Marketing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Marketing - Article Example Change in consumers’ behavior can be seen. In the present century where consumers are faced with a turbo-charged variety of options, it is necessary to understand their needs and provide them with honesty, truth and advice about the product. Present day marketing is engaging people in a way so that they not only get entertainment, but also get the information that they want. It is no surprise that numerous companies and professionals are adopting new approaches to marketing for the better definition of their brands. But it is also important to understand where, how and what to market. It is also important to make best use of new technology while not obsolescing the old media. The trend which can be seen in new models of marketing is that all the consumers are moving online, predominantly the young ones. But we can’t say that print media is dying since it has its own significance. We have print and electronic media; marketing just needs to be done at the right place and at the right time. It could be through Internet, video games, print media, social networks or anything at all. There are brands and consumers. It is necessary to understand how to create relevant and meaningful conversations with them that engage and enlighten and make the consumers want to find us. Marketers should understand the consumers’ new and primarily used communication media such as mobile devices (and the apps on them), YouTube, blogs, emails and a must mention, social networking sites such as â€Å"Facebook†. Marketers can place their ads on Facebook, based on the demographics of the people they want to target. For example, Nokia may display its new smartphone ad on a teen’s profile page in a particular country and during different times. However, marketing may not only be limited to these media. In fact, each and every connection point with the consumer can

Domestic Politics and International Relations Essay Example for Free

Domestic Politics and International Relations Essay I. International relations as venerable subject. A. People were studying international relations before there were nations. B. Kautilya, Sun Tzu, Thucydides, and Herodotus were the first philosophers and scientists to write about international relations more than 2,500 years ago. C. The key fundamental law of international relations states that politics is rooted in domestic affairs. D. The moral law causes people to remain subjected to their ruler and moral law restrains the use of force. II. Methods to investigate the history of international relations are combining logic and evidence, mathematical method and statistical analysis. A. The method of combining logic and evidence or case studies. 1. Knowledge of international relations will be improved. 2. The path to insight is to analyze individual events or, in other words, to develop a case study. 3. Case studies are effective in evaluating the verisimilitude between the theory and practice (action). B. Statistical analysis suggests aims at investigating general patterns among the cases and examines large numbers of events. 1. Predicted patterns should include the probability distribution across the outcomes, not across deterministic results. 2. The method uncovers ideas and key points about the general orderliness of the origin of international relations. 3. In contrast to case study approach, statistical method probes the generality of the hypothesis under investigation, as well as its extreme validity. C. Mathematical analysis ensures internal consistency in arguments about complex relations about variables. 1. Mathematics is claimed to be the best tool for pursuing logical analysis of the complex problems as the alternative contains greater ambiguity and imprecision in meaning. 2. Still many scientists denounce the importance of mathematical method in learning international relations as they argue that ‘the interesting problems of politics are too complex to be reduced to mathematical equations’, but mathematics is exact when dealing with complex problems. 3. Mathematical approach is necessary for linking case study and archival techniques. III. Fundamental insight in the nature of international affairs through effectiveness and combination of key methods. A. Case studies should be facilitated because of their nature unique and not indicative of general laws. B. Productive collaboration with colleagues should be encouraged by combing mathematical, statistical and formal methods. C. The benefits of case studies are well-known, whereas the benefits of logical and mathematical methods are still under debate. D. Nowadays, all three methodologies are used for evaluation how international relations are shaped to domestic politics.

Cali Cartel vs. Tijuana Cartel Essays -- essays research papers

The drug trade is a very large and complex system. There are many different organizations involved at different levels. There are groups that operate only in growing and selling the product, and only groups that buy and distribute the drugs. In this essay I will discuss the similarities and differences of two of the largest growers and sellers in the drug trade: The Cali Cartel of Columbia and the Tijuana Cartel of Mexico.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cali Cartel is the largest, richest, and most complex producers and distributors of cocaine. The cartel concentrates almost entirely in cocaine. Over time they have developed an extremely large and sophisticated distribution system and have generated an extraordinary amount of wealth. Because of their financial stability, they are able to buy planes, ships and warehouses as well as bribe government officials and pay the top lawyers and strongest mercenary groups for protection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tijuana Cartel, also known as the AFO, or Arellano-Felix Organization, runs out of Mexico and is known as one of the most violent drug organizations in the world. The group is headed by Benjamin Arellano-Felix and his brothers Ramon, Eduardo and Javier. Ramon Arellano-Felix is a frequent member of the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List. He is known as the most violent brother and is in charge of the group’s security. This group’s competitive edge is not in their distribution system or exorbitant riches but in their ruthless tactics. Because the group is conveniently located near the 2,000 mile border between the US and Mexico, they do not have to spend as much money or have as sophisticated distribution systems as The Cali Cartel does. This border consists largely of rugged terrain that is difficult to patrol. Mexican traffickers have mastered transportation methods over this border.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What the Cali Cartel lacks in location for transportation, they make up in location for raw materials. The Cali Cartel gets the cocoa leaves they need to make cocaine for extremely cheap and then sell it exponentially higher prices. At this rate, they are able to afford expensive transportation methods. The AFO makes up for this in diversity of product.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the Cali Cartel operates exclusively in cocaine, the AFO distributes heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine... ...ce in Columbia and the two groups agree to a ceasefire, the growers would then be vulnerable to government intervention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Mexico, the AFO thrives on the large number of corrupt Mexican officials. The cartel makes it a very smart choice for a government official or law enforcer to help them. Not only are they bribed, but they are also threatened with violence. Everyone in Mexico knows from the history of this group that they mean business and any threat is very legitimate. Because of the large amount of corruption in the Mexican government, the Tijuana cartel flourishes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both of these cartels are custom made for the area they are located in. If the systems were to switch geographic locations, they would not be nearly as successful. Over the years, the groups have molded to form the perfect fit for a drug cartel to operate in their specific area. As things change, the group changes, it is because of their flexible nature that they have lasted so long. Because of all of these factors, the war on drugs has proven to be an extremely difficult one to win. Information gathered from the DEA website at http://www.usdoj.gov/dea

