Monday, September 30, 2019

Consequences of 9/11

Running Head: Consequences of 9/11 Serious Consequences of September 11th Kristen Brobst The University Of Findlay Abstract This literature review examines five scholarly journal articles that thoroughly address how citizens across the nation were scarred forever, after the 2001 September 11th terrorist attack, which negatively impacted the entire United States. This community wide disaster was a life changing event which physically, mentally, and emotionally impacted thousands of people’s lives. Many disorders were developed from this tragic event, including post traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and depression.Imagine standing on the ground watching two of the highest towers in New York City, standing at one thousand three-hundred sixty-eight feet high, fall right before your eyes. Horrifying, right? The 2001 attack was a life changing event, which physically, mentally, and emotionally impacted citizens in dramatic ways. That Tuesday September ninth morning, around 8:45 AM, New York City was under attack. The attacks consisted of a series of coordinated suicide bombings by Al-Qaeda upon the United States. On that day, nineteen Islamist terrorists’ affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airlines.The hijackers intentionally flew two of the commercial airliners, American Airline Flight 11 and United Airline Flight 175, into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center Complex in New York City. It instantly killed everyone on board, hundreds of others working in the buildings, and trapping even more people in the higher floors of the towers. Within two hours, both twin towers collapsed, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The attack killed nearly three thousand people that day â€Å"(9/11 Attacks, para. #2)†. After the September 11th terrorist attack, Americans were scarred forever.The survivors, residents, and citizens of the community-wide disaster are suffering various health problems becau se of this traumatic experience. Analysis of five scholarly journal articles found through library databases, the authors reveal how the citizens’ lives were negatively impacted from the attack of terrorism. In a research article Alcohol use, Mental Health Status and Psychological Well-being 2 Years After the World Trade Center Attacks in New York City by Richard Adams, Joseph Boscarino, and Sandro Galea (2006), three surveys were conducted to guide their study.The authors’ hypothesized how these disorders developed from the attack impacted individuals. The surveys were sent out by telephone using random digit dialing where they could reach citizens that were affected. To be eligible to answer the survey questions, an adult was selected based on the person with the most recent birthday in the household, and they had to speak English or Spanish for the surveyors to understand their responses. The article states that â€Å"They conducted surveys in October of 2002, in O ctober 2003 another survey was sent out and the last survey sent out was in February of 2004,† (Adams et al, 2006, p. 06). The procedures and questions were all the same throughout each survey; nothing was different. Surveyors were interviewed and monitored throughout the survey to make sure the surveys were accurate. Within the survey, people were tested on various subjects. The conductors of this survey tested the association between alcohol use and the severity of post traumatic stress disorder symptoms due to the terrorist attack. â€Å"All together four thousand-forty nine people completed the surveys,† (Adams et al, p. 206). This amount of people completing this survey is very high.In the first survey, they asked respondents whether their symptoms had bothered them or not. If they said no, they got a zero, but if they said somewhat, or not at all, their results were recorded between zero and six. Furthermore, if they answered a little bit, or a lot, they scored be tween seven and ten. In follow up, if their score was between seven and ten, then it was considered a serious case in which they had to do something about it (Adams et al, p. 207). To complete the criteria of this survey, people had to meet certain symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.Many of the people did not meet the complete criteria of post traumatic stress disorder, so they had to broaden the survey. The symptoms that people needed to possess were re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance of thoughts or places related to the event, and arousal. The participants were then judged according to how many of these symptoms that they presented with. They qualified for full post traumatic stress disorder if they held two or more of these traits. The respondents were considered partial post traumatic stress disorder if they only met one or two of them.They said â€Å"Twenty percent of the respondents were classified for post traumatic stress disorder from the attack. Eight percent had partial post traumatic stress disorder and ten percent had high post traumatic stress disorder,† (Adams et al, p. 213). As you can see, many people obtained this disorder from this attack. More of the participants were classified as having higher amplitude of this disorder than having only partial. This terrorist attack affected many people, not only in gaining post traumatic stress disorder, but also in various other ways.The next survey studied alcoholism, which was gained from the terrorist attack. The surveyors questioned how many times had the participant drank six or more alcoholic beverages in one dining after the 2001 attack. The answers they could have chosen were: never, less than, or monthly. â€Å"Fifteen percent met the criteria for binge drinking. Five percent met the criteria for alcohol dependence and ten percent were reported as an increase of four or more days drinking per month,† (Adams et al, p. 213). Furthermore, people developed a probl em with drinking due to the attack. More people were seen binge drinking than any other kind.After the September 11th attack, studies have shown that there was an increase in the amount of alcohol people consumed compared to before the attack. The traumatic event that the citizens experienced led them to drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Not only did alcohol increase after the attack, but psychological problems began to elevate. The final survey that was sent out studied psychological disorders, such as depression. When studying depression, a person had to present with five or more symptoms for at least two weeks in the last year. This meant they were diagnosed with a depressive disorder.Examples of these symptoms are: stress, emotional problems during the day, feeling depressed, always down, in a bad mood, and says negative things (Adams et al, p. 208). The studies showed that â€Å"Twelve percent of the respondents had major depression, and approximately nine percent were de scribed as unhealthy,† (Adams et al, p. 213). These people needed to seek help from a physician. This attack had a major impact of the mental health of the people affected. Adams et al are not the only