QUALITATIVE STUDY OF REASONS FOR NON- PARTICIPATION IN REGULAR Essay

QUALITATIVE STUDY OF REASONS FOR NON- PARTICIPATION IN REGULAR PHYSICAL RECREATION - Essay Example Therefore, it is vital to address this issue and comprehend the reasons why some women do not take part in leisureliness activities. The ‘qualitative’ study in this report deliberates the chief subjects or motives for non-partaking from women and likens these motives between matrimonial men and women. In the beginning this research, will provide a brief review of some previous research in this field mainly the reasons for not taking part in physical activity. In the second part, this research will provide a short description of the research method employed to collect data for quantitative research and lastly, it will illustrate and demonstrate the main reason for non-participation in physical recreation of married women and men. Literature Review There have been various studies concerning the subject of non-participation of married men and women in regular physical recreation. From various studies carried out earlier, a significant number of married men and women have li mited time to take part in regular physical activity because of various roles at hand. Time insufficiency according to research is the feeling that a person does not have adequate time to carry out all things that one would like to carry out. This has become one of the big complications that both men and women are encountering currently. Various researches have reported that time issues are the most regularly stated explanations or causes for not taking part in regular recreational activities (Thomsson, 2004). Lack of adequate time is also considered as the most limiting aspect to various individuals who desire to take part in a multiplicity of recreational activities, as well as for not using homegrown park and recreation services. Research shows that married women are at a greater disadvantage concerning time for regular recreation than men. This is because of various household responsibilities and family devotions compared to their male counterparts. Further studies have revealed that both working and unemployed married women have limited time for recreation activities than their husbands.it has been emphasized by research that limited time because of family responsibilities was noted by women as a primary barriers in early and later family stages. In addition, lack of enough finances also causes lack of participation in regular recreational activities. Research shows that low income limits access to the resources and abilities necessary to take part in a range of recreation activities. This is because finance is positively related to participation in various sorts of leisure activities, as well as use of public park and recreation resources. For instance, the development of outdoor recreation has also been ascribed to an increase in the gross national product and individual incomes. Family magnitudes have reduced over the years and the fraction of married partners with children in the populace has minimized. Concurrently, the portion of ‘single-paren t’ families has increased; however, single-parent families characteristically have lesser earnings, a lesser amount of movement, and a lesser amount of free time than do two-parent families do (Torkildsen, 2007). Thus, single-parent families are expected to profit from outdoor recreation chances that are near to their homes. In addition, coming from unprivileged homes or lack of sources because of proceeds means that some married couples cannot take part in recreational acti