The Influence of Noam Chomsky in Child Language Acquisition

The influence of Noam Chomsky in child language acquisition Noam Chomsky dominated the world of linguistics like a colossus for decades after the late fifties. My main aim of this essay is to discuss his influence in the area of child language acquisition and inspect to see if his influence is waxing or waning. After that I will examine the reasons behind the increase or decrease of his influence. I will be relating back every so often to nativism and the great ‘nature vs. nurture’ debate since Chomsky’s reputation significantly depends on it. Avram Noam Chomsky was born in 1928 and is, as reported by the online Encyclopaedia , â€Å"an Institute Professor Emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and also is the creator of the Chomsky hierarchy, a classification of formal languages. † Apart from his linguistic work, Chomsky is also famous for his political views. Although, the field of children's language development includes a whole range of perspectives , the issue that has outweighed the rest is that of whether language ability is ‘innate’ or not. This matter which has been long debated concentrates on finding out whether children were born ‘preprogrammed’ to acquire language or is it merely a matter of cultural product . One of the most influential figures around this debate was Noam Chomsky, who believed in the innate capacity of children for learning language. As Harris (1990:76) explains, â€Å"Chomsky suggested that infants are born with innate knowledge of the properties of language. Further elaborating on Chomskys’s belief, Sampson (1997:23) says â€Å"Chomsky claims that this process of first language acquisition must be determined in most respects by a genetic programme, so that the development of language in an individuals mind is akin to the growth of a bodily organ rather than being a matter of responding to environmental stimulation. † Noam Chomsky suggested that children are born with a genetic mechanism for the acquisition of language, which he called a â€Å"Language Acquisition Dev ice† (LAD). He claimed that they are born with the major principles of language in place, but with many parameters to set. Further supporting this claim Chomsky (1972:113) said â€Å"Having some knowledge of the characteristics of the acquired grammars and the limitations on the available data, we can formulate quite reasonable and fairly strong empirical hypotheses regarding the internal structure of the LAD that constructs the postulated grammars from the given data. † Nevertheless, this theory of an innate Language Acquisition Device has not been generally accepted but in fact has been opposed on two grounds. Firstly, in the famous ongoing debate between nature and nurture many people have criticised Chomsky for disregarding environmental aspects. Secondly, there is a difference of opinion as to whether language acquisition is part of the child’s wider cognitive development or as Chomsky believes, is an independent inborn ability. Disagreements such as these display the immense impact Chomsky’s theory has had on the field of linguistics. One of the central concepts which Chomsky introduced was the idea of Universal Grammar. Chomsky greatly influenced Linguistic thinking by his theory that a universal grammar inspires all languages and that all languages have the same basic underlying structure. Collis et al (1994:11) further clarify â€Å"Chomsky argued that universals of linguistic form are innate: the child had inborn knowledge of the general form of a transformational grammar. † He believed in Universal Grammar because children remarkably seem to be able to learn rapidly whatever language they are exposed to despite certain rules of grammar being beyond their learning capacity and in a couple of years they seem to master the system they are immersed in . Harris (1990:76) supporting this view says: â€Å"After a period of some four to five years’ exposure to the language of those around them, children seem to have mastered the underlying rule system which enables them to produce an infinite variety of relatively well-formed, complex sentences. † Also children progress so rapidly in acquiring their native language as though they know in advance the general form of the system to be acquired as Fromkin & Rodman (1998:339) state, â€Å"The similarity of the language acquisition stages across diverse peoples and languages shows that children are equipped with special abilities to acquire. Wilkipedia explaining this theory says: â€Å"it does not claim that all human languages have the same grammar, or that all humans are â€Å"programmed† with a structure that underlies all surface expressions of human language; but rather, universal grammar proposes a set of rules that would explain how children acquire their langua ge(s), or how they construct valid sentences of their language. † Although, Sampson (1997:108) gives the arguments in support of language universals some credit saying â€Å"the arguments from universals is the only one hat has some serious prima facie force† But, by and large, Sampson (1997:136) disagrees as he concludes: â€Å"there are some universal features in human languages, but what they mainly show is that human beings have to learn their mother tongues rather than having knowledge of language innate in their minds. † Another argument, involving Chomsky, which is referred to as Poverty of data, is that children would be unable to learn language in a human environment where the input is of poor quality. Chomsky (1980) argued that the child’s acquisition of grammar is ‘hopelessly underdetermined by the fragmentary evidence available. He recognized this deficiency due to two major reasons. The first is the poor nature of the input. According to Chomsky, the sentences heard by the child are so full of errors and incompletions that they provide no clear indication of the possible sentences of the language. As well as this problem there is an unavailability of negative evidence and children have a hard time knowing which forms of their language are acceptable and which are unacceptable. As a result of all this, he believes language learning must rely on other constraints from universal grammar. Macwhinney (2004) says: â€Å"To solve this logical problem, theorists have proposed a series of constraints and parameterizations on the form of universal grammar. Plausible alternatives to these constraints include: conservatism, item-based learning, indirect negative evidence, competition, cue construction, and monitoring. † According to Macwhinney (2004) Chomsky’s views about the poor quality of the input have not stood up well to the test of time. Many studies of child directed speech have shown that speech to young children is slow, clear, grammatical, and very repetitious. Newport, Gleitman & Gleitman (1977) reported, ‘the speech of mothers to children is unswervingly well-formed. ’ More recently, Sagae et al (2004) examined several of the corpora in the CHILDES database and found that adult input to children can be parsed with an accuracy level parallel to that for corpora. Although, this failure of Chomsky’s claim has not so far led to the collapse of the ‘argument from poverty of stimulus’, however, as Macwhinney (2004) says, â€Å"It has placed increased weight on the remaining claims regarding the absence of relevant evidence. The overall claim as Macwhinney (2004) points out is that, â€Å"given the absence of appropriate positive and negative evidence, no child can acquire language without guidance from a rich set of species-specific innate hypotheses. † Chomsky also claimed that there was a critical period for language learning which was first proposed by Eric Lenneberg. He claimed, as Cook & Newson (199 6:301) explain, that there is a critical period during which the human mind is able to learn language; before or after this period language cannot be acquired in a natural fashion. Although the rare cases of feral children who had been deprived of first language in early childhood seems to support the idea of critical period but it is not known for definite if deprivation was the only reason for their language learning difficulties as Sampson (1997:37) points out, â€Å"it is not certain if children in cases of extreme deprivation have trouble learning language because they have missed their so-called â€Å"critical period† or if it is because of the extreme trauma they have experienced. Although Chomsky was a very influential and successful nativist, Sampson (1997:159) claims ‘his theories were given a helping hand by external circumstances. ’ At the time when he was putting forward these ideas about language and human nature, Chomsky was also the leading intellectual opponent of American involvement in the Vietnam War as Sampson (1997:11) states: â€Å"politics had given Chomsky much of his audience in the early days as he was the leadin g intellectual figure in the 1960’s movement against American involvement in the Vietnam War. His opposition to the Vietnam War made him a popular figure amongst the young Americans who also opposed the decision and were eager to cheer on anyone speaking against it. Sampson (1997:11) also points out importantly â€Å"Many people came to listen to Chomsky on foreign policy and stayed to listen to him on linguistics. Giving other reasons Sampson (1997:159) claims that â€Å"it was a period when the academic discipline of linguistics found a new market in providing professional training for teachers of foreign language and this nativist style of language analysis was relatively appealing to them as nativism focused on language universals rather than on the peculiar individual features of particular languages. Similarly he points out that â€Å"it was a period when knowledge of other languages among the English speaking world was diminishing. † Furthermore, the years aro und 1970 were also a period when the university system expanded massively in a very short eriod. Large numbers of people were taken on into the university teaching profession over a few years, and after entering they remained there as Sampson (1997:159) says, â€Å"they stayed; so an over-presentation of whatever intellectual trends happened to be ‘hot’ just then was locked into the system. † Stating another reason Sampson (1997:161) claims: â€Å"American linguists who were not established in their careers were afraid to voice disagreement with nativism publicly for fear of damaging their chances of academic employment. The most important point keeping the nativist domination is the greater job availability as Sampson (1997:161) points out, â€Å"there are more jobs in nativism than empiricism† During the 1980s, Chomsky’s nativist discourse moved out of the public limelight as his political interference became less agreeable to many and so Chomsky ’s influence started to diminish in significance to linguistic nativism as Sampson (1997:11) says â€Å"In the 1980’s Chomsky’s star waned† and then reasoning the 1980’s eclipse he says that ‘those were the Margaret Thatcher years, which meant that educated public opinion had other things to be interested in. But, beginning in the 1990s, a new wave of writing has revived basically the same idea about language and knowledge being innate in human beings and they rely on Chomsky’s ideas as Sampson (1997:14) says, â€Å"Many of the nativists work of the 1990’s depend on chomsky’s version of nativism. However, these books seem to better equipped to the test of time as Sampson (2003) points out â€Å"These books refer to a broader range of considerations, including issues high in human interest such as case studies of pidgin languages, young children’s speech, experiments in teaching language to apes whereas Chomskyâ⠂¬â„¢s arguments were rather dryly formal and mathematical. † Furthermore, the contemporary nativists claim to identify some additional evidence which was never mentioned by Chomsky. Several different writers have contributed to this â€Å"new wave† of present-day arguments for nativism. By far the most influential, however, as Sampson (2003) suggests, has been Steven Pinker’s 1994 book The Language Instinct. Regarding this new revival Sampson (1997:12) says: â€Å"The nativists of the 1990’s are quite different. Their books are full of fascinating information about languages and linguistic behaviour so that people enjoy reading for the data alone. He further states: â€Å"As a result, the new generation of linguistic nativists have succeeded very quickly in winning audiences and attracting praise from distinguished and sometimes influential onlookers. † Criticising the content of these books he says: â€Å"The reader is taken on a magical mystery tour of language and urged to agree that nativism makes a plausible account of it all- rather than herded through a bare corral in which every side exit is sealed off by barriers of logic a nd the only way out is the gate labelled ‘innate knowledge. In conclusion, it is very obvious to see the great impact Chomsky’s ideologies have had in the area of child language acquisition which subsequently enhanced his status. Describing his huge influence Sampson (1997:10) says, â€Å"It would be hard to exaggerate the impact that these ideas of Noam Chomsky’s achieved. † He further states â€Å"By many objective measures, he became the world’s most influential living thinker. Sampson (1997:11) further reports that, â€Å"in the comprehensive computerized registers of references that scholars make to one another’s writings in the academic literature; within the sphere covered by the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Chomsky is the most- quoted living writer, and the eighth most quoted in history. † Although his ideas suffered a blow in the 1980’s, it has been strongly revived since the 1990’s as Sampson (1997:161) critically states â€Å"in the 1990’s the public mood has changed again. Society is showing signs of reverting to an almost medieval acceptance of intellectual authority, from which dissent is seen as morally objectionable† Further, reasoning the success of these new nativist writers he says â€Å"When Chomsky originally spelled out an argument, the reader would assess it and might detect its fallacies; but when recent writers refer to something as having been established back in the 1960s–70s, most readers are likely to take this on trust, for lack of time and energy to check the sources. Finally, on the subject of ‘nature vs. nurture’ debate, which so heavily involves Chomsky, it seems impossible to distinguish whether language is only acquired due to environmental exposure or simply due to innate faculties. From the evidence it seems that humans possess innate capabilities which enable linguistic development, but the correct environment, with exposure to adult language throughout the critical period, also seems to be necessar y in order for a child to develop and become a proficient speaker. In regards to this issue Collis (1994:10) makes a valid conclusion â€Å"current thinking about language acquisition treats nativist and empiricist explanations as forthrightly opposed, but as potentially varying in degree: language acquisition is mostly a realisation of innate principles, or mostly a consequence of learning. † Similarly, Sampson (2003) clarifies: â€Å"Clearly this issue is not an all-or-nothing question. It is about where truth lies on a spectrum of possibilities. Nature must have some role in human cognition; conversely, nurture must also play a role. † Bibliography Chomsky, N. (1972) Language and Mind New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Chomsky, N. (1980). Rules and representations. New York: Columbia University Press Chomsky, N. (1986) Knowledge of language: it's nature, origin and use. New York: Praeger Cook, V. J, & Newson, M. (1996) Chomsky’s Universal Grammar : An Introduction(2nd ed. ) UK:Blackwell Publishers Collis, G. , Perera, K, & Richards, B (1994) (Eds. ), Growing points in child language UK: CUP Fromkin, V. and Rodman, R. (1998) An Introduction to Language. 6th. ed. US: Harcourt Brace College Publishers Harris, J (1990) Early Language Development- implications for clinical and educational practice London:Routledge Macwhinney, B(2004) ‘A multiple process solution to the logical problem of language acquisition’ Journal of Child Language. Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 883–914 UK:CUP Newport, E. , Gleitman, H. & Gleitman, L. (1977). Mother, I? d rather do it myself: some effects and non-effects of maternal speech style. In C. Ferguson (ed. ), Talking to children :language input and acquisition. Cambridge: CUP Sagae, K. , MacWhinney, B. & Lavie, A. (2004). Automatic parsing of parent–child interactions. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers 36, 113–26. Sampson,G (2005) The ‘Language Instinct' Debate: Revised Edition of Educating Eve Continuum International Publishing Group Sampson, G (2003) Empiricism v. Nativism [http://www. grsampson. net/REmpNat. html](07/05/05) Sampson,G (1997) The ‘Language Instinct' Debate: Educating Eve London and New York: Cassell Wikipedia (2005) The Free Encyclopedia – Noam Chomsky [http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky] (07/05/05) Wikipedia (2005) The Free Encyclopedia- Universal grammar [http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Universal_Grammar] (07/05/05)

Did strategy drive war or did war drive strategy in early modern and modern France?

