper will further exp and upon the customs of knights and their chivalric ways. One of the major components of chivalry dealt with protecting the church.The first commandment stated, â€Å"thou shall believe all that the church teaches, and shall observe all its directions† (Marshall, 2002). The second commandment simply stated, â€Å"thou shall defend the Church† (Marshall, 2002). In the Middle Ages Christianity in ten Tort AT cottontails was ten only practice religion. I en snuck played a Olsten and dominate role in the majority of people's lives, not only medieval knights. Beginning as free peasants, knights often pillaged churches. Due to such violence, Rome declared knights the protectors of churches starting in the tenth century and threatening sanctions against any who ransacked churches.Later, in the 1 lath century, the Truce of God asserted that knights should not make war on all holy days, all saints days or Thursday through Sunday. Abiding to these rules meant that knights exhibi ted their chivalric duty by observing the churches directions. Not only did the knights protect the church, but the church protected the knights' estate if he embarked on a Crusade to Jerusalem, the supposed burial sight of Jesus. During his time away, the knight was also exempt from paying taxes to the church (Warrior Challenge, 2003).While knights were required to defend the church, they were also expected to defend the weak, according to the Code of Chivalry (Marshall, 2002). Knights were expected to protect the weak and innocent. Given a plot of land for their services, rather than monetary compensation, knights were required to oversee the land in order to keep agricultural procedures running smoothly and to ensure the well-being over their serfs. Another knightly duty was to avenge the wronged. This was possible with extensive training from the age of seven to twenty one.In this fourteen year span, knights learned everything from hunting and falconry to wielding a battle and v aulting on a horse in heavy armor (Martin, 1991). With a repertoire of experiences such as these, knights were surely qualified to shield anyone weaker than them. Moreover, knights â€Å"shall love the country in which thou waist born† (Marshall, 2002). Knights upheld this chivalric code by living to serve their king and country. In the eighth century when Charlemagne ruled over his vast empire he enacted many longstanding ideas both in religion and education.During this period he and his vassals were involved in protecting their borders; without such a charismatic leader knights may not have been so obliged to serve and defend their king and country. In order to exhibit love for his country, the knight was sure to obey the king, country, and Code of Chivalry. The fifth commandment found in the code of chivalry, â€Å"thou shall not recoil before thing enemy' (Marshall, 2002). In a time when battles were common, knights were expected to fight with honor and die with valor. T hese traits would have been taught to these men when they were squires training to be knights.However, knights also established principles of what not to do in battle. It was thought chivalrous to never attack an unarmed foe, never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack, and never attack from behind (Marshall, 2002). By maintaining these principles a knight showed respect to themselves, their king and their country. The next commandment reads, â€Å"thou shall make war against the Infidel without sensation and without mercy,† which relates to the seventh commandment â€Å"thou snail perform scrupulously tiny Teal outlets, IT teen De not contrary to ten laws AT God† (Marshall, 2002).Certain tasks categorized under these two commandments were thought of as chivalrous. One such task stated that knights were to destroy evil in all of its atrocious forms. Knights were required to fight for the ideals of their king, country and chivalry, which meant annihilating all those that attempted to steal land or rob people within the kingdom's borders in which a knight resided. Protection of one's country by destroying the enemy remained a priority for knights, as long as they did not betray any teachings of the church.Knights also abided by the code, â€Å"thou shall never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word† (Marshall, 2002). It was thought gallant to live a life complete with respect and honor. Knights should not take for granted their freedom or their livelihood, and they must remain thankful for the opportunities