Gambling among Adolescents in North America Essay Example for Free

Gambling among Adolescents in North America Essay Lottery, card games, sports betting and money wagers. These are a few kinds of gambling that adults engage in; however, the youth of today are also found to be gambling more than adults (Derevensky Gupta, 2002; Huang Boyer, 2007). According to Derevensky Gupta (2002), there is an alarmingly high percentage of children and adolescents engaged in gambling activities. In a long-term analysis between 1984 to 1999, it was found that the prevalence of youth gambling in North America increased from 45% to 66% and that the proportion of the youth who have serious gambling-related problems have increased as well from 10% to 15% in the same time period (Huang Boyer, 2007). In the past 25 years in the United States and Canada, it has been found that the youth is significantly associated with gambling-related problems; the percentage of youth classified under the Sub-clinical or problem gambling (Level 2) and the pathological gambling (Level 3) were at 14. 6% and 4. 8% respectively in 2006, which is more than twice of the adults who only have a percentage of 2. 5% and 1. 5% each (ibid). Among the youth, it has also been found that more young men gamble more than women and they are also identified to be problem gamblers than young women and even among adults (Huang Boyer, 2007). In North America today, approximately 80% of adolescents have participated in some form of gambling for money within in their lifetime (Felsher, Derevensky Gupta, 2003; Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). This is an alarming rate. The number of youth who are engaged in adolescent gambling is higher today more than ever before and it is starting to become a serious public health issue that many nations, especially the United States and Canada, are trying to address (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Considerable research by psychologist and sociologists are being conducted regarding this problem. This paper will identify the causes of adolescent gambling, its consequences and what psychologists and the government are doing to treat this issue. Causes of Adolescent Gambling The availability and accessibility of gambling increased progressively in the United States and Canada from 1984-1999, which was also the time that an increase in youth gambling also occurred (Derevensky Gupta, 2002). This increase in youth gambling has been attributed to the support of the two governments in the lucrative gambling industry. Political economy theories of Sauer maintain that this is due to the need for revenue generation of the large governments (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). The youth have become exposed to numerous gambling establishments, directly and indirectly (Felsher et al, 2003). The widespread legalization of the different kinds of gambling in North America has greatly exposed the youth to the addictive game (ibid; Huang Boyer, 2007). Gambling has already become a â€Å"well-established recreational form of entertainment† (Felsher et al, 2003) and there is already an estimated 15. 3million adolescents in North America who have engaged in gambling activities and 2. 2 million of these are problem or pathological gamblers (Huang Boyer, 2007). Among 12-17 year old Americans, 4%–8% of them are already pathological gamblers and another 10%–15% of the youth are at risk of developing a serious problem (Felsher et al. , 2003; Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Adolescents gamble because they are tempted by the â€Å"lure of excitement, entertainment, and potential financial gain associated with gambling† (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Increased exposure to gambling will teach the kids to gamble, and the social learning theory of Albert Bandura points out the role of observation and imitation in the acquisition and maintenance of socially desirable and undesirable characteristics (Felsher et al. , 2003). The increased exposure they have in gambling influences them to do the same. Family and friends are the primary reference groups, but it is the parents who have a stronger influence since they occur earlier than the peer group (ibid). The parents are observed to be having fun and adolescents surveyed said they gamble because their parents play for enjoyment and excitement, and it is the parents who play their children and engage them in gambling (ibid). In the social learning theory, there are six mechanisms identified that is involved in the development of gambling and these are: 1) affective states such as anxiety or depression; 2) cognitive distortions about gambling; 3) behavioral reinforcement schedules; 4) social and institutional determinants such as opportunity to gamble; 5) sub-cultural conditions like prevailing attitude towards gambling and values of the adolescent’s social context and reference groups (as seen in the preceding paragraph); and 6) internal fantasy relationships with personifications like the parents or â€Å"lady luck† (Upfold, 2007). Lottery is the most favored form of gambling by adolescents because of its ease of accessibility and the minimal amount of money required to participate in the draw (Felsher et al. , 2003). Parents purchase the lottery tickets and they include their children in their gambling activity by asking for their advice, such as what number/s they should pick, let them carry the money, fill in the lottery stubs, scratching the numbers, etc. (ibid). This observation and direct participation of gambling from significant reference groups, such as the parents, influences the youth’s participation in gambling activities (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). The parental acceptance of gambling as a recreational activity further encourages the youth to partake in it (Felsher et al. , 2003). Adolescents who gamble say that they have learned it from their parents. 15% of children made first bet with their parents and another 20% with other family members (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Parents gamble in close proximity to their children and they have a poor understanding of the negative consequences that this will have on their child (ibid). The Cognitive-Behavioral Model, which is part of the social-learning theory, may explain this cause. The model is based on the principles of learning from imitation, observation, schedules of enforcement and cognition or how the youth would interpret and draw conclusions about the events around him or her (Upfold, 2007). They are enforced to gamble since the adolescents report that their parents are aware of their gambling and that they do not object to it; 50% of parents are aware and are not worried, disregarding the age of the child (Felsher et al. , 2003). 58. 5% of children in the study of Felsher et al. (2003) also say that they wager money with their parents, hence they are taught to gamble; some parents even purchase lottery tickets for their child’s behalf and it has been found that the more severe gambling a child is doing, the more tickets there are purchased by parents. Also, adolescents who were found to be regularly gambling report that they gamble with their family members and 40% say they do it with their parents (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). â€Å"Problem gambling is governed by a complex set of interrelating factors, causes, and determinants: biological, familial, behavioral, social, and environmental† (ibid). Under environmental, ease of access of online-gambling sites on the Internet is a new problem since the youth can easily access it and can be enticed by the visual appeals of Internet gambling (ibid). Another important reference point and part of the environmental factor which indirectly teaches gambling to children and reinforces it is the school. There are schools who promote gambling through fundraising activities including lottery, raffle draws, bingo, casino nights, and by permitting card playing within schools (ibid). Another explanation for causes of gambling is the Psychodynamic Model, which proposes that personal problems â€Å"lie within the psyche and are an attempt at self-healing or a strategy of resolving unconscious psychic conflicts†¦beyond voluntary control,† (Upfold, 2007), hence the individual continues to engage in gambling. There are three main components in this model and they are: 1) Gambling is an unconscious substitute for aggressive outlets; 2) Gambling involves an unconscious desire to lose- a wish to be punished in reaction to guilt; and 3) Gambling is a medium for continued enactment of psychological conflict (ibid). Adolescents do not engage in gambling for money but for excitement and enjoyment; through video lottery terminals, sports betting, cards, lotteries, bingo and other forms of gambling, adolescents with a gambling problem exhibit a number of dissociative behaviors such as escape into another world where they have altered egos (Derevensky Gupta, 2002). Their personality traits that are correlated with risk-taking behavior such as excitable, extroverted, anxious and lower self-discipline show that they have poor coping and adaptive skills, so when they cannot cope with many hardships in their life or the stress of being a teenager, they gamble to â€Å"escape from the realities of daily life† (ibid). Gambling has been a way for adolescents who experience negative life events and use emotional-coping strategies to escape their problems, even if they have claimed to have social support from their peers (ibid; Bergevin, Gupta Derevensky, 2006). The Trait Theory of Gambling is also part of the psychodynamic model and it show that there are certain personalities that is related to the problem of gambling such as depression, anti-social personality disorder- particularly for pathological gamblers, and narcissism- as seen in the compulsive gamblers (Upfold, 2007). Other identified risk factors that may lead to adolescent gambling include male gender, alcohol and drug use, deviant peers, family history of gambling, and impulsive behavior (Pietrzak, Ladd Petry, 2003). Consequences of Adolescent Gambling The consequences of adolescent gambling are somewhat similar to that of adult gamblers; they not only affect themselves but society as a whole. Adolescent gambling does not only affect the individual adolescent but their families, peers, communities and health services (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). The consequences the adolescent gamblers face are widespread and affects their psychological, behavioral, legal, academic, family and interpersonal domains- they become delinquent, have poor academic performance, impair their academic performance or even drop out from school, disrupt their relationship with family and friends, and display criminal behavior (ibid). They face negative health, psychological, social, personal and financial consequences that is why gambling is becoming a public health issue (ibid). It has been found that there is a strong correlation between adolescent gambling and the increased likelihood