The question on whether it was strategy that drove the war or war that drove strategy can only be answered by first examining the assertions of the question. In staking the claim that it was indeed strategy that drove the war, the basic assumption is that there was superior strategy that could dictate the outcome of the war. This presupposes that the resulting war was a product of keen strategy. In asserting the second part of the claim, strategy is seen as a component of war in that the unpredictable outcome of war necessitated the employment of strategy for victory.While it seems that neither of these statements can co-exist, the reality is that there was a time when strategy did drive the war in early modern and modern France and there was also a time when it could be gainsaid that war did drive strategy. In modern French warfare, it will be noted that Joffre, the leading French strategist during the First World War, maintained and promoted an offensive strategy with the French ar my.He was convinced that the only way to assure victory was to adopt an offensive strategy and this is what drove the war and brought France to the brink of disaster. His steadfast adherence to his strategy despite his recognition of the changing war scenario made it difficult to pursue any progress. It is through this same example, however, that having war drive strategy becomes clear. If Joffre had not been able to adjust his strategy according to the dictates of war, the French would have surely suffered disastrous losses at the Champagne Offensive.There is no arguing the statement that indeed strategy may sometimes be an illusion. While the statement of Betts may hold true, it overlooks the fact that both states of strategy may exist, as a driver and as driven. In the first case, strategy initially drives any war, before the occurrence it influences the initiative. Once it has begun, however, there is a need to adjust in case the outcome does not conform to the predictions of th e strategy. There is no hard and fast rule for this as the case of Joffre has shown.

Critical Analysis of Mendelsons and Parkins Introducing Direct Democracy in Canada

Critical Analysis of Mendelsons and Parkins Introducing Direct Democracy in Canada In the article titled Introducing Direct Democracy in Canada, Mendelsohn and Parkin attempted proving to the readers that the holding of more referendums would improve Canadian democracy, as it would involve the general public in the making of policies and decisions that directly affected their lives. They state that the Canadian executive is given an enormous amount of power when he comes into office, which does not give others-outside of his "inner circle"-an opportunity to influence public policy. The reforms needed to fix this issue, according to Mendelsohn and Parkin, are referendums. However, although they write that referendums are a great way to get the public involved, they also state that there are severe consequences that can occur if they are not used under the right conditions.Mendelsohn and Parkin's central idea is that referendums are needed in order to strengthen the democratic nature of Canada. If these referendums were used appropriately, they would have a number of important uses: protect minority interests so that majority does not always rule, develop a fair political process in which people have an equal chance of speaking their minds and raising their concerns in order to influence public views, provide access to information that the citizens will need in order to be informed and make decisions that work in their best interests, and hold political accountability so that voters would know who to blame if something was to go wrong.Michael Parkin (bw portrait)They present consequences that could potentially occur in the case that referendums were not used correctly. An example would be voters who are not given the opportunity to listen to the different sides of a given issue and who go ahead and cast a vote not having really thought about it. The latter would directly go against the very nature and...

Evolution of Dogs from the Gray Wolf

Evolution of Dogs from the Gray Wolf Introduction The domestic dog is a member of the Canidae family. This is a biologically cohesive group of carnivores and consists of thirty-eight species (Serpell 10). thus far, man has managed to fully domesticate the dog (Canis familiaris) although he has also attempted to breed the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in captivity for their fur (Klinghammer and Goodmann 36). Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Evolution of Dogs from the Gray Wolf specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The current paper tries to show the link between the modern domesticated dog and the grey wolf using documented evidence from morphological, molecular, and DNA investigations. Tracing the origin of the domesticated dog In 1868, Darwin argued that the various domesticated varieties of the dog could have originated from several wild species or from a single wild species. A number of authors contend tha t the domesticated dog could have originated from the jackal, the wolf, or other unknown and extinct species (Serpell 10). Darwin also suggested that it would be almost impossible to ascertain the origin of the domesticated dog. However, the combined results of vocalisation, morphological behavior and molecular biology of the domesticated dog now show that the wolf is the principle ancestor of the dog (Grandin and Johnson 87). In the 1950s, Konrad Lorenz proposed that certain modern breeds of the dog could have been the descendants of the wolf, while others could have originated from the jackal. However, Lorenz soon realised that the jackal had a characteristic and complicated howling repertoire that is quite different from that of the wolf or dog. This discovery made Lorenz to rescind his earlier view that the domestic dog could have been a descendant of the jackal (Serpell 11). Another hotly contested idea is the origin of the Australia dingo. Molecular and anatomical investigat ions indicate that the dingo may be categorized as a feral dog of ancient descent. In addition, these findings reveal close resemblance between the Australian dingo, the wolf, and the pariah dogs in South-east Asia. What are the ‘precursors of the modern domesticated dog? Bones belonging to wolves in the Middle Pleistocene period have been found alongside those of early hominida. This association is indicative of an overlapping of the hunting activities and occupation of wolves and humans. Human hunters may also have killed wolves occasionally for their skins which they used as clothing (Serpell 12). Advertising Looking for research paper on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Once in a while, human hunters would be accompanied by a live pup that they ended up eating but occasionally, such a pup would get accustomed to the family group, effectively becoming tamed. The wolf pups that turned out to be less s ubmissive with maturity would undoubtedly be driven away or killed. Others that showed signs of submission were tamed by humans (Savolainen et al 1611). Such tamed wolves are the precursors of the true domesticated dog, although they are many generations apart. Some remains of these animals that were discovered at late glacial sites reveal slight morphological differences in comparison with the remains of wild wolves. Wolf skulls believed to belong to the last Ice Age have also been retrieved at Fairbanks, Alaska. This are thought to be approximately 10,000 years old. These wolf skulls are characterized by shortened facial regions and for this reason, they are thought to be the remains of tamed wolves. This information is supported by evidence of humans having crossed into North America via the Bering Straits around this time. Theories of domestication of dogs from wolves Although it is still not clear how the actual domestication of the Grey Wolf took place, nonetheless, a number of theories have been proposed on how the domestication process took place. One such theory has to do with the orphaned wolf-cubs. Several studies have suggested that humans were able to tame and socialize some wolf pups that they took while still young. One study has also endeavoured to show that it is possible to socialize the adult wolves successfully (Koler-Matznick 99). In contrast, other scholars contend that socializing adult wolves can be time consuming especially when pups are more than 21 days old. Many scientists are convinced that the early humans adopted orphaned wolf cubs and then proceeded to nurse them. Thereafter, the adopted wolves began to breed, in effect bringing forth â€Å"wolf-like† domesticated animals. As more generations of these â€Å"wolf-like† domesticated animals were born, they bore a lot of resemblance to dogs. Another theory holds that the early wolves were scavengers and as such, they would often be attracted by the refuse that huma ns left behind at campsites. Some of these wolves proved quite successful in their ability to interact with humans and as a result, these traits were passed on to future generations. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Evolution of Dogs from the Gray Wolf specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ultimately, there emerged a generation of wolves that had a tendency to be domesticated. Humans decided to keep those dogs that showed the least amount of fear and those that demonstrated high level of socialization. Consequently, the early dog developed unique traits that we can now recognize the modern day dog. One of the behavioural characteristics of the gray wolf that made it easier for humans to domesticate them is what is known as â€Å"flight distance†. Flight distance is a measure of the level of closeness that an animal can allow something that it considers dangerous before deciding to run away. If an animal has a shorter flight distance, it means that it is not scared by the presence of humans even when feeding. Such a behavioural trait might have been passed down to successive generations of the animals and over time it was amplified to the point that the animals felt comfortable in the presence of humans. Ideally, wolves are believed to have separated into two populations. The first group was made up of a pack of hunters while the second group was made up of village-oriented scavengers. Although there are scanty details as to how the next steps evolved, however, sustaining these two divergent populations must have required the presence of selective pressure. DNA evidence Prior to the development of the DNA technology, scientists held two schools of thought regarding the origin of the domesticated dog. Most of the researchers assumed that the early dogs were the descendants of the tamed wolves and through interbreeding and evolving, this had resulted in a domesticated species. We als o have another school of thought that suggests that the modern dog is the distant descendant of the wolf. The same school of thought also believes that the jackal and the coyote could also have been distant relatives of the modern dog. However, DNA evidence now points at the wolf as the sole ancestor of the domesticated dog. One scientist who has done a lot of DNA work on the ancestors of the domesticated dog is Carles Vila. Through his numerous studies, he has analyzed various types of wolf DNA from some 27 populations across North America, Europe and Asia (Vila et al 1687). He has also compared the results of his studies with DNA of some 67 breeds of modern dogs from various parts of the world.Advertising Looking for research paper on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More DNA evidence has revealed the most diverse group of wolves possess similar sequences to the ones found in the most ancient breeds of the domesticated dog, including the dingo of Australia. The German Shepherd Dog was shown to share a close resemblance to wolf sequences, in comparison with the sequences of the main dog group (Vila et al 1688). This is a sign that such breeds may have been produced by crossing wild wolves with dogs. Conclusion Over the years, a lot of research has been carried out on the origin of the domesticated dog, with scientists divided into two schools of through. The first and largest school of through believed that dogs could have been the descendants of the gray wolf. Other scientists suggested that the older domesticated dog could have been the descendant of the red fox, or even the raccoon. However, there is now compelling evidence to suggest that the early humans most likely domesticated the modern dog from the gray wolf. This assertion has been supporte d by molecular, morphological and DNA evidence that point at a closer relationship between the domesticated dog, and the gray wolf, more than the red fox and the raccoon. However, because the origins of some of the morphological differences between wolves and dogs are still not clear, there is need to undertake more DNA studies. Such studies also need to be supplemented by a re-evaluation of canidae fossil and archaeological records so that we can resolve the many questions regarding one of man’s ancient domesticated animal. Grandin, Temple and Catherine, Johnson. Animals in translation, New York, NY: Scriber, 2005. Print. Klinghammer, Erich and Goodmann, Patricia. Chapter 2: Socialization and management of wolves in captivity. In Frank, Harry. Man and Wolf: Advances, Issues, and Problems in Captive Wolf Research. The Hague, The Netherlands: Dr  W.  Junk Publishers, 1987. Print. Koler-Matznick, Janice. The origin of the dog revisited. Anthrozoos, 15.2(2002):98–11 8. Print. Savolainen, Peter, Zhang, Jing, Luo, Joakim Lundeberg, and Thomas Leitner. â€Å"Genetic Evidence for an East Asian Origin of Domestic Dogs. Science, 298. 5598(2002): 1610–1613. Print. Serpell, James. The domestic dog: its evolution, behavior, and interactions with people. Cambridge, Mass: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print. Vila, Carles, Peter, Savolainen, Jesus, Maldonado, John, Rice and Rodney, Honeycutt. Multiple and ancient origins of the domestic dog. Science, 276.5397(1997): 1687-1689. Print.