provided to them. Of course, if knights kept their word of honor, they must avoid lying or cheating their fellow man. Living an existence abundant of deception would defy the principals hose chivalrous men were to uphold.Just as it was thought unethical to deceive their fellow man, it was also thought improper to desert a friend or ally in need. Likewise, knights were not to relinquish a noble cause, whether it p resented itself in the form of a battle, defending one's church, or protecting one's country (Marshall, 2002). By living a truthful, honest existence, knights became role models of suitable gentlemen, which have contributed to our current view of the word chivalry today. Additionally, the code of chivalry demands, â€Å"thou shall be generous, and give largesse to everyone† (Marshall, 2002).Sir Thomas Malory provides a glimpse into such charitable actions as he recounts a scene between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot in his legend El Mortem d'art. After Arthur learns of Lancelot and Gunrunner's affair, he wages war against Lancet's kingdom, only to find himself at the mercy of Lancelot and his kinsman, Sir Boors' sword Not so hardy, said Sir Lancelot, upon pain of thy head, that thou touch him no more, for I will never see that most noble king that made me knight neither slain en shamed.And therewith Sir Lancelot alighted off his horse and took up the king ND horsed him again, a nd said thus: My lord Arthur, for God's love stint this strife, for ye get here no worship, and I would do mine utterance, but always I forbear you, and ye nor none of yours forbear me; my lord, remember what I have done in many places, and now I am evil rewarded (Taylor, 2010, Para. L). Lancelot spares Urethra's life, remembering when Arthur once placed his faith in Lancelot by making him his knight. Despite the quarrel between the former friends over Guinevere, they still respect one another.In this instance Lancet's generosity outweighs his desire to defeat Arthur. Such demonstrations of largesse, whether legend or not, reveal the true meaning behind this commandment. The final commandment documented in the Code of Chivalry states, â€Å"thou shall be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice an Eve â€Å"(Marshall,2 I Nils last commandment Disloyally encapsulates ten tore mentioned orders, reminding knights to live for all that is virtuous and to reinforce the need to respect the authority of country, church and king.Knights were to avoid certain practices such as torture and deceit; they were to remain loyal to their friends ND those who placed their trust in them. Furthermore, the concept of respecting women was considered a significant courtesy, though not directly mentioned in the Ten Commandments of Chivalry. Men were to exhibit manners at all times, and they must be polite and attentive to women. Additionally, gentlemen showed respect to whoever should be their host.Andrea Aquaplanes, a 12th century author, wrote De Amour, known today in English as The Art of Courtly Love. In his work, he addresses the â€Å"twelve chief rules of love,† and elaborates on thirty-one aspect of â€Å"the art of courtly love. Rules that men must abide by consisted of topics such as chastity: â€Å"Thou shall keep thyself chaste for the sake of her whom thou loves† (Marshall, 2002). Within these numerous rules, one can see what was thought of as proper in a relationship and the graciousness that was displayed toward women (Marshall, 2002).Concepts such as this reveal the origins of present day views on chivalry or in some opinions, the lack of chivalry. Overall, I feel the principles that contribute to the idea of chivalry, whether or not construed by legend, are important ones. The codes that knights abided by revealed number of characteristics: faith, loyalty, strength, honesty, generosity and courtesy. I believe living an existence according to these principles, or even attempting to attain such standards, makes a person a superior, well-rounded individual.Incorporating such characteristics into one's everyday life allows a person to be more virtuous, and these values reinforce one's relationship with the church, country and allies. The romanticism of chivalry has survived to present day, though the code is not held to standards nearly as high as in the past with the majority of the ideas fall ing to the wayside. I believe a rejuvenation of several of these notions could benefit factions of society and reinstate principles that should be essential for all mankind.