to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco and use drugs (Hardoon, Gupta Derevensky, 2004). Huang Boyer (2007) also says that adolescent gamblers are more likely to experience psychiatric problems, especially substance use disorders. The common factors that lead to this among adolescents are low self-esteem, depression, suicidal thoughts, victim of abuse, poor school performance, history of delinquency, poor impulse control, being male, early onset of gambling, parental history of gambling, and community/family acceptance of gambling (ibid). This will greatly affect the future of the youth since all that they indulge in is gambling. They become dissociated from the real world and spend much of their time gambling that they do not get to develop themselves as individuals anymore. They become more susceptible to suicide ideation and attempts, they replace their old friends with their gambling associates and they have a higher risk to develop an addiction or poly addictions (Gupta Derevensky, 2002). In the study of Felsher et al. (2003), they found that 94% of young male gamblers and 93% of young female gamblers are not afraid to get caught. This shows their lack of concern on what may happen to them if they are caught and this may also show the acceptance of their parents. Since parents and most institutions fail to recognize gambling as a serious problem or certain activities to be gambling (Derevensky and Gupta, 2002), the adolescents are at a higher risk to further develop their gambling addiction. The course of gambling varies from one individual to another; however, the social learning theory shows that since gambling behavior is acquired it can be thought of as a continuum or stages from problem-free gambling all the way to pathological gambling (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005; Upfold, 2007). Messerlian Derevensky (2005) states that â€Å"as gambling escalates and one moves along the continuum of gambling risk, the negative outcomes begin to outweigh any potential benefits† and this is when they would start experiencing different kinds of impaired personal, health, financial and social consequences. Treatments to Adolescent Gambling The numerous psychosocial costs of gambling to the individual, his/her family and to the community shows that this is a problem that must be addressed and treated (Derevensky and Gupta, 2002). Some adolescents do not know that they have a gambling addiction or disorder and this prevents them from getting proper treatment (ibid) however, with the intervention of family, friends or event the school, the adolescent may get treated. There are several kinds of treatment for adolescents who are already problem or pathological gamblers. Before these are discussed, prevention models for gambling will be discussed first since prevention is better than cure. Government policies should be stricter regarding gambling, particularly On-line gambling since that is readily accessible to the youth. Public policies that can influence the social environment and minimize unhealthy gambling behavior such as â€Å"legislation on advertising and promotion, laws regulating minimum age-requirements and their enforcement, provision of programs for harm minimization, fiscal measures, and regulation of the availability of products† should be balanced with the economic gains of the gambling industry (Messerlian Derevensky 2005). Other prevention models suggested by Derevensky Gupta (2002) include the need for awareness of the problem; activities that increase knowledge on adolescent gambling; programs to help modify and change attitude that gambling is not harmless; teaching of effective coping and adaptive skills to prevent problematic gambling; changing inappropriate conceptions about skill and luck, the illusion of control and independence in gambling activities; and identification, assessment and referral of students who are indicative of being at risk to gambling problems. Psychosocial approaches are one of the methods used to treat pathological gambling and this for adults this includes Gamblers Anonymous (Pietrzak et al. , 2006). For the adolescents several youth groups have been formed such as youthbet. net in Canada and wannabet. org in the United States; these website are managed by youths and non-governmental organizations to offer assistance and collaboration to adolescents (Messerlian Derevensky, 2005). Piertzak et al. (2006) found that cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and eclectic therapy have been helpful in reducing problematic gambling behaviors. CBT involves altering the inaccurate perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of adolescents about gambling. The eclectic therapy is the individual approach to treating gambling problems and consists of: detailed assessment, acceptance of the problem, development of effective coping skills, restructuring of free time, involvement of family and social supports, cognitive restructuring, establishment of debt payment plans and relapse prevention (ibid). The motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is also used and is based on the concept that behavior change occurs through identifiable stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, action and maintenance (ibid). In this approach, the therapist is non-confrontational and elicits the adolescent’s understanding of the consequences of gambling and strengthens the commitment to change the ways of the individual; since it has a shorter duration that CBT and other therapies, MET is recommended for onset problems (ibid). A disease model is also sometimes used to treat gambling problems. In this approach, the compulsive gambler is made to embrace abstinence from gambling, to participate in self-help groups and to maintain abstinence by going through therapy to deal with previous or latent psychological problems (Upfold, 2007). There is also the Ecological Approach wherein gambling behavior is viewed from multiple perspectives and addresses the behavior from an individual and socio-environmental level where interventions are made at five levels that affects an individual to gamble: biological, familial, behavioral, social and environmental (Messerlian Derevesnky, 2005). Internal and external factors cause an adolescent to gamble. Occasional gambling is harmless but once exposed to gambling especially at a young age, gambling problems may occur and develop into an addiction, which may affect the social, academic and personal life of the adolescent. Treatments vary such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, eclectic therapy, motivational-enhancement therapy and ecological approach; however, prevention of adolescent gambling is still the best and this can be done through increased awareness about the public health problem and stricter government policies regarding access of adolescents to gambling venues, especially online gambling. Bibliography Bergevin, T. , Gupta, R. and Derevensky, J. (2006). Adolescent gambling: Understanding the role of stress and coping. Journal of Gambling Studies, (22), 195-208. Derevensky, J. L. and Gupta, R. (2002). Youth gambling: A clinical and research perspective. The Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www. camh. net/egambling/issue2/feature/index. html Felsher, J. R. , Derevensky, J. L. , Gupta, R. (2003). Parental influences and social modelling of youth lottery participation. Journal of Community Applied Social Psychology, 13: 361-377. Hardoon, K. K. , Gupta, R. and Derevensky, J. L. (2004). Psychosocial variables associated with adolescent gambling. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18 (2), 170 – 179. Huang, J. H. and Boyer, R.. (2007). Epidemiology of youth gambling problems in Canada: A national prevalence study. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52 (10). Messerlian, C. and Derevensky, M. (2005). Youth gambling: A public health perspective. Journal of Gambling Issues (14). Pietrzak, R. H. , Ladd, G. T. and Petry, N. M. (2003). Disordered gambling in adolescents: Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment. Pediatr Drugs, 5 (9), 583 – 592. Upfold, Darryl. (2007). An introduction to conceptual models of problem gambling. Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved April 13, 2008, from http://www. problemgambling. ca/EN/ResourcesForProfessionals/Pages/AnIntroductiontoConceptualModelsofProblemGambling. aspx

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Students, faculty, family, friends, on this exciting day, I speak to optimism, laughter, and grins. As I was gathering input for this graduation speech, several people suggested including a profound quote offering â€Å"encouraging advice to the young graduates†, and then there were others who said, â€Å"eh don’t worry about it, no one listens to those anyway.† Fortunately, I was actually able to take from both suggestions and found a happy balance. You see, I won’t tell you today to: â€Å"Dare to dream† or â€Å"Find your own vision† or even to â€Å"Strive for excellence,† or any trite clichà © that’s ever been said in a graduation speech. So this might not be your typical commencement. I have no list of â€Å"Do’s and Don’ts† for you. I don’t have any funny stories about politicians or teachers. I don’t have any jokes, nor do I have any interesting quotes from real famous people. And so you may be wondering. Why? Because there are only a few times in life where you can really have time to sit, relax, and at least pretend to be interested in another kid’s advice on what works for them. This is one of those times where I get to fill you in on what has kept me going, trusting that you can relate. First, in attempt to take the advice to include a symbolic quote, it became quite clear that no matter what, life is an endless stream of contradictions and inconsistencies. You see, they tell us that â€Å"haste makes waste,† but then, â€Å"the early bird gets the worm.† And â€Å"don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today,† but we’re supposed to â€Å"stop and smell the roses†? When do we have time to smell the roses when we’re busy doing everything today? And how do you â€Å"shoot for the moon† when you are being told to â€Å"wish upon a star†? I mean come on.... ... and be proud of all you have accomplished here at McNeil. Sure it’s long, sure we have tons of kids in our class, but stare at everyone’s shoes or something. Laugh it up at the kid who is wearing flip flops. Chuckle at the girl who is only 4’11† and takes 5 strides for each of your 2. Er, wait, that’s me. Enjoy this moment. Don’t rush through these motions. This is a significant event. It does deserve grins, laughter, and an optimistic attitude. Life will run you by if you don’t take time to enjoy all the small things. And remember, it’s those little things that make life funny. People should laugh at most of the things in life, cry at a few, and be neutral at hardly anything. Guys, I thank you. It has been an honor to serve as your class president. Good luck. Now, I am going to make like America Online Instant Messenger and sign off with an L-O-L. Good bye.