Back to School Checklist for Teachers

Back to School Checklist for Teachers Preparing your classroom for the new school year can feel a bit overwhelming. Even seasoned veterans can feel the stress during the first few weeks of school. To help alleviate some of this stress, try keeping track of the essential tasks with a back to school checklist. Print this list and be sure to check off each task as you go. Back to School Checklist Wrote and mailed a  welcome letter to parents and students.Created name tags for students and their desks.Laminated name tags that include specific information such as a walker, bus number, address etc.Read through student files to help determine placement in groups and activities.Determined seating chart and desk arrangement.Decorated the bulletin boards.Decorated the front door.Determined the rules and consequences or how you will have the class decide upon the rules.Decided on icebreaker activities for the first day of class.Collected activities and lessons for the first week of school.Became familiar with the class computer and other technology needed for the classroom.Decided how to welcome students and introduce them to the rules and procedures.Developed a substitute folder.Printed emergency contact form.Ordered extra supplies for students such as a folder, pencils, glue etc.Set up Learning Centers with supplies in place.Created classroom jobs.Camera ready to take pictures of the students. Got to know fellow teachers and staff members.Set up a classroom calendar.Organize the classroom library.Made copies of all worksheets that you want to send home for the first week of school.Labeled workbooks, folders, and textbooks with students names.Gathered extra tissues, paper towels, band aids and emergency supplies.Created the first newsletter to send home.Gathered book order information to send out.Have a reward or incentive box filled.Have a birthday chart ready to be filled out.Have all systems in order (homework basket, paperwork basket etc.)Take home folders are labeled and filled with the necessary paperwork.Purchased a lesson plan organizer and calendar.Purchased or gathered cleaning supplies for the classroom.Purchased a bottle of aspirin for you, and hand sanitizer for the class.Gathered teacher materials and supplies.Create a routine for attendance, lunch count, walking in halls etc.Set up a class webpage to communicate with students and parents.Purchased any classro om supplies that are needed. Find out student schedule for lunch, gym, library etc.Obtained district curriculum standards.Prepared a folder for faculty meetings and information.Made copies of materials for the first few weeks.Posted lunch menu.Posted emergency evacuation and procedures.First aid kit stocked and in place.Shelves, cubbies and activity areas are clearly labeled.Decided how to manage homework.Decided how to manage using the restroom (lavatory passes, just get up and go, etc.) Additional Things to Consider During the first week of school create a student inventory checklist. This will help students, and yourself, keep track of all items that students bring in. Once rules and consequences are decided upon creating a classroom plan agreement for all students and parents to sign. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page if something goes awry. To keep parents in the loop, create a daily or weekly progress report for all students. For younger students, you can list days of the week and use stickers, stamps or happy faces. For older students, you can rate progress by listing each subject and rating by excellent, good, need improvement etc. When preparing for a parent-teacher conference, provide parents with a planning sheet that they can bring with them. List questions such as academic strengths and weaknesses, goals for the year, examples of students qualities and so on.

Case study Q1 and Q2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Q1 and Q2 - Case Study Example According to the data on fig.18.1 in this article, the market share between 2000-2012 shows progressive growth which clearly indicates competitive performance. The increase in share price means accumulate working capital of mass magnitude which helps it smoothly manage its widely dispersed market across the world. Besides, share prices are an indicator of investor confidence and general better overall performance. The financial and operation performance of Starbucks in table 18.1 in the article indicates significant upward trend in balance sheet from 2005 towards 2011. The meaning behind this is a strong and large asset base which explains overall desirable performance. Considering the wide geographical dispersion of Starbuck stores, the financial report indicates a sustainable future. Ranking by chain stores and market size put Starbuck ahead of the pack at 10789 followed by Horton with a gap of more than 1000 stores as shown in fig.18.3. It is worth to infer that Starbuck is doing well in the industry in terms of market size, financial gain and global presence. The success of Starbuck has come as result of creative and critical thinking of its management team. In regard to its significantly competitive market environment, strategic measures have put it through an upward growth. Historical background of the firm exhibit is as having started on an unstable ground until Schultz took over as the Chief Executive officer. Survival in the coffee industry has come far for this firm mainly as a result of realizing diversity of human tastes and customer care. At the centre of its success is diversity in its coffee brand. The cultural and economic uniqueness of its global market requires that it differentiate its product to meet their individual tastes and preferences. In this regard, Starbuck has differentiated its coffee brand into various tastes. Besides, it reframed its business model and marketing approaches. This included licensing retailers to

Paradoxically, although modernity appeared to be a threat to Essay - 1

Paradoxically, although modernity appeared to be a threat to Christianity, it had been nurtured, in significant part, by Christ - Essay Example Thus, the role Christianity has played towards the realisation of modernity is a matter that has been subject to debate, with some scholars arguing in favour of the rationale that Christianity spurred modernity onwards, while others gainsay the very idea, as shall be seen in the debate that ensues forthwith. Thesis Statement Contrary to what is being peddled against Christianity as a force antithetical towards modernity and having an inimical relationship with modernity, Christianity is poignantly the very harbinger of modernity, even to a global extent. According to Taylor (1989, 132), fundamentally, one of the tenets of Christianity is the belief in, and emphasis of man being made in the image and likeness of God [Genesis 1:26]. As such, since God is self-determinate and absolutely sovereign, man is also a free moral agent. By this, it is meant that man has the capacity to exercise freedom of choice and thereby deciding his destiny on earth and eternal destiny. The same also does not only mean, being self-determinate, but also being rational. Isaiah 1:18, I Pet 3:15, I Thessalonians 5:21 and Luke 9: 62 are some of the portions that call people to reason. This is because, making decisions entails being rational. The relationship between the doctrine of man being a free moral agent and modernity is seen in the fact that the Renaissance Age played, and continues to play an inextricable role in modernisation. In the same respect, Renaissance Age could not have come about in the absence of free or independent thinking. It is not in dou bt that the realisation of the Law of Gravity by Isaac Newton was a culmination of laborious thinking about an apple's fall from a tree. Not only did Isaac Newton [a Christian with great interest in natural philosophy and mathematics, Christian theology, economics, astronomy, alchemy and physics] discover the Law of Gravity, but he also wrote the Philosophie Naturalis Principia Mathematica which laid the foundations for classical mechanics. For instance, the laws of universal gravitation and the law of motion are derived from Isaac Newton's work, Philosophie Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Industrial and physical infrastructure and the development of modern means of transport [such as air transport] rely on the laws of motion and gravity. It is also important to note that Christianity, being a highly philosophical and introspective religion, set the pace for philosophy. For this reason, going through St. Paul's treatise on his Letter to the Romans is highly philosophical, as he exp lains fundamental concepts such as the fall of mankind, the purpose of the law [that was handed to Moses] and its inability to bestow right standing with God, justification by faith, and the inability of the law to help win over the war with the carnal nature of man (Lindberg, 2000, 83). Furthermore, Angold (2006, 11) points out that the highly philosophical aspect of Christianity is underscored by the philosophical controversies which succeeded the Edict of Toleration and the Edict of Milan in 311 and 313 AD, respectively, and thereby ending the Persecution of the Church. Immediately after the acceptance of Christianity as a legitimate religion, the Church had to contend with highly complex philosophical problems and concepts, as it dealt with doctrinal controversies such as Arianism [in the Nicean Council, 325 AD], Apollonarianism [the Council of Constantinople, 381], Nestorianism [the Council of Ephesus, 431], monophysitism [the Council of Chalcedon, 451] and Nestorianism [the Se cond Council of Consta

Riordian Manufactoring Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Riordian Manufactoring Paper - Essay Example The Material Resource Planning (MRP) would consider the kind of materials that would need to be needed and used in the manufacturing process. In the context of Riordian, it is seen that the following are the main kinds of materials/utilities used in production. The various components forming part of the finished products, viz. fans, are molded and assembled and fitted together by Chinese workforce. Any excess plastics are sheared off using shearing machines. The finished products, inspected and certified by R&D are next sent for packing .Next, they are individually packed in plastic films with placed into boxes with generous amount of packing straw in order to avoid transit damages. A bar code identifying the recipient of the product is sprayed onto the box using ink. The bar code would provide full profile details of the product specifications inside the box, in order to tackle any issues that arise later. The box is then placed through a system of conveyor belts that separates the box by its destination and conveys it to the appropriate section of the loading dock, so it is ready to be loaded onto a professional commercial carrier for onward transmission. It is believed that use of RFID technology in the materials handling department could, to a large extent, solve the present issues that perturb the production team. This could keep track of various materials that are being used and their movements in the production process. It is also seen that nowadays the production of electric fans follows discrete, and separate processes, because of which there is considerable time lay between placing of items required for production and receipt of such critical production items. Therefore, it is necessary that new process introduces Just in Time methods, which could reduce issues connected with Inventory and stock controls. Since fan manufacturing is a process industry where materials move through various

Chipotle in Morocco Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Chipotle in Morocco - Research Paper Example The company will to borrow best practice of Mexican grills in US, Canada, France and England which have had longstanding performance and reputation. It is a demand for chipotle dishes that will be determined by the level of advertising and the quality of the service compared to its sale price. The government of Mexico, US and Morocco are in good working relationship hence no trade barriers will be expected to challenge the entry process. The brand should move to the coastal towns in northern morocco like Casablanca which have big clientele and bargaining power. This will raise the income streams and quickly move the breakeven sales to a shorter duration than was expected. The company should not overlook the role and impact of other competitors as they may be misjudged and consequently the firm closes shop due to myopic marketing intelligence. The concept of chipotle emanates from  chilpoctli  word  which is a  smoke-dried  jalapeà ±o referring to "smoked chili pepper". The chili  is principally  Mexican  going alongside other Mexican-inspired cuisines like Tex-Mex and Mexican-American (Anderson 123). Jalapeà ±o in  Mexico is also referred as the  gordo and  cuaresmeà ±o. Until lately, chipotles were mainly found in the central and southern Mexican markets. These Mexican foods became more admired abroad, particularly in North America, production and processing of jalapeà ±o started to extend to northern Mexico to supply the southwestern United States, and ultimately processing took place in the United States (US) and other countries like Morocco and Morocco. The purpose of this study is to find out whether it is economically viable to establish a Chipotle franchise in Morocco. These involves finding out the situational or feasibility studies of the host country, strengths and weaknesses of the co mpany and suitability of the culinary supplier to customers in Morocco. 3 The ordinary chipotle restaurant is known for

Forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Forensics - Essay Example From a humble beginning during the 19th Century without much data support to prove its credibility and usefulness, it has now evolved as an empirical and objective science on its own merits and rights. Over the years, it was discovered, perhaps by accident, way back in 1868, by a Swiss biologist called Friedrich Meischer when he was differentiating nucleus properties in pus cells. Since then, DNA profiling has come a long way and has been used to provide due judicial process of justice in many criminal and non criminal cases. Alec Jeffreys and colleagues researching DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester arrived at certain startling facts (at that period of history) regarding the fact that â€Å"individual differences in based on repeat sequences in DNA.† Do occur that could help in criminal investigation. (Johnson & Williams, 2006). Further it was also seen that â€Å"The possibility of deriving DNA from the ‘abandoned property’ of criminal suspects left at crime scene generated huge interest amongst police investigators.† and could even assist result in cracking major criminal cases, where the perpetrators could remain at large due to lack of incriminating evidence against them. (Johnson & Williams, 2006, para.18). Since then, there have been many improvements in determining the speed, efficacy and conclusiveness of DNA profiling and its impact upon society as a composite and complete science. Over time dedicated DNA Scientific Research Centers have also been operationalised to aid and abet solving of social and criminal issues through the deployment of DNA profiling. These efforts have also met with a reasonable degree of success such that DNA fingerprinting has now come to represent a major scientific and anti-criminal breakthrough in recent times. DNA tests have also proved conclusive evidence in absolving innocent suspects who were languishing in jail accused on

James Nachtwey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

James Nachtwey - Research Paper Example I have chosen to research about James Nachtwey because he is a war photographer, which is also my career path after successfully accomplishing my studies (Fussman 206). In addition, this will equip me with the necessary and adequate information concerning his work besides knowing what makes him appear unique compared to other global photographers. Figure 2: Kosovo 1999; Picture showing a mans imprint after Serbs exterminated him. Accessed on 29Th Otcober 2012 from Figure 3: The picture reveals the utter reality of a new weapon of "mass extermination" - Famine experienced by South Sudans citizens and other people residing in wore torn states. Accessed on 29Th October 2012 from All the above images exemplify the same thing and none alters their readings. Mainly, the overriding theme entails the reality of human injustices, which characterize war torn states globally despite their location. There are certain similarities found between my images and those of James Nachtwey’s, since I am taking after him. The significant similarity is the preference of utilizing black and white colors meant to mild the images’ horrific effects as a war photographer (Webb 64). Since, viewing images especially to some audiences it may be uncomfortable besides influencing others opting not to view them. Photographer by utilizing this image intended to convey to his viewers the downright reality of famine experienced by the southern Sudanese. This is evident from the victim’s emancipated body where he is unable to walk but crawl from the tent behind him. Hence, this creates a mood of despair, which is evident from the person’s condition, temporary worn out tent and the absence of any vegetation in the

Forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Forensics - Essay Example From a humble beginning during the 19th Century without much data support to prove its credibility and usefulness, it has now evolved as an empirical and objective science on its own merits and rights. Over the years, it was discovered, perhaps by accident, way back in 1868, by a Swiss biologist called Friedrich Meischer when he was differentiating nucleus properties in pus cells. Since then, DNA profiling has come a long way and has been used to provide due judicial process of justice in many criminal and non criminal cases. Alec Jeffreys and colleagues researching DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester arrived at certain startling facts (at that period of history) regarding the fact that â€Å"individual differences in based on repeat sequences in DNA.† Do occur that could help in criminal investigation. (Johnson & Williams, 2006). Further it was also seen that â€Å"The possibility of deriving DNA from the ‘abandoned property’ of criminal suspects left at crime scene generated huge interest amongst police investigators.† and could even assist result in cracking major criminal cases, where the perpetrators could remain at large due to lack of incriminating evidence against them. (Johnson & Williams, 2006, para.18). Since then, there have been many improvements in determining the speed, efficacy and conclusiveness of DNA profiling and its impact upon society as a composite and complete science. Over time dedicated DNA Scientific Research Centers have also been operationalised to aid and abet solving of social and criminal issues through the deployment of DNA profiling. These efforts have also met with a reasonable degree of success such that DNA fingerprinting has now come to represent a major scientific and anti-criminal breakthrough in recent times. DNA tests have also proved conclusive evidence in absolving innocent suspects who were languishing in jail accused on

Budgeting and management of organization-reflective review Essay

Budgeting and management of organization-reflective review - Essay Example The research covers a great deal of advantages of budgeting and how it helps an organization to increase its effectiveness and efficiency using budgeting. This research provides knowledge and the importance of budgeting in practical life. The disadvantages of budgeting are also covered in detail providing the drawbacks and flaws in budgeting. This research provides information and scenarios when budgeting should be used and when it should be ignored under the given situation. According to my view, the part that the research failed to address well was the other management tools and techniques that could be used by the company instead of budgeting. Too much emphasizes is laid on budgets whereas, companies are shifting from budgeting to other tools to monitor performance and accomplishment of goals and objectives such as balance scorecard and beyond budgeting. Other tools are not described in detail making budgets look superior over other tools. This research provides an extensive knowl edge of budgeting but this research somehow is overlooking the disadvantages of budgeting. The substitute management tools of budgets are limited making the research vague. Forecasting, balance scorecards and beyond budgeting are some of the most used techniques around the world but this research failed to cover the importance of these tools. ... For literature review, I had to surf the internet for articles and previous researches to begin my work with. This was an easy task as all the relevant information that I needed was already available on the internet from different sources. I just had to pick information from authentic sources. Finding articles regarding the topic was also an easy task as there was much about it on the internet. The difficulty that I faced was in the literature review process, it was consuming too much time. The information on budgets was vast and I had to choose only information that was relevant to my research. Reading the articles was the best part. Articles regarding the method and importance of budgeting in companies provided me with a lot of exposure. After reading those articles I learned the importance of budgeting in real life. To understand more about the concept of budgeting, I had to borrow some books from the library and went through them to provide me with additional and up-to-date infor mation. What I basically wanted to know through this research was that how could budgets help companies to improve their performance and the methods used by the companies to do so. The process of literature review took the most of my time as information regarding the topic had to be covered in detail to provide the importance of budgets in the company. The experience related to data collection and data analysis was tiring and more difficult than I assumed. The data was collected from secondary sources that included articles and previous researches that were conducted on budgeting. The primary data was collected through interviews from managers of different departments of the organization. It was difficult to gather information from the managers of different