An empirical analysis of the components of retailer customer loyalty Essay

An empirical analysis of the components of retailer customer loyalty programs - Essay Example ks into one of the ways of capturing customer for loyalty and retention for the continuous competitive advantage of a business enterprise – through a retailer customer loyalty program. The concept of customer loyalty program is simple and yet complicated because of the multiple activities related to it but the goal is always the same – to encourage repeat business. Often, the business enterprises or the retailers, as they are the focus of this study offer a membership club to its customers. The members are then entitled to benefits, perks, privileges, discount schemes or whatever activities and benefits that the company has lined up exclusive to these member-customers. As the study by Fiorito, Gable and Tople stated: â€Å"one means of achieving loyalty, from the activities engaged in by retailers (e.g. measuring customer satisfaction; handling complaints) to the benefits being offered (e.g. providing financial incentives to customers; sending customers thank you notes) that contribute to maintaining a long-lasting, permanent relationship with customers† (Fiorito, Gable and Tople, 2006, p 32). to determine the benefits offered to customers and activities taken by retailers whether or not they have formal customer loyalty programs, whether there are differences in the benefits/activities of retailers with and without formal loyalty programs whether specific benefits/activities of retailers can predict whether or not they have formal loyalty programs (Fiorito, Gable and Tople, 2006, p 32). It also wanted to know the evaluation of the existing customer loyalty programs by its perceived success through meeting the enterprise’s expectations and increase in sales and if the program will be implemented continuously (2006, p 34). Thus, these are three specific areas explored by the study. Primarily, it was aimed to know the specific benefits and activities that were designed for the customers in line with the customer loyalty schemes even if the retailers do

Konica Minolta business solutions customer service training plan Coursework

Konica Minolta business solutions customer service training plan - Coursework Example The assessment will help in; Organizational analysis examines the areas where training is required and the explicit conditions under which the training will be conducted (Altschuld & Kumar, 2010). It will identify abilities, skills, and knowledge that employees will need for the future in order to meet the organization’s goal of providing substantial services to its loyal customers while helping health care, legal, and educational customers to embrace rapid information movement, reduce costs, improve quality, and enhance security. HR data will be analyzed to indicate areas where introduction of training will boost performance. Tagged among these are departments with high absenteeism rates, high turnover, and poor performance (Noe,  2010). Changes in automation, technology or equipment will also need to be identified. After a thorough analysis, appropriate training will be developed. Moreover, the management will need to offer the required financial support in order to ensure the success of the assessm ent. Moreover, customer complaints and employee grievances will also be considered in order to effectively cover the needs of the organization. Factors to be considered include labor pool, future skills need, and alterations in laws and conventions (Hawthorne, 2007). Individual analysis will target the employees of Konica Minolta Business Solutions and how they perform. Employees will be reviewed to reveal any deficiencies that will aid in the formulation of an effective and efficient training plan. Additionally, employees will also be interviewed (both casual and casual), surveyed, or tested to ascertain their training needs. Employees will be at liberty to indicate the various problems that they have and recommend possible solutions to the problems. Task study will begin with a comparison of employees’ knowledge and skills to