Construction Planning and Scheduling

Introduction Construction activities are often exposed to various weather conditions, and often construction productivity is dependent on these weather conditions. Weather conditions are local, seasonal, and sometimes unusual. Inclement weather conditions often result in project disruptions, delays, and disputes between the project parties. Many trades such as earthwork, concrete, roofing, and landscaping are often affected by severe weather, meanwhile other trades such as carpet installers or sheetrock installers may not be directly affected by the weather.Owners, general contractors, and subcontractors all face many risks associated with weather conditions. In order to mediate weather risks, all of the involved construction parties adopt various strategies; purchase insurance, and contract options. Typically project owners try and allocate the risks related with weather delays by adding weather clauses in the contract provisions. The goal of this paper is to discuss the impact of w eather delays in construction projects. A construction schedule should include a developed plan to allow for adverse weather. The weather considerations should be addressed during contract negotiation.By accounting for weather integration in the contract and in the baseline schedule owners and the contractor can reduce the risk of disputes from weather impacts and avoiding the rejection of claims dealing with unforeseeable or unusually severe weather. Most contracts nowadays have integrated weather calendars in the schedule. Adverse Weather Adverse weather, commonly referred to as severe weather, is any weather condition, rain, snow, temperature that exceeds historical data gathered over a specific period of time to establish what could be reasonably expected over the course of the construction project.Establishing unusually severe weather can be a challenging task. The most common method is to compare the actual weather experienced on the project to a historical normal for the same location. By using historical data a normal or expected level of severe weather can be established for a given time period. (Long 2010) Normal Weather Severe weather conditions should be incorporated in all construction contracts and in the contract it should specify the difference between normally and abnormally severe weather conditions.In contracts today, it is normal for some owners and contractors to provide the anticipated number of weather days in today’s contracts. The contracts now specify the average number of adverse weather days for certain project locations. It is in the best interest of projects to identify weather statistics, and contracts should provide the number of anticipated weather delay days based on those statistics. Temperature Temperature is well defined in construction contracts. The standard specifications in a contract include the minimum and maximum temperatures for many construction materials.However, temperature directly affects the productivit y of workers. Most construction materials have thresholds. However, temperature is a type of weather effect in which construction does not necessarily have to be delayed when exceeding these thresholds, as long as the project can absorb expenditures for controlled measures such as heated enclosures. Wind Wind can affect certain construction operations, but the effect of wind on temperatures is equally important. The combination of low temperatures and wind causes wind chill, which can reduce productivity and can even be dangerous to workers.Wind alone can force several construction activities to shut down, for example high winds can make cranes unstable, which could lead to accidents. High wind also may cause fresh concrete to dehydrate on the surface. Wind not only affects the temperature and construction activities such as crane work, but wind also affects materials and material processes. Soil Temperature Soil temperature does not directly affect labor productivity, but it does h ave an effect on operations and equipment. The biggest impact of soil temperature is on earthwork. Frozen ground magnifies the difficulty of movement and compaction of soils.Frozen soil conditions greatly reduce the equipment productivity. As cold weather affects the operator of the equipment, the soil conditions affect the effectiveness of the equipment. Weather Delay Day What type of weather qualifies as a weather delay day? A weather delay day is a day in which work must be completely stopped because efficient construction operations will be difficult to achieve with the weather conditions. Three key factors affecting weather delays and disruptions are; type of construction, on-site drying conditions, and the intensity of rainfall.The threshold values for adverse weather vary from location to location. The threshold values also depend on the trades working and various other social and natural factors. However, a weather day should be decided based on the combination of the thresh old values, type of work affected, and common sense. Table 1 below shows a sample adverse weather day calendar. (Glavinich n. d. ) Table 1: Sample Adverse Weather Allowances MonthJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC Adverse Weather Days665452245544 Weather Calendars Once threshold values are determined, the adverse weather days can be incorporated into the plan.Normally many weather incorporation methods can be used to satisfy the contract requirements. In order to claim time for unusually severe weather, it is common practice that the documented adverse weather days in excess of the monthly allowances must affect the completion of critical path activities. A good way to track and plan for weather days and planning for the activities they impact is a scheduling model that incorporates adverse weather days into a weather calendar. The weather calendar is tied to the weather sensitive activities.This task typically involves: †¢Documentation of all activities in the schedule that are prone to adverse weather †¢Application of the weather calendar to activities subject to adverse weather †¢Development of a baseline schedule in accordance with the project scheduling specifications †¢Calculation of the new finish date (Sabol 2004) Type of Work The type of construction work greatly influences the impact weather has on a project. Certain activities are particularly sensitive to weather conditions; meanwhile other tasks are not as sensitive to weather.Others factors such as equipment being used, materials being used, and the activity durations for each activity influence the activities sensitivity to wind, temperature, and precipitation. The projects weather sensitivity also depends on the phase of construction. For example the initial phase of building construction is usually more sensitive to weather than when the building has an exterior shell up. Consequently the allocation of anticipated monthly weather delay in contracts is not sufficient.The s cheduled activities and sequencing of activities should be known before the number of monthly weather delay days has been determined because the weather impact is strictly associated with the type of construction activities being performed. Lingering Days Severe weather can have impact on a construction project for many days after the actual severe weather has passed. These lingering days may extend past severe weather periods because of drying time for soils, and accumulated water on the site and before and after snowy conditions. These lingering days are also known as dry out or mud days.Even when trying to specify the number of adverse weather days, a contract is still ambiguous if it does not determine how to deal with lingering days. It is important to differentiate between lingering days caused by predictable and unpredictable weather conditions. Contracts should clearly spell out whether lingering days are included in the monthly normal weather days. For example in Tennessee, adverse weather may include dry out or mud days at a rate of no greater than one make up day for each day or consecutive days beyond the standard baseline that total 1. inch or more of rain. (Syzdik 2012) Lost Days Adverse weather can greatly reduce productivity. Working under adverse weather conditions causes the jobsite efficiency to decrease even though the work might not stop. The decreased productivity due to adverse weather can contribute to schedule delay. The adverse weather not only delays a project due to such direct lost days from a weather event, or dry out days, it also prolongs schedule activities due to lost productivity or inefficiency. This in turn, can delay the overall project schedule.In many circumstances, a contractor is not entitled to compensation incurred by lost labor productivity caused by unusually severe weather, usually only lost time that is associated with unusually adverse weather can be recovered. Personal Opinion If the contract does not specify w hat constitutes as normally severe weather and determines the weather thresholds for different work to be performed a consistent analysis of severe weather will be impossible. The contracts should specify monthly anticipated weather delay days.Contractors should account for these days when planning their work and planning their baseline schedules. These delay days should include anticipated lingering days based on the construction activities scheduled in the periods of anticipated severe weather. My experience working on a farm has taught me that weather delays happen frequently and these delays throw a wrench in all of the plans. For example during custom harvesting, a rainstorm will bring a halt to all combine harvesting.Often if it rains more that a few hundredths of an inch work is stopped for at least one full day. This becomes an issue when there is another customer waiting to have their crops harvested but we have to sit and wait in one location for the crops to dry out enoug h to be cut, before we can move to the next location. If the crops are not harvested soon there is a chance that the crops could be destroyed by a hailstorm, or the crop could lose value if it gets rained on because the coloring gets washed from the grains.This has taught me that proper planning and scheduling can help to minimize the losses associated with severe weather delays. Conclusion Adverse weather conditions and delays in construction are a source of costly claims and disputes in construction. Contracts should include monthly anticipated weather delay days, and a system to define or determine anticipated lingering days should be clearly defined in the contract along with threshold values for weather parameters.These weather threshold values play a critical role when determining if weather is unusually or usually severe. Finally contracts should address the requisites to request a time extension cause by inefficiency due to unusually severe weather conditions. Much of the li tigation resulting from weather delay disputes is based on the lack of adequate terms in the contracts. Whether a day with adverse weather is workable or not depends on the weather thresholds. The bottom line is, plan as for normal adverse weather, and know what the contract requires for adverse weather.Records should be kept of adverse weather occurrences, and time extension request should be submitted as required by the contract. When a project experiences adverse weather, the best case scenario is that weather considerations are included within the contract and in the schedule as applicable standards with respect to approach and evaluation. If weather impacts become an issue and are not present in the contract, the project management team and scheduler should develop reasonable weather allowance.If it becomes necessary to implement a method mid project, it is very important that the weather allowance standards are acceptable to all the construction parties and that all the assump tions used in the risk analysis are consistent and accurate. Bibliography Glavinich, Thomas. Construction Planning and Scheduling. Edited by Second Edition. The Associated General Contractors of America. Long, Nguyen. Analysis of adverse weather for excusable delays. American Society of Civil Engineers. 5 26, 2010. ascelibrary. org/coo/resource/1/jcemd4/v136/i12/p1258_s1? iew=fulltext> (accessed 4 4, 2012). Morosko, Nick, interview by Andrew Barthel. Project Manager Bozeman, MT, (4 2, 2012). Sabol, Kevin. Integrated Framework for Quantifying and Predicting Weather related delays. American Society of Civil Engineers. 8 16, 2004. ascelibrary. org/coo/resources/1/jcemd4/v136 (accessed 4 6, 2012). Syzdik, Brian. Weather Considerations for Construction Project Scheduling Models. Society of American Military Engineers. 10 12, 2012. militaryengineers. wordpress. com/2010/10/12 (accessed 3 24, 2012).