Adderall Literature Review Essay Example for Free

Adderall Literature Review Essay According to DSM-IV (2005), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined as â€Å"persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and is more severe than is typically observed in individuals at comparable level of development.† A recent study suggests that 9% of U.S. school-aged children (3-17) are diagnosed with ADHD (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). At first, there was a misconception in society that ADHD only affected children and that eventually they would outgrow it. However, recent data suggests that 4. 4% of the U.S. adult population have ADHD. Studies also indicate that 30%-70% of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms as adults. (Desantis, 2008, p. 31) See more: Experiment on polytropic process Essay In terms of treating ADHD, Adderall is the most commonly prescribed medicine for children and adults. According to Desantis (as cited in Okie, 2006), â€Å"The number of American adults who are prescribed medication to treat the disorder has increased by 90% from 2002 to 2005, with adults receiving one-third of all prescriptions† (p. 32). Shire Pharmaceuticals introduced Adderall in 1996. In 2001, Shire introduced an extended release version known as Adderall XR. Adderall is a mixed salt amphetamine. It works to increase concentration and focus by stimulating the production of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain (Schiffner, 2010). For individuals with ADHD, Adderall produces enough dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain to bring them to a normal state of functioning and focus. For individuals without ADHD, Adderall tends to over-stimulate the brain, which results in an even higher level of functioning and focus. Adderall, along with cocaine and other substances, is classified as a Schedule II substance because of its potential for abuse and dependency both physically and psychologically. Consumption of Adderall by College Students The main subject being explored throughout this paper is the use of Adderall among college students. There have been numerous studies that have explored the overall usage of Adderall, but only a few have focused specifically on its consumption by college students. Studies have also been done on the illegal usage of other stimulants among college students, which highlight relative statistics. Nichols (2004) indicated, â€Å"†¦the United States Department of Health and Human Services found in an annual survey of drug use that 1.8 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 25, or 6 percent of those surveyed, admitted having taken Ritalin an older stimulant used to treat attention-deficit disorder without a prescription† (p. A41). This study indicates that there is a growing population of college students who consume non-prescribed stimulants. McCabe et al (2005), conducted a study in which 10,904 students were surveyed at 119 different 4-year colleges in the United States. From that study McCabe et al (2005) found that 6.9% of the students surveyed used an illegal prescription stimulant in their life. 4.1% of which used an illegal prescription stimulant in the past year. Also for the study, McCabe et al (2005) found that non-medical prescription stimulant users were â€Å"more likely to report use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, and other risky behaviors† (p. 96). Loe et al (2008) conducted a study on Adderall and Ritalin amongst the college population and results showed that students â€Å"†¦may resort to medical means to manage their time and to perform well inside and outside of the classroom† (p.8). Although the primary use of the drug is for academic purposes, students also turn to it for recreational purposes. Statistically, Loe et al (2008) reported, â€Å"75% of the students who took these meds indicated doing so for academic purposes. Students also list taking them for fun (68%), to stay awake (56%), and to party (50%) as other reasons† (p.8). Adderall may also help young adults improve their driving ability. It has been reported that individuals with ADHD are more likely to be at fault in driving accidents (Burgbacher and Brewer, 2006, p. 7) (as cited in Kay, 2005). This data indicates that students are finding alternative reasons for using stimulants and not just for academic purposes. Desantis et al (2008) surveyed 1,811 students at a large public institution in the southeast. Of the students surveyed, only 4% reported having a prescription to ADHD while 34% reported having used ADHD medication illegally (p. 32). Desantis et al (2008) also indicated that only 2% of the students believed Schedule II amphetamines posed a health risk. 81% of the students believed that ADHD medications were â€Å"not dangerous at all† or â€Å"slightly dangerous† (Desantis et al 2008, p. 33) More recently, Schwarz (2013), in an article for the New York Times, indicated (as cited in I.M.S. Health, 2011) that nearly 14 million monthly prescriptions for the condition were written for Americans ages 20-39, two and half times the 5.6 million just 4 years before. (p. 18) Each of these studies reported similar statistics and similar trends growing amongst the college population. Each study reported a high rate of students consuming non-medical ADHD medications. The more alarming statistic revealed by these studies is that non-medical prescription stimulant users were more likely to abuse other drugs and also believed that ADHD medications were not dangerous at all. This indicates that Adderall and other ADHD medications are becoming a gateway drug. It is also indicates that students may be justifying their usage of non-medical consumption of ADHD medication. Attainment of Adderall Studies show that Adderall is used very often which indicates that it is not difficult for a student to attain. Evidently, those without prescriptions find it rather easy to obtain Adderall. On college campuses, there are usually peers selling or willing to give away Adderall, which is a federal crime. Stolz (2012) put much of the blame on universities by stating that, â€Å"Universities are a large part of the problem. Student can simply go to the health clinic on campus and obtain a prescription for Adderall or an ADHD diagnosis. The process is easy for most, and many students are misdiagnosed in that manner. University clinics eliminate the need for these students to find and make appointments with a psychiatrist, which may take months and entails more stringent testing prior to diagnosis.† (p. 586) Studies also show that, along with universities, physicians often prescribe ADHD prescriptions without performing exact assessments that physicians are trained to perform (Nichols, 2004).   Furthermore, money is also areason for a student to seek an Adderall prescription. Based on the previous statistics mentioned, it is widely known that there is a high demand for Adderall on a college campus, which makes it a profitable investment. Not only does the individual who obtains the prescription benefit from the enhancement of their own academic performance, but also the potential to earn income by selling the pills (Stolz, 2012, p. 586). Loe et al (2008) reported that â€Å"Of the 68 students who claimed to have taken prescription stimulants without a prescription, a large majority, 87%, received the drugs from friends and family and 26% purchased the drug.† (p. 9). This statistic further verifies the simplicity in obtaining prescription stimulants. Health Concerns in Correlation with Adderall Consumption Along with the upside of the drug, as with any other drug, there is a downside that negatively affects individuals physically and psychologically. Negative side effects of Adderall consumption include difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, seizures, uncontrolled shaking and body movements, and hallucinations (Schiffner, 2010). The Medical Guide for Adderall (which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administrations) lists common side effects as, â€Å"Headache, decreased appetite, stomach ache, nervousness, trouble sleeping, mood swings, weight loss, dizziness, dry mouth, and fast heart beat† (Medication Guide, 2011, p. 17)   More drastic side effects may result from long periods of Adderall consumption, especially for individuals who do not have ADHD. Ultimately, this long term consumption can result in severe physical and psychological dependence. In a recent article in the New York Times, Schwarz (2013) (as cited from The Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2006) wrote, â€Å"†¦about 10 percent of adolescents and young adults who misused ADHD stimulants became addicted to them. Even proper, doctor supervised use of the medications can trigger psychotic behavior or suicidal thoughts in about 1 in 400 patients, according to a 2006 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry† (p. 18). In March 2005, Health Canada actually suspended the sale of Adderall XR based on 20 international reports of sudden death in patients (Kratochvil, 2005). Evidently, the long-term use of Adderall can cause major health issues including, severe dependence, psychotic behaviors, possible suicidal ideations, and even sudden death. Justifications for Illegal use of Adderall and Other Attention-deficit Medications In society, individuals with drug and substance abuse issues often try to justify their abuse. The main goal of Desantis’ (2008) study was to see how college students â€Å"conceive the drug and justify its use† (p.35). The first justification was comparing ADHD stimulants to party drugs. They asserted that it was morally justifiable to use ADHD stimulants because it was to promote a positive outcome (Desantis, 2008 p. 36). Another assertion was that ADHD stimulants were â€Å"good†, legal drugs because they come from medical establishments rather than â€Å"bad,† illegal street drugs (Desantis, 2008, p. 36). Other participants believed that there’s no high because it does not alter their mind and pose the same side effects in comparison to other illegal street drugs (Desantis, 2008 pp. 36-37). Other justifications indicated in Desantis’ (2008) study were that students use ADHD stimulants in moderation and therefore it is not harmful. Other students maintained that they use stimulants to self-medicate because they believe they have ADHD themselves and have not been diagnosed. The final rationalization is that ADHD stimulants are â€Å"harmless, benign, and a socially acceptable anti-fatigue aid† (Desantis, 2008, pp. 38-41). All in all, the previous research supplies recent qualitative and quantitative data that implies that Adderall and other ADHD stimulant consumption among the college population is a recurring and growing trend. Research also maintained that universities and physicians are also responsible for the drugs circulation. As a result of this research, it is evident that college-aged individuals are unaware of the major physical and psychological risks that can result from the illegal consumption of Adderall and also believe that their consumption is justifiable within society. For this study, a survey will be anonymously distributed among college campuses in the area containing both quantitative and qualitative questions about their experience and/or knowledge of Adderall. The sample population will be college students in the area between the ages of 18-25. The sample population will be selected anonymously and will remain anonymous because the study touches upon illegal activity. I will gain access to my subjects via social media networks (facebook, twitter, etc.). From the survey, I expect to obtain pertinent information that will help understand why college students consume non-prescribed Adderall, how they gain access to Adderall, and if they are aware of the risks that come along with Adderall consumption. References Burgbacher, Katie, and Amanda Brewer â€Å"Study of Adderall Use Among College Students: A New and Upcoming Trend† University of Kentucky. RUNNING HEAD: Research Project (2006). Pp 1-19 Desantis, Alan, and Audrey Curtis Hane. Adderall is Definitely Not a Drug: Justifications for the Illegal Use of ADHD Stimulants. Substance Use Misuse 45 (2008): 31-46. Print. Diagnostic criteria for attention deficit for hyperactivity disorder, (2005). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. American Psychiatric Association. Kratochvil, Christopher. Health Canada suspends Adderall. Brown University Child Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update 7 (2005): 12. Print. Loe, M. E., DeWitt, C. , Quirindongo, C. and Sandler, R. , 2006-08-11 Pharming to Perform in the Classroom: Making Sense of the Medically-Disciplined College Student Body Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Montreal Convention Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Online PDF. 2012-06-24 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p103442_index.html McCabe, S. E., et al (2005). Non-medical use of prescription opioids among U.S. college students: Prevalence and correlates from a national survey. Addictive Behaviors, 30(4), 96-106. Nichols, K. (2004). The other performance-enhancing drugs. Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(17), A41-A42. Okie, S. (2006). ADHD in adults. New England Journal of Medicine, 354:2637–2641. Schiffner, Jennifer. 2010. Harder, Better, Faster Stronger: Regulating Illicit Adderall Use Among Law Students and Law Schools Express Schwarz, Alan. Drowned in a stream of Prescriptions. The New York Times 3 Feb. 2013: 1, 18-20. Print. Stolz, Stefanie. Adderall Abuse: Regulating the Academic Steroid. Journal of Law and Education 41, No.3 (2011): 585-592. Print. Visser, SN, RH Bitsko, ML Danielson, and R Perou. Increasing Prevalence of Parent-Reported Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among Children United States, 2003 and 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 59.44 (2010): 1439-1443. Print.

Essay --

Macey and Schneider (2008) state that extraversion, conscientiousness, trait positive affectivity, and proactivity are personality characteristics that will impact employee engagement. It is also stated that job characteristics and characteristics of the organisation are likely to be strong determinants of engagement (Macey & Schneider 2008 p.6-7). Kahn (1990) provides a graphic analogy of an antecedent to engagement and compares job characteristics to donning a costume that influences you to give the best performance (Kahn 1990). Bakker et al, explain that over the last 50 years, many studies have identified that the work environment can have a major effect on employee well-being Bakker et al also argues that high levels of job demand can reduce an employee’s wellbeing at work and result in disengagement or burnout. However, job control, management coaching, autonomy and organisational support have also been found to consistently fuel engagement and form a barrier against str ess to manage the demands of the job (Bakker & Demerouti 2006). Personal resources such as optimism, self-efficacy, resilience and hope are characteristics of an individual’s psychological state called Psychological Capital. Personal resources are seen to be positive aspects of an individual and are the contributing factors of work engagement and job resources (Xanthopoulo et al 2009) It is also argued that an individual draws upon these positive emotions when engaged (Bakker & Leiter 2010 p). Luthans & Youssef (2007)found that the PsyCap construct is related to desired outcomes such as performance and job satisfaction. PsyCap has been defined as â€Å"an individual’s positive psychological state of development and it characterised by: 1) Self Efficacy – â€Å"h... ...te† †¢ â€Å"inconsistent management style based on the attitudes of individual managers, which leads to perceptions of unfairness† †¢ low levels of advocacy, which carry the risk of creating a downward spiral of employee resentment and disengagement †¢ lack of fluidity in communications and knowledge-sharing due to rigid communication channels or cultural norms †¢ poor work–life balance due to a long-hours culture †¢ low perceptions of senior management visibility and quality of downward communication.(quote) Development Dimensions International DDI (2005) states that a manager must do five things to create a highly engaged workforce. They are: †¢ Align efforts with strategy †¢ Empower †¢ Promote and encourage teamwork and collaboration †¢ Help people grow and develop †¢ Provide support and recognition where appropriate (Development Dimensions International DDI 2005)