3 Monthly Business Plan Working as a Sales Consultant Essay

3 Monthly Business Plan Working as a Sales Consultant - Essay Example These days, with a correct business plan, a successful casino business can be established (Stukey 2011, p. 6). Objectives The purpose of this casino business plan to be established in Disbury Manchester includes the following: 1. To retain the existing and attract new clients. 2. To attract cooperate clients. 3. To increase profits made by the casino. Background Disbury Manchester is a place with a large population of people and a lot of youths and old people. The general economy of Disbury Manchester is good and with a prior knowledge of the existing casino business. That means that the general population knows about the gambling business and the casino business at Disbury Manchester would not be a new thing. In knowing ones target group, many casino have established specific clients for their business (Stukey 2011, p. 50). Clients play a very important role in any business and hence casinos with many clients that are financially stable are the best kind of clients to have. Disbury Manchester being a place where people have the spending power, such has been directed in the casino business too and has brought a lot of profits. By proper advertisement and marketing strategies, many casinos have ended up being successful. With a proper business plan, any casino business could maximize its management and increase its profits (Stukey 2011, p. 12). Statistical evaluation In any gambling scenario, if in having clients with a higher financial capability to spend, means the casino business would boom. Such would be attracted to the casino business following the means stated below. In addition, with proper advertisement and marketing, a given casino business would also boom If in a given day, operating 24 hours a day, and having an estimated client number of 150 in a day, the casino business could cash in approximately 3,000 Euros. Hence in a good month, it could get approximately 270,000 Euros. After paying its employees, it could remain with approximately 100,000 Euro s profit. Therefore, in 3 months, the casino business might make approximately 300,000 Euros profit. In order to cash in such profits, a number of things have to be kept in place. Ways of improving the casino business How to attract cooperate clients This can be achieved by intensifying on marketing and advertising campaigns. Proper marketing usually has the effect of attracting people to the gambling place. In addition, by offering free promotions, may still attract some cooperate clients. Identifying cooperate clients from competing businesses and offering better place in your casino may also be another way of attracting them (Stukey 2011, p. 60). Driving away your competitors could also be another means of attracting cooperate clients to the casino. With proper marketing and advertisement and hopes of the casino making profits, cooperate clients would not hesitate to flock into that organization. How to retain existing and attract new clients Ensuring that employees at the casino place are straight in the way they operate with clients may also help in retaining clients. A casino with workers that are friendly may have many customers flocking to their side than that which does not have (Stukey 2011, p. 45). Offering promotions to clients may also be beneficial in retaining existing clients and attract new clients since all people love free things. For example, one may come up with a way to reward clients who win certain amount of money, like giving gifts and vouchers (Stukey 2011, p.88). Having the proper target for the casino business could also have an impact on the number of clients one would wish to attract. In having a multiple market for your business like the age groups 20 to

Financial Markets and Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Financial Markets and Risk - Essay Example The major sources of long term finance in the capital markets are actually the products provided to the consumer for long term investment. The consumers are assumed to be rational in their choices among the various alternatives presented. The choice of the product to use will depend on: time element, a cost of finance, flexibility and the mode of payment. Long-term investment products provide funds that may be used usually for more than five years. They include: Share capital - this consists of both ordinary share capital which is contributed by the real owners of a limited company and it is not redeemable and the preference share capital. This is contributed by the preference shareholders. Retained earnings provisions - these are part of the profits which belong to the ordinary shareholders and are not paid to them in the period they are earned. Debentures or long-term loans - a debenture is the written acknowledgment of a debt incurred by a limited company. Mortgages - the consumers and companies can get loans for long periods by mortgaging their assets with any mortgage brokers or any other financial institution. Sale and lease back - a company which owns its own premises or fixed assets can obtain finance by selling the property to an insurance company for immediate cash and renting it back. The cost of finance or the product depends on the terms of finance, nature and size of the business, availability of the product, the nature of security, growth stage of the company and government influences through the central bank.

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Personal Statement Example The university’s commitment of creating, disseminating and applying knowledge to the betterment of humanity particularly drives my desire to be part of its community. My short-term professional goal is to obtain a CPA certification and license with which I should be able to enhance my word and corporate experience. Through building on my short-term goals I should be able to gather invaluable experience and knowledge towards my long-term goal of becoming a professional auditor. As a stronger believe in the quality of knowledge in transforming life, I as a professional accountant I will be able to work in the corporate world and contribute solidly to the society’s wellbeing which will answer my desire of positively influencing lives of many people. It is on this backdrop that I am applying to the George Washington University’s Master of Accountancy Program. A masters degree in accountancy, I believe will contribute tremendously not only to my professional development but also to the realization of my short and long-term goals. I want to gain my graduate degree at the George Washington University Business School being a disciple of lea rning in a dynamic, challenging and open environment. The University’s value of creating a student focused community, appreciation of diversity both culturally and intellectually and fostering creativity in an open learning environment particularly interests me. I have previously studied at the University of Delaware, Newark, De from where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and attained a cumulative GPA of 3.27. During the undergraduate I studied courses such as investment, finance, accounting, operations management, micro & macro economics and business communications which I believe have prepared me for more challenges in the field. The knowledge gained during the bachelor’s degree opened my