Leadership Management and Administration in Early Childhood Education Essay

Part 1 Operating a childcare centre can be a very challenging and rewarding career. Success in this field requires dedication, love and patience. There are a few types of childcare programmes catering to parents who have to leave their children at school and go to work. There is full-day programme, half-day programme and flexi-care programme. For those who do not want their children to be in a school environment for long hours, they have kindergartens and enrichment programmes. The demand for childcare services steadily increases as more and more women enter the workforce, giving up their roles of full-time mothers and house makers. Planning and operating a childcare programme consumes much time and energy thus, it is important that motivations, skills, experience and personality are thoroughly assessed. Early childhood care and education services are under the control of two Ministries in Singapore; Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). MCYS targets the childcare sector, which consists of children from two months to six years whereas MOE concentrates on children aged four to six in a kindergarten setting. Quality has become a priority issue for all concerned with early childhood care and education services. Starting from the premise that quality is a relative and dynamic concept based on values and beliefs. Providing quality education for children ensures that the learning journey and relationships in the early years of their lives have meaningful effects to their future achievements. (â€Å"Singapore pre-school accreditation,† 2010) Role of a Supervisor According to SPARK, â€Å"Leaders set the direction and tone for the preschool. † Leaders are a very important aspect in any organisation. Leaders must understand and play important roles; they must use evidence from research to make decisions; and they must work collaboratively. A good leader must have a strong philosophy which will enable her to deliver well. Having a good philosophy enables the leader to plan meaningful goals and objectives for the centre. Supervisors can play a pivotal role in â€Å"reinforcing philosophy in school settings and helping teachers integrate the theoretical frameworks with classroom realities. † (Grossman, 1990, p. 133) Having a good bond with the teachers will ensure that the supervisor has found a good team to work with and should constantly keep renewing the bond with her teachers. This can be done by looking into the teachers’ welfare and giving them benefits from time to time to motivate and encourage the teachers to work consistently. At the same time, the supervisor must set a good example to her team of teachers by practising what she preaches. A good supervisor should also encourage her staff to further their education and when they do, not hesitate to promote them and give them bigger responsibilities. The supervisor should evaluate the quality of the learning environment and the centre as a whole. Catering to Children’s Needs It is well documented that racial and ethnic identity, and developing concepts about racial and ethnic diversity are development tasks that begin in early childhood. According to NAEYC(2005), diversity in children, families and colleagues should be respected. Multiracial and multiethnic children not only have identity needs but they are also having difficulties adjusting to our early childhood and school programmes because their unique needs are not being met. For successful implementation of a programme, the supervisor has to look into the diverse backgrounds of the children. According to DAP (2009), â€Å"Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts†. The supervisor has to understand that children’s development requires viewing each child within the sociocultural context of the child’s family, educational setting, community and the society. The contexts are interrelated thus, they all strongly influence how the child develops. Celebrating different festivals together as a centre and talking about different cultural backgrounds during lessons are a good way to include children from various cultural backgrounds. While implementing a programme, the supervisor might come across children from dysfunctional families. Providing the proper financial assistance to these families is very important. Centre-based Financial Assistance for Childcare (CFAC) can be arranged for children who come from dysfunctional families. This scheme helps eligible families to offset childcare fees of their children every month. The government also gives childcare subsidies to working parents who enrol their children in childcare centres. (MCYS) Parents of children from dysfunctional families might find these two schemes helpful in providing their children with proper early childhood education. This should be taken care of so that every child has an equal opportunity to education and care regardless of their cultural and financial backgrounds. 656 words Part 2 In order for the quality of child care to improve and for childcare services to become more readily available, the administration of childcare programmes must become professional, effective and efficient. The effective preparation of childcare supervisors directly impacts the programme quality and enhances the ability to meet the various challenges facing the field of early childhood education. (Caulfield, 1997) a) Effective Supervision A good supervisor should be prepared not only with a background in early childhood education and teaching but with a working knowledge of management, principles and procedures, marketing and evaluation techniques, public relations, staff training and development, family counselling, community services and public policy. (Catron, & Groves, 1999) The supervisor’s role is more than observing teachers conducting lessons. There are many similarities between good teaching and good leading. A good supervisor does not only develop a programme and worry about enrolments. The supervisor must look into the safety aspects in the childcare centre. Meeting all safety requirements before starting the programme is very essential. This ensures that children’s needs are taken into consideration and taken care of. Planning a proper timetable is very important in developing a programme. It allows the whole programme to run systematically and also for smooth transitions in between lessons. Resources and materials should also be distributed evenly among the teachers to avoid lack of resources during planned lessons. The supervisor should also keep track of the resources and materials and replenish them regularly. b) Regulations and Policies In order to set up a childcare programme, license should first be acquired from MCYS. The child care centre has to comply with the standards set out in the Regulations of MCYS. All the pre-requisites stated in setting up a childcare centre should be taken into consideration in order to provide quality care and education. (MCYS, 2011) The type of programme that I am looking into implementing is a full day childcare programme. The centre will be catering to children from two years to six years old. It will be operating five and half days a week. The programme will be conducted from seven o’ clock in the morning to seven o’ clock in the evening. This is to cater to parents who have to leave their children and go to work very early in the morning and for parents who end work late in the evening. On Saturdays, the centre will operate from seven o’ clock in the morning to two o’ clock in the afternoon. This caters to some parents who have to go back to work on weekends. The childcare centre will be open throughout the year except on Sundays and gazetted public holidays. Half-days will be observed on the eve of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. In addition, the centre will be closed for another five and a half days in a year, following the MCYS policies. These regulations and policies of the centre strictly follow the MCYS Childcare Policies as MCYS firmly believes that children should not be cared for in the childcare centre for more than 24 hours continuously. c) Operational Issues How you structure your programme for your centre is another very important aspect to consider. The programme will be the key to your professional success and pleasure. Having a proper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will ensure that your programme runs smoothly and effectively. SPARK (2010) will be a good guide to get started with. Spark (2010) focuses on seven criterions. Leadership, Planning and Administration, Staff Management, Resources, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Health, Hygiene and Safety. Reflections should be done on the programme regularly to ensure that children are being delivered with nothing but quality excellence. Opening/Closing Time The opening and closing hours of a childcare centre is a very important period. The supervisor must ensure there is enough staff to open the centre and close the centre. There should be at least one first-aid trained, qualified teacher to open the centre and it is required for the teacher to arrive at least fifteen minutes earlier to do the opening duties and to receive children. The teacher, however, has to remember that parents are only allowed to send their children in at seven o’clock onwards. There should be two teachers doing closing daily. Out of the two teachers, at least one teacher should be first-aid trained. Should the opening/closing teachers be on leave, they are required to find a replacement for their shifts before they go on leave. Should they be on medical leave, they should inform the centre either the day before or by seven-thirty in the morning so that replacements can be found. Staff-Child Ratio Staff-child ratio must be observed at all times as according to MCYS Regulations. (Refer to Appendix 1, pg 10, Table 1) Teachers’ Qualifications Teachers hired in the centre should be trained in Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education- Teaching (DECCE-T). According to MCYS policy, the programme staff should be certified by MCYS/MOE. Teachers should also have at least two years of teaching experience in a childcare setting, hold a valid first aid certificate recognised by MCYS and certified by MCYS/MOE as a Level 2 Teacher. d) Administrative Procedures School fees are a major part of a programme. All school fees have to be paid via GIRO. Deductions will be made every 5th of each month for fees payable that month. Parents are to ensure that there are sufficient funds in the bank account for deduction on the due date otherwise there will be a $10 administrative fee payable for every unsuccessful GIRO transaction. If they choose to opt out of the GIRO payment scheme, they are required to place a two month deposit upon enrolment. An additional fee of $5 per day will be imposed for late payment after the 5th of each month. All outstanding fees must be cleared before a child is promoted to the next level. e) Quality of Curriculum Integrated curriculum is a form of interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes on content learning and knowledge acquisition. It incorporates several subject areas such as language and literacy, math, music and movement, creative arts, self awareness, social awareness and motor skills into a curriculum that provides a holistic learning for children. In this curriculum, children apply skills, concepts and processes derived from the total curriculum in the meaningful context of thematic learning. (Erikson, 2001) Teachers are supporters of children’s learning. The curriculum should be designed to enable teachers to scaffold and support children’s knowledge and understanding and thinking. The curriculum should be designed to aid the child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. (KCG, 2008) f) Documentation of Children’s Progress and Portfolios All records should be kept up-to-date and readily accessible. Periodic reports of children’s progress, documentation of children’s habits, character traits and interests and anecdotal notes of children’s behaviours that are significant are all documentation of children’s progress. The centre should have a system which evaluates records for completeness, accuracy of contents and timelines of entries at regular intervals. Portfolios are collections of student work representing a selection of performance. A portfolio may be a folder containing a student’s best work pieces and the student’s evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the pieces. (Wortham, 2008) Portfolios are usually used as the center-piece of teacher-parent conferences. Portfolios can be used in the intention of motivating students, to promote learning through reflection and self-assessment and to be used in evaluations of students thinking and writing processes. An archival portfolio will be used to document the children’s progress from year to year. This portfolio can be useful to the child’s future teachers. It provides useful information about the child’s developmental progress, strengths and weaknesses. (Wortham, 2008) The portfolio should be organized using the developmental area approach. Using this approach, a child’s developmental areas such as physical, cognitive, social-emotional, creative and language and literacy can be assessed. The teacher can use this type of portfolio during parents-teacher conferences to show parents the specific skills that has been prominent and those that need improvement in the child. Using the developmental area approach a student’s growth and development can be clearly visible as the work collected usually spans throughout a year and observers and parents can clearly see the child’s progression in this. (Benson, & Smith, 1998) A combination of work samples, checklists, observation records and photo documentations have been used to compile this portfolio. Developmental checklists have been used to assess the child’s progress in terms of skills. (Hanson, & Gilkerson, 1999) The checklists used aid in assessing and reporting the child’s progress and development. It also assists in assessing teaching processes. The developmental checklists used in this portfolio are categorized into four domains. They are namely language and literacy, math, social-emotional and physical skills. The assessments done on the child in this portfolio was collected when the child was participating in various types of activities with other children in the class. These kinds of activities allow scaffolding to take place as the child gets assistance from other children or adults. The checklists designed centers towards the objectives that the teacher has set for the child. These objectives are developmentally appropriate according to the child’s age. g) School, Family and Community Partnership Having strong family involvement in children’s education are best achieved through family-school and community collaboration. By articulating a common mission and developing proactive ways of strengthening families and schools, parents and teachers can influence children’s school success positively. Parents should be encouraged to be involved in their children’s school activities as much as possible. Parents can be encouraged by volunteering for centre events like celebrations, excursions and field trips. They can even conduct workshops for children in the centre like speech and drama or art workshops. References Benson, T. R. , & Smith, L. J. (1998). Portfolios in first grade: four teachers learn to use alternative assessment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 25(3), Catron, C. E. , & Groves, M. M. (1999). Teacher to director. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(3), Caulfield, R. (1997). Professionalism in early care and education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 24(4), Erickson, H. L. (2001). Stirring the head, heart, and soul: Redefining curriculum and instruction. (2nd Ed. ). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Pr0065c007Axzxz ss Inc. Hanson, M. F. , & Gilkerson, D. (1999). Portfolio assessment: more than abcs and 123s. Early Childhood Education Journal, 27(2), Ministry of Education. (2008). Kindergarten curriculum guide. Singapore Ministry of Education, Pre-school Education Branch. (2010). Singapore pre-school accreditation framework:quality rating scale. Singapore: Ministry of Education. NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Washington, DC Wortham, S. C. (2008). Assessment in early childhood education (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River: New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures

Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures Religion originates from ancient Latin practices and language where some practices were adopted to bind people to God. Religion is a way of life that connects people to God and according to some people it helps in attainment of Godliness.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Religion has been there since the beginning of the universe with the purpose of bringing consolation to human beings who do not want to exist like any other objects or animals but want some spiritualism so that they can have some peace and consolation of the spirit. Past experiences have shown that human beings do not live to eat or gain wealth alone but there is something that we always crave for so as to get satisfaction with life. In this paper, I am going to discuss about the religion of Hinduism some of its practices and its principles. According to Smith (1991), â₠¬Å"Hinduism as a religion has its roots in India and the name â€Å"Hinduism† originated from the dominant religion that was practiced in India.† It is believed to be the oldest religion that has been practiced according to Hindu loyalists. Unlike other religions which have basic foundation of prophets like Christianity and Islam, Hinduism does not have prophets that spread it values like Jesus and Mohammed of the later religions. Hinduism is different from other religions in the sense that it does not rely on teachings from specific people or prophets in history. It does not have religious fanatics. Banerji (1992) wrote that, â€Å"Another name that is used to refer to this religion is Sanatana-Dharma and Vaidika Dharna.† Sanatana implies that it is a religion that is eternal while Vaidika means the religion of the Vedas. Due to the fact that it is the oldest religion, followers of this religion refer to it as an eternal religion and that it has the protection o f God. The name Vaidika Dharma is referred the same as Hinduism due to the fact that the scriptures that govern the conduct of Hindus originate from it. The scriptures that determined the practices of Rishis are regarded as the basis of the religion of Hinduism.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hinduism is a little bit different from other religions in the manner in which practices are imposed. There is no dogmatic imposition of religious practices, but provides a means through which individuals dictate for themselves and approve things for themselves. There total freedom on the way people think and decide for themselves. It does not restrict individuals to think but allows them to reason out issues freely. Some researchers refer to it as, â€Å"A religion that guarantees freedom.† This is due to the fact that it allows people to question the existenc e of God, creation myths, how to worship and the relevance of life. The other characteristic of this religion is that it does not dismiss doctrines of other religions or even adherence of other rituals and forms of worship. Neither does it force their doctrines and teachings on people but gives them a chance to assess and meditate for themselves. As a result of these fundamental believes, Hinduism has got the favor of some religions in India who have collaborated with it to foster their values. Hinduism does not criticize people who doubt the existence of God and as the soul maker of the world and all creatures. The groups of people who doubt existence of God are considered respectable members Hindu religion. Hinduism can be considered as the extremist version of catholic practices and is characterized with liberty. This feature of Hinduism gives it an image that it is respectful to all religions. It does not revolt against teachings of other religions but considers what is regarded as truth irrespective of where it originates. Despite the fact that there are several religious groups in India, Hindus live in harmony with all of them and tolerate behaviors of followers of other religions. Their ability to tolerate other religions is exemplary. Irrespective of the differences in religious practices among different sections of the Hindu, the perception of the religion and the way it presents itself to the outside world is uniform. According to Radhakrishnan and Moore (1967), â€Å"Hinduism as a religion, compels for provision of Yoga Sadhnana and spiritulal food for all followers so that they can regulate their temperament taste and desires of life.† It recommends Yoga to all kinds of people even to the non Hindus so that they can get to know God while doing daily duties in the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Radhakrishnan and Moore(1967) further claim that, â€Å"Instructors of Yoga put a lot of emphasis on self control and practical acquisition of Sadhana that is aimed at providing control for the mind and all that pertain self identity.† This religion does not merely rely on theories, but practical in nature. If you can compare the kind of activities that are done in Hinduism like Yoga, no other religion uses this practical approach. Some scholars define religion as a â€Å"practical aspect of philosophy and philosophy as a rational aspect of religion.† Hinduism as a religion is a practical manner in which people lead their lives. For a Hindu loyalist, religion is an avenue to gain spiritualism. Practices associated with this religion are an avenue to gain freedom for a person. All aspects of life are dictated upon by the religious practices of the Hindu people. These practices allow people to find ways through which they can attain freedom for the soul and life in general. A person who is considered an Hindu is one that believes that Vedas contain true scriptures while other define a Hindu as a person who follows a religion that has its roots in India among many other liberal definitions. Hinduism has survived for a long time because of the nature of practices and teachings it proposes. In this religion, there is no worship of many gods neither does it compel people to practice certain behaviors. It is an amalgamation of several religious practices and experiences with full consideration of the human life. It discourages fanatics which has enabled it survive amongst a big number of religions in the world. Hinduism has a global presence. It can accommodate all the teachings of other religions of the world. Teachings of Hinduism are flexible and quite easy to adopt. Its practical approach to issues in life makes it unique while its ethics are considered by Hindus as soul elevating. It has some teachings for the modern world in the manner in wh ich it can handle issues of hatred and war from the teachings that advocate for universal love, truthfulness and peace among people. Practicing Yoga implies you appreciate the scriptures and practices of Hinduism. The scriptures of Hinduism are known as Sanskrit literature. They are classified differently according to their forms and authority. Among their doctrines is the Srutis, which is also referred to as the Vedas. It implies the scriptures that arose as a result of revelation and classified as superhuman revelations that have no human authors.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sargeant (1984) claims that, â€Å"The Hindus hold the Vedas with high respect and pride with supreme authority over the whole world. The word Srutis which also means Vedas means knowledge.† According to the scriptures of the Hindu, it means a documentation of facts that bring knowledge. All the other scriptures have their basis in the Vedas. According to some researchers, the Vedas is the source of Wisdom in India which humanity will cherish forever. According to the teaching of Hinduism, the Veda is true teachings that were revealed to Rishis in the ancient India. These teachings were believed to have been heard by Rishi which forms the basis for its naming as Sruti which means to hear. Even after hearing, Rishi did not write them down but believed that these teachings were existent even before they were revealed to him. All the other religions in the world give credit to specific people that were sent by God to bring the truth to people. The Vedas which also implies Hindui sm does not recognize any authority as having been sent by God. They recognize themselves as having been given knowledge and authority by God to find out for themselves. They believe this knowledge was given to them by Lord Brahma whom they consider as their creator. The Rishis have been depicted by Hindus to have had a strong connection with the creator. They were inspired to write the scriptures and left an example that has been followed by other religions to date. Vasu (1919) elaborates that â€Å"Apart from the Srutis, Hindus also follow the doctrines written in the book called Rig Veda Samhita which is believed to be the oldest book.† Just like the Christian bible, Hindus hold the scripture of this book with high respect and forms the basis of foundation of their values right from birth. The manner in which it is written is stylish and inspiring. The immortal expression of the Mantras depicts it as the oldest book of religion in the earth that contains the truth. The scr ipture in this book is written in prose form and is meant to be interpreted by a priest called the Adhvaryu. It outlines procedures that ought to be followed when delivering sacrifices. Other teachings of Hinduism are the Upanishads. This is a section of the Vedas that form concluding remarks. The teachings in the Upanishads form the basic values of Hinduism and are also referred to as the Vedanta. There are different categories of Upanishads affiliated to the Veda. Though they might give different interpretation of the Veda, the all obey the authority and values of Upanishads. Scholars from western countries appreciate the work of the Upanishads because at a time when the west was far behind in terms of development, the seers of the Upanishads had achieved incredible civilization. Smritis is another doctrine of the Hindus. Fuller (2004) argues that, â€Å"Unlike the Sruti, Smritis is a secondary source of scriptures to the Hindus.† It contains sacred laws that were followed by the Hindus with regard to the Sanatana Dharma. They provide further explanations of scriptures contained in the Vedas especially the chapter on Vidhis. The teachings of the Smriti are dependent on the teachings of Sruti and contain stipulated explanations of regulations that govern the society as a whole and the family. From the past, all laws that determine the way of life for the Hindus are written in the Smritis. It contains a laid down policy in which individuals in the society should follow so as to gain harmony. It stipulates the duties of all men. A typical Hinduism follower has to learn from the Smritis on how to conduct his or her entire lifetime. The main emphasis of this book is to purify a human being so as to get perfection and freedom. Due to the dynamics of the times, the present day society ought to be given a new Smriti to accommodate the changes that have been seen with time. This is due to the fact that Hinduism itself allows people to formulate ideas that enab le them gain freedom. Sruti and the Smriti books form the basic foundations of the teachings of Hinduism. From the explanations of the two books, Sruti means what is heard while Smriti implies that which is to be remembered. The other books that contain the doctrines of Hindus are the Itihasas, Puranas, Agamas, Tevaram and Tichurakam. Dharma is one of the dominant aspects of Hinduism and is used to mean righteousness. It is used mainly to foster unity and brotherhood among members of the community. It promotes harmony and brings unity of purpose. Hindus describe it as an avenue through which solutions to conflicts in the world emanate. The opposite of this word is Adharma. According to Banerji (1992), â€Å"Dharma brings happiness to people while on earth and in the next world.† Dharma is further described as that thing that lifts people to attain perfection and freedom. It connects people to have straight communication with God, implying that it is a way of going directly to God. The definition of Dharma is not limited. It also means laws that govern our daily lives that are categorized under Achara. Hinduism has different roles for different categories of people, rules for men are different from those of women but they all promote harmony and peace in the society. The basis upon which ethics is determined in Hinduism is the responsibility of Dharma. From the earlier discussion, practice of Dharma brings harmony and respect in the society. It proposes a life of love, brotherhood and friendliness. By abiding by Dharma, one is guaranteed of good life now and even after death. According to the Hindu practices, â€Å"Ethics is a cornerstone of Yoga, Vendanta and realization of Godliness.† They believe that if one does achieve ethical perfection, then he or she will not achieve spiritual perfection. For instance, a student pursuing Yoga must be ethically perfect and should not engage in practices that will cause harm, injury or abuse. The ethics of H induism are based the rules set forth by Buddha. Just like many other religions, Hinduism has got rituals that are widely practiced. One of them is Sandhyopasana. This ritual is characterized by prayers that are offered to God in timed occasions of the day. During these prayers, people seek forgiveness of transgressions committed when carrying out daily routines. It is believed that these prayers have to be performed during specific times when the Lord can hear them. Other times that are not stipulated in the schedule, prayers cannot be heard. The Samskaras is a ritual in the Hindu religion that defines the sanctity of life. It elaborates purification practices that ought to be followed in the entire life of and Hindu loyalist. What ought to be done in every stage of life is documented. Garbhadana is a ritual in Hinduism where the husband prays for conception to occur. They believe that through this prayer, the cells in the embryo are excited. Simantonnayana is a ritual performed af ter seven months of pregnancy to offer protection to the unborn baby. According to Sargeant (1984), â€Å"Jatakarma ritual is conducted immediately after a baby has been born as a sign of welcome and success wishes in life. Other rituals that follow include Namakarana, Annaprasana, Chudakarma, and Upanayana in life.† In the present day, several aspects of the religion of Hinduism have been incorporated in the society. These include the celebrations that are done when a child is born, during birthdays, weddings and burials. In search for perfection, people have resorted to interpreting scriptures of religions in a manner that suits their practices. As far as looking for harmony in the society is concerned, leaders have resorted to promote religious values that bring love and brotherhood just like Hinduism promotes these practices. References Banerji, S. (1992). Tantra in Bengal (Second Revised and Enlarged ed.), Delhi: Manohar. Fuller, C. (2004). The Camphor Flame: Popular Hin duism and Society in India, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Radhakrishnan, S and Moore, C. (1967). A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Sargeant, W. (1984). The Bhagavad Gita, New York: State University of New York Press. Smith, H. (1991). The Worlds Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco. Vasu, S. (1919). The Catechism of Hindu Dharma, New York: Kessinger Publishing, LLC.