What is Social Science Essay -- Sociology, Social Status, Social Inter

What is the job of social science? Social science focuses its attention on the social aspects of human nature; its job is to study how individuals can relate with and communicate with each other. â€Å"Social scientists study the social environment in which we live in an attempt to understand human society and to predict how people will interact in a given set of circumstances (Mack, 2004, p584). In this essay, I discuss the role of social science for societies and individuals, how individuals relate to societies and the function of rules in societies as a main concern of social science. Social science’s duty is to train human being how to deal with social status. As we were born, we were part of a society; we were a member of a family; families are the first breaks of societies. So, all of us were coping with social groups since we were born: families, schools, peer groups and even media shape our social environment. Mack (2004) noticed in his data, â€Å"All human beings are social. People have to interact with other people in order to survive. Since all human beings live in a society, which is to say that every person is a member of some human group, it is just reasonable to speak of a social environment† (p584). Social science teaches us, as members of society, how to deal and interact with social environment. The question is why do people need to learn that knowledge? The answer is that human being are social creatures, hence they need social science to improve their social abilities. It is hard for a human being to live by himself out of a society. Even thought it is possible for a human being to survive in solitude, without any kind of social connection, not all of his talent could flourish in isolation. Skills like communicati... ...ience knowledge is a powerful resource for understanding and coping with the growing complexities, uncertainties and risks in our world† (Kazancigil, 2003, p379). Individuals are the parts which form societies as a whole. Individuals have a mutual relationship with societies. Both of them are under the control of social science; social science’s tool for overseeing them is legislation. Various rules shape diverse societies where individuals interact differently. It is not an option to be a part of society or not, since we were born we became a part of society. So, as long as we relate to societies, we should care and learn about social science. Through social science we learn the reasons of our actions and our manners. If we required modifying our behaviours in order to mature and boom our talents, social science is here to help us and show us the ways. What is Social Science Essay -- Sociology, Social Status, Social Inter What is the job of social science? Social science focuses its attention on the social aspects of human nature; its job is to study how individuals can relate with and communicate with each other. â€Å"Social scientists study the social environment in which we live in an attempt to understand human society and to predict how people will interact in a given set of circumstances (Mack, 2004, p584). In this essay, I discuss the role of social science for societies and individuals, how individuals relate to societies and the function of rules in societies as a main concern of social science. Social science’s duty is to train human being how to deal with social status. As we were born, we were part of a society; we were a member of a family; families are the first breaks of societies. So, all of us were coping with social groups since we were born: families, schools, peer groups and even media shape our social environment. Mack (2004) noticed in his data, â€Å"All human beings are social. People have to interact with other people in order to survive. Since all human beings live in a society, which is to say that every person is a member of some human group, it is just reasonable to speak of a social environment† (p584). Social science teaches us, as members of society, how to deal and interact with social environment. The question is why do people need to learn that knowledge? The answer is that human being are social creatures, hence they need social science to improve their social abilities. It is hard for a human being to live by himself out of a society. Even thought it is possible for a human being to survive in solitude, without any kind of social connection, not all of his talent could flourish in isolation. Skills like communicati... ...ience knowledge is a powerful resource for understanding and coping with the growing complexities, uncertainties and risks in our world† (Kazancigil, 2003, p379). Individuals are the parts which form societies as a whole. Individuals have a mutual relationship with societies. Both of them are under the control of social science; social science’s tool for overseeing them is legislation. Various rules shape diverse societies where individuals interact differently. It is not an option to be a part of society or not, since we were born we became a part of society. So, as long as we relate to societies, we should care and learn about social science. Through social science we learn the reasons of our actions and our manners. If we required modifying our behaviours in order to mature and boom our talents, social science is here to help us and show us the ways.

“All the Single Ladies” by Kate Bolick (Rhetorical)

In the 2011, November issue of The Atlantic, the cover article titled â€Å"All The Single Ladies† by Kate Bolick, was published. This powerful article presents a strong, independent, feminist-minded woman, who discusses marriage with the economic and demographic changes, the role of women and men in education and the workplace, and how these shifts are changing traditional marriage. Bolick uses ethos, pathos, and logos to reach out to the â€Å"Single Ladies†, the feminists, and the enlightened men about marriage in today’s quickly changing world.In recent years, there has been an explosion of male joblessness and a decline in male income, educational attainment, and employment prospects. However, in this brave new world women are rising to the top higher than ever in their education and careers. The world is consistently changing. In one-way which differs from the past is the variety of our interactions with the opposite sex. Now the opposite sex can be our cla ssmates, bosses, or subordinates.Then come the debates that are all these statistics decreasing the group of traditionally â€Å"marriageable† men. Bolick explores how this new gender balance is giving people a fresh new outlook and prospect to re-think how they look at the institution of marriage. She explains how this shift is causing some women to choose to delay marriage, and why remaining single is not such a bad idea. Bolick demonstrates intrinsic ethos by being exceptionally knowledgeable about women’s success and the alterations of customary marriage.The single 39-year-old feminist, with a New York University master's degree in cultural criticism is a recipient of a MacDowell fellowship. She has also taught writing, which shows Bolick’s extraordinary literary credentials. With a blend of personal reflection and reporting, she equally adds together reflecting on her own life and experiences as well as interviewing others about their lives and encounters. Bolick shares many of her own personal dating experiences. She chooses to write about these ideas for the reason that it is her life and the way she was raised.Bolick relies heavily on the strong influences and encouragement from her mother as seen throughout the article, â€Å"[Not being ready to settle down] is a second-wave feminist idea I'd acquired from my mother, who had embraced it, in part, I suspect, to correct for her own choices† (Bolick 118). Her mother learned from her own mistakes, and wanted nothing more but a future of limitless possibilities for her daughter. This is why there was so much stress on not being tied down just yet.Due to Katie Bolick’s upbringing and choice to be a single woman, has strengthened her argument and credentials and makes her a credible voice in the debate about marriage. Bolick begins her essay in an interesting and heartfelt way, where she uses pathos while reaching out to her reader’s hearts and capturing the reader's interest. She specifically describes her break up with the perfect and exceptional boyfriend of three years for no good reason. Heartbreak is more than just an emotional defeat; it is painfully real. Readers connect and start to feel sorry for her when we read, â€Å"The period that followed was awful.I barely ate for sobbing all the time† (Bolick 116). This detached tone in her writing significantly shows and suggest Bolick’s attitude and feelings towards her painful past. Her readers can feel that this tone expresses tender emotions. Most members of her audience have likely been there before, recognizing the feeling of heartbreak she describes. However, at one point or another, the majority of people can relate to a mind numbing feeling: fears of being alone, fears of making a mistake. Bolick uses her emotional break up to engage the audience's emotions as they imagine and relate to the feeling.Bolick enforces a logical appeal as she demonstrates being a strong user of data and statistics. She supports all her informative ideas and arguments with evidence, that provides for her claims. As seen throughout the article are facts to back up her initial idea, such as: â€Å"For starters, we keep putting marriage off. In 1960, the median age of first marriage in the U. S. was 23 for men and 20 for women; today it is 28 and 26† (Bolick 120). She uses several statistics to show the growing number of marriages being delayed nowadays.She also successfully compares statistics of men’s and women’s education and workplace accounts. She has clearly done a great deal of research and it is shown here as well as in all of her statistics. These statistics not only add surprise and interest to her writing, but also add logical appeal. With Bolick’s efficient use of the data and facts, the article backs itself with rationale and logic which leads the audience to a greater understanding and to logically infer and agree with her agreemen t of why the shift in marriages is currently on hold.These statistics displayed by the author are logically appealing and unmistakably apparent in her perspective and studies. Throughout the article, Bolick successfully and skillfully uses ethos, pathos, and logos to create a strong, convincing article. More important than the purpose of these techniques she uses independently is how Bolick uses them together, overlapping to create effective writing to inform the reader, and present her ideas on how the world around us is changing therefore, altering the idea of family and romance.In today’s world, education, the workplace, and marriage is very different from what it use to be. It is time to reevaluate marriage. As the economy evolves, we are now offered an opportunity. It is time to embrace new ideas and thoughts about romance relationships and family, acknowledging and kissing traditional marriages goodbye. Works Cited Bolick, Kate. â€Å"All The Single Ladies. † Atl antic Monthly (10727825) 308. 4 (2011): 116-136. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.

Ethical behavior principle Essay

The behavior of each and every person is control by moral and the guiding principles. This is normally portrayed in our daily usual acts, and hence shaping of our ethical behavior is critical in the making sound decision and upholds the trust of the public. A successful business is only possible if there is a strong and profound held value. Most companies will set up strategy of coming up with the required values in order to attract their prospective clients, manage their workers, and attained the expected development of the company. The guiding principles of ethical behaviors which these companies will struggle to uphold are based on the values. According to American Psychological Association, (1953) these values include beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, respects for people’s rights, and dignity. Coordination and active participation of the workers will be of great importance in attracting the attention of the clients. In any organization, leaders will continually strive to ensure that their company achieved its standard. Their main aim is to make sure that the rights of the employees are taken care of, and that the company in general performs well at all cost. In order to achieve this, their actions will be guided by the ethical values which will assist them in the decision making processes (Leal, 1998).