New SAT Scoring Advantage

New SAT Scoring Advantage SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While the new SAT is out of 1600 and the old SAT is out of 2400, the two aren't directly proportional; you can't just multiply your old SAT score by 2/3 and expect the result to be how you'd do on the new SAT. The only way to know for sure how you'd do on the new test (besides taking the new SAT exam) is to use the College Board's data to convert your score from old to new SAT. To find out if you’d score higher on the new SAT and why that might be the case, read on! feature image credit:Aspirational/used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. What’s Changed About SAT Scoring? College Board premiered the new SAT March 2016, with a new out-of-1600 scoring system that now gives one out-of-800 Math score and out-of-800 Reading score. The increased importance of Math to the overall SAT score isn’t all that’s changed, however; the difficulty of the individual sections appears to have shifted as well. Based on data released by the College Board, a 700 on the old SAT Math isn’t the same as a 700 on the new SAT Math section, and a 700 on the old SAT Reading and 700 on SAT Writing isn't the same as a 700 on the new SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. Even after adjusting for the 1600/2400 change, it’s easier to get a higher score on the new SAT than it was on the old SAT, especially if you had an average score. The amount by which you’d score higher varies with your scoring range. Old SAT Math vs. New SAT Math The comparison for this section is pretty straightforward: based on the concordance tables released this spring by the College Board, there’s an average 29 point increase on the new SAT Math section compared to scores on the old version. This average does not take into account number of people who score at each score point, however; you can’t expect score 30 points better no matter what your old SAT score was. The graph below sheds a little more light on the matter: Here's an example of how the score difference between the old and new SAT Math sections works out: If you got a 730/800 on the old SAT Math section (shown as a black vertical bar in the graph above) and took the new SAT with exactly the same preparation and skills, you’d likely score a 760/800. If you scored around the national average of 510 on the old SAT Math section, you'd similarly expect to see a new SAT Math score of 540. Old SAT Reading/Writing vs. New SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Comparing old SAT Reading Writing and new SAT Reading and Writing is a little trickier because reading and writing have been smushed into one score on the new SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, or EBRW). The College Board has kindly provided concordance charts to help out with this calculation which show that you can still expect to see higher scores on the new SAT EBRW compared to the old SAT Reading and Writing section scores. If the two tests were exactly equivalent, you’d expect that the combined old Reading and Writing section scores (a range of 400-1600) divided by two would be the same as the concorded new SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score (a range of 200-800), but this is not the case. Instead, students can expect to score between zero and sixty points better on EBRW than they would have on each of the Critical Reading and Writing sections on the old SAT. The graph below gives a more detailed look at how the score increases are distributed across old SAT combined Reading and Writing scores: To put this graph in context, consider the following example: If you took the old SAT, got Critical Reading 700 and Writing 710 (a combined score of 1410, shown as a black vertical bar in the graph above), and took the new SAT with exactly the same preparation and skills, you could expect to score a 740/800 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. If you got around the national average old SAT scores of 500 on Reading and 480 on Writing, you could expect to score a 550 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing - a huge jump. How Do the Changes to SAT Scoring Affect You? The 2016-2017 school year is a unique time for college applications because colleges will be accepting both old and new SAT scores. Theoretically, schools have access to the concordance tools needed to compare old and new SAT scores and admissions officers will do their due diligence to understand that it’s easier to get higher scores on the new SAT. Schools won’t be superscoring between the old and new SAT, so it’s not like you can get a 760 Math on the new SAT and combine that with your Critical Reading and Writing scores from the old SAT for a higher superscore. In practice, however, a SAT result of 510 Math/ 650 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing makes a better impression than 470 Math/590 Reading/590 Writing (even though according to the College Board’s concordance tables and its conversion tool, these scores are equivalent). Even after the old SAT has been phased out entirely from college applications, it will take admissions officers a little while to adjust and align their unconscious, split-second assessments of student scores with the new reality that more students will be getting higher scores on the SAT, and so a 760 isn't as impressive as it used to be. Therefore, if you took the old SAT and scored in a range where you can expect to see at least a 20-point increase in nominal score, you should consider taking the new SAT to see if you can get a higher score. Add effective prep to that score increase, and you might very well be able to get a high enough score on the new SAT to step yourself over the threshold for acceptance for colleges previously just out of reach. Reach/used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Resized from original. What’s Next? How long will colleges accept old SAT scores for? We go over whether it's better for the classes of 2017-18 to submit new or old SAT scores in this article. How can you improve your SAT score? We’ve got fifteen great tips for SAT studying and score improvement here. Want to double-check a specific score for yourself? Use our old to new SAT conversion tool. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to Work With a Recruiter and Build a Lasting Relationship

How to Work With a Recruiter and Build a Lasting Relationship Chances are, at some point in your career, you’re going to need a recruiter. It’s best not to attack them out of the blue when you’re at your most desperate. Instead, try to keep in mind that recruiters are human beings too. Try building a relationship that way, rather than being a job-sucking vampire. Also keep in mind there are different kinds of recruiters. Figure out first if you’re dealing with someone salaried who does this all day every day, or whether you’re dealing with someone who works only on commission. Tailor your needs to match theirs, and vice versa.Here is your 10-step plan to building a good relationship with a recruiter.1. Start with â€Å"the talk†Your recruiter should open your working relationship by asking you a bunch of questions: who you are, where you are, what you’ve been doing, your strengths, your weaknesses, your goals, etc. The more they know about you, the better they can help put you in a good position- both for you and for the company.2. Know thyselfDon’t recruit a recruiter if you don’t already know what you want and need. Figure out what you want to do and be when you grow up before you start soliciting the services of a professional. Make sure that every job they put you up for is one you’d be glad to take.3.  Have all your documents readyGet your ducks in a row before making the call. Up-to-date resume, updated LinkedIn profile, a tasteful and professional headshot, a website, samples of your work, etc. And then go in with the list of companies or titles you’d like to aim for.4. Don’t be needyYou’re not in a position to make demands. The recruiter is not â€Å"working for† you. Hopefully you’ll both come to a mutually advantageous outcome, but your chances of this go down the more you play the diva. Know your place in the food chain, make life easy on your recruiter, and things will turn out right.5. Ask for tipsIf you r recruiter knows a company well, feel free to ask for tips before you interview. There might be some very valuable information to be gleaned that you couldn’t get from the usual pre-interview research session.  6. Think about your salary historyYou aren’t required to share this with your recruiter. But they can (and should) ask. And it might be useful for you both to be on the same page when it comes time to figuring out which applications fit you best.7.  Know the ins and outs of industry salaryIf you want to go for a pay increase, make sure you’ve done your homework and know exactly what the range is for your position or your field. If you’re really being underpaid, you can walk into a meeting with stats.8. Don’t be a pushoverSome recruiters do work entirely on commission. If they don’t place people that month, they don’t pay rent. Don’t let yourself get shoe-horned into a position that isn’t right for you just to please your recruiter. It is okay to say no and push for something more appropriate.9. Hold onto the good onesA good recruiter, with whom you have a fruitful working relationship, is a thing of beauty. Hold onto this relationship with both hands. Trust and goodwill are not to be taken for granted. And they aren’t always the norm.10. Give backIf you get the job, make sure to thank your recruiter. A thank you card goes a long way towards showing your appreciation and bolstering good will all around. And keep in touch! You never know when you might need your recruiter’s services again.

Marketing Communications on Sound Choice - REPORT format not essay

Marketing Communications on Sound Choice - REPORT format not - Essay Example Another benefit of sponsorship is its ability to provide extendibility and more exposure to the sponsor (Pope, Voges, & Brown 2009). This is especially true to sponsoring individuals. In cases where companies sponsor individuals such as athletes and celebrities, the individual carries the company trademarks in most of its major appearances. As the company sponsors events, the reach of the event through its own marketing campaign would provide extendibility to the brand. If the event is targeted to the companys main consumers, through the advertising materials and publicity the event would generate, the benefits from the exposure of the sponsoring brand could be enormous. Sponsorship is cost-effective by nature. This is because, with the amount of cash or in-kind support the sponsoring brand provides to the sponsored entity, the effect is leveraged in many different ways (Dees, Bennett, & Villegas 2008). These ways could include extendibility and greater brand exposure as previously stated; most especially if the target audience that the sponsored entity can reach is in line with the companys target consumers (Cornwell 2008). The multiplying effect of association with the sponsored entity can usually accomplish more than the objectives that are primarily identified by the company by using sponsorship as an IMC tool. In corporate social responsibility events, the involvement of the brand creates a perception about the brands personality, which is part of the overall brand image of the company. If the companys actions are philanthropic by nature, this could bring good will within the community, which leads to a positive attitude toward the brand (Close et al 2006). Even if the event is not a CSR or cause-related by nature, involvement of the brand in different events through sponsorship could create some presence among the community. This brings the brand closer to the consumers (Bennett, et al. 2009). As noted

Applying Motivation Theories to Compensation Essay

Applying Motivation Theories to Compensation - Essay Example As the discussion stresses Pat’s job has greater responsibility than that of Chris. Pat could be more successful or performs highly than Chris. Ninthly, pay might have job that involve more complex tasks than those of Chris’s.From this paper it is clear that Pat and the boss might have blood relationship thus giving her more benefit. Race: Chris might be in minority group and their boss normally discriminates against them. Also, Pat might know about the company’s negative side so she is paid more to keep her mouth shut. Finally, Pat might be helping in marketing the company thus gaining more customers. She therefore deserves a referral fee. Equity theory is relevant to most of the above reasons. Equity theory explains relational satisfaction regarding perceptions of fair resource distribution within interpersonal relationships. There should be fair treatment of employees in the work place based on the ratio of inputs to incomes. Employees with advanced education, higher experience, more superior position, higher degree, greater company loyalty, greater responsibility, greater performance and more complex tasks should be paid more than others. This is because it would support the wisdom of those reasons because job difficulty is a relevant input.  Compensation plan elements such as Piece-Rate and Recognition Awards basically account for the pay differentials. This is because an employee who produces more units or more services should be compensated highly that the other.

Outline the process of economic and social change envisaged by Essay

Outline the process of economic and social change envisaged by Modernisation Theorists. Critically discuss their contention that the Western model of developmen - Essay Example ry have been thoroughly examined by researchers trying to identify its strengths/ weaknesses but also its role in the development of less – benefited countries (referring especially to the countries of the Third World). It should be noticed that the development of modernization theory has been quick and multi-dimensional – possibly influenced by the simultaneous development of globalization (Dtiglitz, 2002). Trying to locate the historical roots of this theory, Blaney et al. (2002) was led to the conclusion that modernization theory could have started in the previous centuries having being transformed through the years in order to meet the new political and social standards – the so-called – neo modernization theory. Regarding this issue it is noticed by the above researchers that since the putative end of the Cold War, modernization is increasingly reimagined as a global process— as an expanding liberal zone of peace, a global civil society, or as emerging forms of global governance’ (Blaney et al., 2002, 103). This form of modernization theory has been also characterized as being part of the International Relations – a concept developed through the years in order to explain the models of cooperation among the states, the role of governments, and the power of international authorities/ bodies to intervene in order to settle disputes of international character – being developed between members of the international community. The above role of modernization theory in the development of international relations has been explained by Blaney et al. (2002) as follows: ‘while modernization theory implicitly relies on IRs freezing of difference into geopolitical containers, it also projects a natural and universal developmental sequence through which all cultures must pass’ (Blaney et al., 2002, 103). Under these terms, modernization theory could be regarded as being part of the political efforts for the improvement of cooperation among the states

Problem of corporate social responsibility Essay

Problem of corporate social responsibility - Essay Example In such an analysis, the movie ‘Wall street’ as acted in 1987 features such manipulations of a stock broker (Bud) who gets into trade deals with an unscrupulous corporate raider (Gordon Gekko) through whom we see the attributes of manipulation. The character of Bud is clearly brought to light through the greed for quick wealth, which led him into the heinous acts in trade. In one such an incident, after he is much involved in illegal trade affairs with his mentor Gekko, he learns the business and opts to practice it himself against his corporate friend. He deceives Gekko to invest in Bluestar airlines after which he cunningly drives the stock up with an intention of bringing them later down for his own gain against his friend Gekko. This therefore illustrates such an example to business manipulation which is against CSR and which is driven by profit motive. Bud is interested in the unethical behavior of manipulating business performance for own gain through profit maximi zation (IMDb, para 1-7). Manipulation would therefore involve such practices as intentionally overpricing of business goods, over valuation or devaluation as well as the intentional price distortion for the purpose of personal gains. Manipulation has effects in affecting the market forces, which are responsible in regulating demand and supply. At macro level, interest rates and the stock values have great influence on performance of an economy. They also influence the lending rates by financial institutions, which have an equal capacity of encouraging investors into a country. This illustration of manipulation through stock over-valuation and undervaluation therefore has the capacity of destabilizing forces of demand as well as supply hence distort the economy, both at micro as well as macro level. It is also worth noting that manipulations by price distortions ahs the capacity of creating unfavorable competition within the markets whose effects would be felt within the whole econom y. Tax evasion In other instances, business people may intentionally evade payment of tax as a paramount practice for corporate social responsibility. It is the expectation of every governance regime that business firms honor their role in payment of tax for building on government revenues. The governments therefore raise their funds through taxation and as such imposes legal frame worst through which full compliance from any trading firm is expected. This therefore brings in the local and international norms against which individual traders or firms are liable to facing legal charges. However, it is a common practice for trading businesses or individuals to avoid payment of taxes. Such ways through which tax evasion occurs is through understating the profit returns, failure to update books of account on timely manner as well as corruption where traders would cooperate with authorities at a lower fee instead of honoring the obligation of paying taxes. These are common practices, whi ch are against business ethics that trading firms or individuals engage in for purposes of maximizing own profit. However, despite the increased efforts in creating awareness and regulation, unethical behavior through such means as tax evasion is increasingly being experienced (Cox, Friedman and Edward, 263-265). Dishonesty practices are equally common phenomena in trading businesses

History assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

History assignment - Essay Example e men were involved in British imports boycott campaigns during the revolutionary period and started demanding for more economic roles and political power after the revolution. Feminist writers such as Judith Murray demand for equal voting rights and representation of women in government (Foner 99). The white men were the least beneficiaries of American Revolution since a large population was now involved in the voting process and public officials were now elected by the people. The participation of smaller artisans, farmers and laborers in legislative matters diminished the power of the elite white men (Foner 177). The Native Americans tried to maintain neutrality at the onset of the Revolution, but an independent America posed a danger to their interests since American Westward expansion would affect their way of life. The revolutionary War divided the Indian tribes due to various treaties signed with British and dissatisfaction with settlements allocated in Appalachian mountain. The Native Americans lost substantial part of their land and were condemned for allying with Britain (Foner 58). The American Revolution changed the attitudes of the groups since marginalized groups such as women and slaves drew their inspirations from the revolutionary sentiments to demand for equality and inclusion in the society. The White men lost political power while Native Americans lost their land to the new United

Harlem Rena Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Harlem Rena - Essay Example This re-birth of the cultural, social, education and civic norms, changed the society as a whole. This era in which the great depression was going on and millions of people were jobless, put a new life in the black people of America (Carry, 1998). This era had produced many great scholars, poets and authors. Out of which, the poems of two such poets and the concept of double consciousness developed in their work () is discussed here. The poem discussed first is Langston Hughes’s â€Å"Let America be America Once Again†. It is an emotional piece of culture in which the poet credits America being the land of free, brave and harmonious people. The society which sets its foundation on educational institutes and industrialization, the country which was the land of dreams for many black people around the world and specially in America, who fought for America, died for it and relied on it. The poet terms America as the land of free where there is no freedom, no matter how much sacrifices you have made. There is strong disgust about the inequality, coercion, poverty and injustice through which every black person had to go through. This poem depicts the mentality of white superiority over the black and red people. Both of whom had given blood in the foundation of this very country. Langston also saddened by the fact that the black people being humiliated on the base of their culture, they were called barbarians because of their civilization, their self-respect is being shattered and their self-esteem is being drown in the fury of white supremacy. And it shares a strong emotional feeling that it is not the America for which his forefathers wandered around the world, it is not that America for which they had sacrificed their lives. It was never America to me said the poet. But in the end he didn’t let the hope go down and believes that America would be America again. Second poem selected here is James

History assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

History assignment - Essay Example e men were involved in British imports boycott campaigns during the revolutionary period and started demanding for more economic roles and political power after the revolution. Feminist writers such as Judith Murray demand for equal voting rights and representation of women in government (Foner 99). The white men were the least beneficiaries of American Revolution since a large population was now involved in the voting process and public officials were now elected by the people. The participation of smaller artisans, farmers and laborers in legislative matters diminished the power of the elite white men (Foner 177). The Native Americans tried to maintain neutrality at the onset of the Revolution, but an independent America posed a danger to their interests since American Westward expansion would affect their way of life. The revolutionary War divided the Indian tribes due to various treaties signed with British and dissatisfaction with settlements allocated in Appalachian mountain. The Native Americans lost substantial part of their land and were condemned for allying with Britain (Foner 58). The American Revolution changed the attitudes of the groups since marginalized groups such as women and slaves drew their inspirations from the revolutionary sentiments to demand for equality and inclusion in the society. The White men lost political power while Native Americans lost their land to the new United

Workplace Discrimination Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Workplace Discrimination - Research Paper Example Humans have always developed ways of stereotyping their fellow human beings using age, race, gender, religion, or ethnicity as their basis. It is only in current days that individuals have taken the trouble to look at discrimination as a challenge instead of looking at it as a solution. For example, segregation on the basis of race was at one point taken to be part of the natural order. Moreover, the right to vote was withdrawn from people belonging to the members of the female population to protect the different communities, solely because females, by virtue of their appearance, were presumed not to posses the survival characteristics. In addition, there is no society which escaped the negative components presented by discrimination. Also, there is no society which can claim that it does not have elements of discrimination in its different structures today. Racial discrimination also has a long history, with a number of people seeing racial discrimination as a faultlessly natural fe ature of life. Nonetheless, in recent times, racial discrimination in the work place has become a more significant subject. Its increased presence may be the result of the opposition of different elements; the workforce that is still continuing to be racist, and a recession that places jobs at a premium and makes employers to be particularly choosy during employment (Feagin, 2006). This paper will look at racial discrimination in the modern workplace. The paper will accomplish this by analyzing a current case of workplace discrimination in drawing conclusions regarding the effects of discrimination on organizational productivity. In America, it is constitutionally unlawful to engage in any form of discrimination against employees based on any reason, but the cases and evidences of workplace discrimination seem to be increasing with every passing day. In today’s world of competition, it has become extremely important for organizations to stop workplace discrimination because i t is a factor that not only results in decreasing organizational productivity but also affects the quality of business processes. Although the government of the United States has implemented effective laws, such as, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964 to stop workplace discrimination, there is still a lot more that needs to be done to keep this negative element out of the workplace. Nevertheless, the basic federal laws that deal with racial discrimination in the workplace can all be found in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964. By and large, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964 disallows employers from engaging in the following activities: refusing or failing to sign up an employee on the basis of their race; providing workers lesser benefits or paying a worker less because of the racial orientation; failing to give promotions, opportunities, or benefits to a worker because of their race; and segregating or not properly classifying applicants or workers by race (Memmi, 2000) . In addition, employment agencies are not allowed to reach decisions on work assignments on the basis of a person’s race. Also, labor representatives and unions cannot expel people or refuse membership to individuals because of their race. Discrimination on the basis of race in the workplace can be illustrated in a number of ways, some of which can be obvious or blatant. Nonetheless, racial discrimination can frequently be restrained and more difficult to notice, for example, an employer failing to promote an employee or higher an applicant because of their racial makeup. Therefore, it may be asserted that a worker who experiences unfavorable treatment because of his race is a victim of racial discrimination. Additionally, racial discrimina