One to one communication interaction Essay

In this activity, I will be carrying out two interactions, one with an individual and one with a group of service users. For my individual interaction I have chosen to work with a service user from my workplace. I am a social tutor working with deaf and blind adults. I will take an activity with a group of young children in a local school for my group interaction. After these interactions have taken place, I will look at and discuss the types of communication skills shown, and I will also describe the interpersonal interaction that occurred. Communication with other people involves a process that most of us take for granted. We need to pass information using a form of code from one individual to another. A code is a communication system, which contains elements, which all individuals will understand. This could be verbal, non-verbal i.e. body language, Braille, sign language, writing, pictures or even music to convey a message (CCMS, 2006). We need to express our thoughts to another person using methods of communication. The other person thinks about our communication and responds. We then check the response, whether the communication has been correctly interpreted, and if not we need to clarify our communication. Gerard Egan (1986) states that ‘the goal of listening is understanding’. (Moonie, 2005) see more:describe the impact the behaviours of carers and others may have on an individual with dementia I had chosen to work with a male service user, a resident at my workplace. I will refer to this service user as Mr A throughout this report, to protect his identity. This is important, as confidentiality is a basic human right. Law protects confidentiality through the Data Protection Act 1988, and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Maintaining confidentiality also forms part of the Care Standards Act 2000, and staff in health and social care are expected to work within the boundaries of confidentiality. Before I undertook my individual interaction, I gave some thought to how I could get as much conversation as possible. Mr A has very limited sight and good hearing. He has a pair of glasses but does not like to wear them. He also has learning disabilities, which makes his ability to respond verbally quite difficult. As I know Mr A well, I will use informal conversation, also a formal interview would not be appropriate due to Mr A’s conversational skills. Informal is defined as â€Å"without ceremony or formality; relaxed and friendly.† (Chambers, 2007) Taking this into account I thought of a few questions, which would be easy for him to respond to. I had open questions in my head, such as ‘what are you doing today’ ‘what would you like for breakfast’ and ‘how was your evening’. Using open questions, I hoped to encourage conversation and interaction between us. Closed questions, which only require a yes or no answer, would not be productive to this activity, however due to Mr A’s disabilities I may have to use closed questions at times. As I have worked with Mr A for two years, I already have a good relationship with him. Mr A requires a lot of support with his personal needs, but likes to be as independent as possible. Talking to other staff, reading Mr A’s care plan and observations I have made during the time I have worked with Mr A has allowed me to build up a good relationship with him, and knowledge of how he likes to communicate. I know when to offer support, and Mr A appears to like me. Mr A makes it quite clear when he is unhappy by shouting. On Tuesday 19th December 2006 at 9am I went to my workplace. The weather was dull and cold outside. Mr A was sat in his usual chair in the living room. He had his arms relaxed by his side, and one knee across the other. There was one other service user in the room, and the radio was on low. The radio is always on for Mr A; he likes to listen to either the radio or the television at all times. Another member of staff was also in the living room writing up paper work. The temperature was warm, the room was well lit but not too bright and the atmosphere was calm. Mr A appeared relaxed. My body language was relaxed, and I smiled and said ‘good morning’ to Mr A, and he said ‘yeah’ in response. He shuffled around in his chair at little as he spoke to me. I sat in a chair in close proximity to Mr A so that he would be able to hear me clearly above any background noise, and know where I was location to him as he has very limited sight. Mr A needs a lot of help with his needs, and he is comfortable with carers in his personal space. I sat relaxed, with my body turned towards Mr A, my arms leaning across my knees. I made sure I looked at Mr A so when I spoke to him he would know I was making as much eye contact as possible. Mr A does not make eye contact with anybody, he tends to look down towards his knees and occasionally look up towards the centre of the room. Although Mr A was not making eye contact with me, I felt it important to maintain contact, as I may be able to guess his thoughts and feelings by looking at his eyes. Mr A settled back into his chair and his body posture was relaxed. With my voice at a calm slow pitch I said ‘who is it Mr A’, Mr A said ‘Sarah been on days too long’. This is an affectionate term for Mr A. I responded with ‘yes I think it is time I had a holiday’ and Mr A laughed and said ‘its time you did’. I laughed with Mr A to show I found his remark amusing. He shuffled around a little in his chair again. I continued to talk to Mr A in a varying tone to ensure my voice sent a friendly message. I asked Mr A how he was feeling today and he said ‘yeah’. I asked him if he was feeling poorly and he said ‘didn’t say that’, so I asked him if he was feeling well. Mr A responded ‘yeah’. By maintaining eye contact and looking interested, I assured Mr A that I was actively listening. Mr A’s receptive language is very good however his expressive language is very limited. In order to find out something from Mr A I have to clarify what it is I want to know. By asking if he felt poorly or well first I knew from experience that Mr A would respond ‘didn’t say that’ to the wrong one. I paraphrased what I had asked, reflecting back on the question to ensure I had understood what Mr A was telling me. I touched Mr A on the arm and told him that I was pleased he felt well. I felt touch was appropriate in this instance, however I recognise that this is not always the case. I asked Mr A if he would like some breakfast, and he responded ‘yeah’. He got up from the chair and made his way to the dining table. Mr A is very good at finding his way around the house and does not like being guided. By not intervening until Mr A asks for help, I am empowering him. This gives Mr A a feeling of confidence and higher self esteem. He sat down in his usual place. I asked him if it was ok to put an apron on him, he responded ‘yeah’ and lifted his arms up so I could tie the apron. It is important to offer choice to Mr A as this empowers him further. Mr A has muscle wastage in his right arm and has very little use of it. He eats well out of a specially designed bowl and a special spoon using his left hand. Mr A is unable to put cereal or milk into the bowl himself, or to spread toast or make drinks. He requires someone to do this for him. I asked Mr A what he would like for breakfast. Mr A responded ‘not much’. This is a typical response so I asked whether he would like Weetabix or Shreddies. This again ensured Mr A had a choice. Mr A answered ‘Weetabix’. Mr A will most often copy the last thing a person says, so I encourage his responses by saying the cereal he has every morning first. After Mr A had finished his Weetabix I asked him if he would like any toast and he said ‘yeah’. I then asked Mr A if he would like marmite on his toast. Mr A responded ‘didn’t say that’ and shuffled around in his chair, indicating to me that he was not very happy. His body language became defensive as he turned away from me. With my voice at a calm slow pitch I asked Mr A if he would like jam on his toast (which he always has) and Mr A said ‘yeah’. I used this tone of voice to calm the situation. Mr A then relaxed and turned back towards the sound of my voice. The questions used at this point were closed because I know that Mr A has little expressive language so at times this is unavoidable. I thought I would offer Mr A a drink at this point so I asked him what he would like to drink. Mr A answered ‘tea’, so I went and made him a cup of tea. After he had finished the tea he stood up and made his way to the kitchen with his cup. He removed his apron and held it out to me. I asked Mr A what he wanted me to do with the apron and he responded ‘rubbish’ so I took the apron and threw it in the bin. Mr A then made his way back to his chair in the lounge. He sat down and crossed his legs, tapping his foot to the song on the radio. I sat back down in the chair close to Mr A, again with my body posture relaxed. I asked Mr A if I could turn off the radio and talk. Mr A’s muscle tone became rigid and he started shouting ‘that’s stupid’ over and over again. I waited a moment until he calmed down and stopped shouting, and then, using a calm, quiet tone of voice, I said ‘we can talk with the radio on low’ and Mr A responded ‘yeah’. I asked Mr A what he had done yesterday evening. Mr A did not respond, so I waited a few moments before I asked if he had been busy yesterday after tea. Mr A said ‘not much’. I asked him I if he had been out and he said no. I asked him if he had listened to the TV or the radio, Mr A answered ‘TV times’ which means he listened to the TV. Mr A was shuffling gently in his chair as he spoke to me and he seemed very relaxed. He uncrossed his legs and crossed them the other way so he was facing towards me even more. I was still sat in the same relaxed position, with my arms resting on my knees, turned towards Mr A as much as possible. I asked Mr A what he would be doing today, again Mr A responded ‘not much’. I asked him if he was going out and he said ‘don’t know about it’, I said to Mr A that he would have to think about it and see how he felt later. I told Mr A that I was going to put my feet up for the rest of the day and do no work. Mr A laughed at me and said ‘she does that sometimes!’ I asked Mr A if he had enjoyed talking to me this morning and he answered ‘yeah’. I touched Mr A on the arm again and said goodbye. Mr A responded ‘Yeah’ and continued to tap his foot. I felt the interaction went very well. Mr A responded very well in conversation, and I feel that was due to the factors involved. The location was quiet, warm and calm. Mr A was seated in an environment he is very comfortable with. Mr A appeared comfortable with the proximity, that is, the fact I have to be very close to him, in his personal space. This is due to his personal difficulties, and his need for support with a lot of his personal needs. As he is quite an elderly gentleman, he has relied on carers being very close to him and helping him do things his whole life and seems very comfortable with this. If the support offered to Mr A is more than he wishes for, he quickly becomes very angry. At no time did Mr A appear to be unhappy with the support I gave him. During the interaction, Mr A was not able to see my body language due to his visual disability, however I sat close to him and faced him at all times so he would be aware that I was listening fully. Mr A’s body language was good throughout most of the interaction, he leant towards me and his muscle tone was relaxed. My body language was relaxed throughout the interaction, both when seated and when assisting Mr A with his breakfast. Mr A does not use hand gestures when he speaks, mostly due to his muscle wastage in his right arm. At one point when I asked him if he would like marmite on his toast, he exhibited a little negative body language by turning away from me. When I suggested turning off the radio Mr A’s muscle tone became very rigid and he shouted at me. This was an indicator that Mr A was very unhappy with the suggestion and wanted the radio left on. The radio was turned down low and did not hamper the conversation in any way as we could clearly hear each other. My conversation with Mr A was informal. This is because I know Mr A very well so do not need to speak to him in a formal manner. I gave Mr A appropriate lengths of time to respond to my questions, and I listened carefully to his answers. By giving Mr A time to respond to my questions, I ensured that he had time to think about what I was asking, and formulate the correct response. I followed up by responding to his answers with appropriate further conversation. At one point I had to clarify a question by changing it from asking ‘what he had done yesterday evening’ to ‘if he had been busy yesterday after tea’. By asking the question in a different way I was checking that Mr A had fully understand what information I required from him. This in turn encouraged Mr A to respond when maybe he did not wish to, or maybe did not understand the question. Mr A is a person who likes to be as independent as possible. He appreciates when I understand his needs and what he is trying to tell me. Throughout my interaction with Mr A I used empathy at all times. Empathy is â€Å"a person’s awareness of the emotional state of another person and their ability to share an experience with them† (Richards, 2003, p.121). I was aware of Mr A’s emotional state and my ability to build an understanding. On two occasions I touched Mr A’s arm briefly to show friendliness and compassion. I feel Mr A was very responsive to our interaction and I was very happy with how it went. I think that given Mr A’s verbal disabilities I engaged him in a good conversation, listened well and used correct techniques to aid this. I also provided him with the correct amount of support during his breakfast. The other staff member present in the room was my deputy manager. I asked her to complete a witness statement for my to say I had completed an interaction with Mr A. She agreed to this. I also asked her for feedback on the techniques I had used, and how she felt the interaction went. She told me that I had engaged Mr A well. When Mr A is listening to the radio he doesn’t always want to talk. He responded that he was happy to talk to me with the radio turned down low. She said Mr A appeared very relaxed and seemed to enjoy talking to me. He was also happy to go to the dining table and let me assist him in getting some breakfast. When asked, Mr A said he had enjoyed talking to me. He also appeared to be happy with the support I offered him when getting his breakfast. As he can become angry quite easily when offered too much support, I also felt this was good feedback.