people who studied these types of disorders that were developed after the 9/11 attack.Similarly in with Adams et al, in an article Disaster and Trauma James Bakalar (2002) studies post traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms in connection to 9/11. He gathered information from other studies on the topic from a survey that was sent out after the attack questioning â€Å"how many people had symptoms of depression, troubles falling asleep at night, and had trouble concentrating,† (Bakalar, 2002, p. 1). The study had shown that the number of prescribed sleeping medicine and antidepressants had arisen exceedingly since the September 11th attack because of paranoia.People were worried about what might happen next and if they were safe at night. They were having trouble s falling asleep at night due to over thinking of the horrifying tragedy. The damage that the attack left behind had initiated symptoms of depression on the people. Symptoms of depression are anxiety, nervousness, feeling down, and or sad. These were not the only emotions people were feeling. The community wide attack left several others feeling emotions of helplessness, scared and freighted. These are a common sign of post traumatic stress disorder.It often increases blood flow and produces an excessive amount of adrenaline making the heart pump more rapidly. Bakalar states how respondents should overcome post traumatic stress disorder with some tactics. Victims should join a support group in which others have the same disorder as well where they all talk about the problem. Bakalar goes on to say, â€Å"they give meaning to their experience by telling their stories and listening to other victims whose similar experiences promote understanding and sympathy,† (Bakalar, p. 4). This can help them to relate to one another, so they have a better understanding about what they are going through.It helps to talk about feelings that are held inside, and to retell the story over again to listeners that have similar stories. Talking with others that have the same problem or symptoms helps the respondents become more comfortable with themselves because they are not the only one with this problem. To help patients move beyond these feelings due to trauma from the disaster, they should continue normal everyday activities. The author addressed that â€Å"They should have confidence in the future to get on with their lives, and they should keep faith in everyday activities,† (Bakalar, p. 5).This will help the victims to break free from their past experiences and keeping busy will help distract the negative feelings in order to overcome the symptoms. This is just a few ways to overcome the psychological impact of the September 11th attack. Additionally with Adams et al and Bakalar, in the research article titled The Emotional Distress in a Community after the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center by Teddy Chen, Henry Chung, Chen Hongtu, Chen Jian-Ping, and Fang Lin (2003). They hypothesized how the short term psychological impacts of the September 11th attack affected the immediate neighborhood of the world trade center.The surveys they sent out were displayed in a waiting area for random citizens to fill out. They surveyed emotional responses of the survivors within the week that it happened and then again five months later to show more accurate statistics. The results showed that â€Å"Five hundred fifty-five community residents or eighty-eight percent of the citizens completed the survey,† (Chen et al, 2003, p. 159). The age group of the participants ranged from eight years old to eighty-six years old. The average age groups of the participants were around forty years old.He states that â€Å"Results of the first survey that was sent out a few weeks after the disaster showed eighty-eight percent of the respondents had one or more psychiatric symptoms. Over half the community residents had four or more symptoms that dealt with emotional distress. The survey that was sent out five months later showed only fifty-three of the respondents had one or more emotional distress symptom,† (Chen et al, p. 159). The 9/11 attack proved to be the reason that half the community has consistently had at least one symptom of emotional distress.As time went on the emotional distress seemed to dissipate. Although this problem seemed to dissolve, it had a serious impact on people. The study illustrated that the emotional distress had a more serious impact on the full-grown adults around the ages of forty through fifty-nine than it had on any of the other age groups. The symptoms they had were: anxiety, nervousness, low self esteem, sadness, and depression. â€Å"These symptoms demonstrated the tremendous psychologica l trauma caused by this disaster,† (Chen et al, p. 161).The trauma from the attack placed a burden on a person that was not apparent before. Several months after the attack had happened the community was still suffering from these symptoms. Studies conducted that â€Å"Less than four percent of the people received help from a mental health professional,† (Chen et al, p. 162). Many of the residents would not seek help in counseling because they thought that time would just heal them. In result, the study had shown that the terrorist attack impacted the immediate neighborhoods, which were the residents that live closer to the world trade center.These residents had higher levels of emotional distress within the first few weeks that the attack occurred. With the destruction in the city that the attack left behind, it is not astounding that these high results in emotional distress would appear because of this traumatic, unimaginable event. Each situation impacted the people in a negative way. In comparison, In the article When a terrorist Attacks: September 11 and the Impact on Older Adults in New York City Igal Jellinek and Judy Willig (2007) address the terrorist attack focusing mainly on how the elderly were impacted in a negative way in New York City.Jellinek and Willig specifically target how the attack personally impacted the older adults that were nearby Manhattan. These citizens were paying a vast amount of money to live there because of the scenic view. The beautiful scene of the Manhattan skyline lit up New York City, but in just seconds it was demolished from the attack. The view of that skyline was distorted that September 11th day, and the senior citizens would never see that stunning view again. Many of the older adults were worried about the problems that they would soon face.Jellinek and Willig conducted a survey that was sent out to clients, staff, and several different agencies to see who was worried about safety, who had lost loved o nes, and who had no one close to vent to. Results of the survey had shown that everyone was worried about their safety, and no one felt safe where they were. Since the attack hit so close to their homes, everyone was left worried about what was going to happen next. Everyone was upset and damaged from this disaster. The authors stated â€Å"The community all needed counseling or just someone to talk to† (Jellinek and Willig, 2007, p. 3). The attack impacted the elderly more direct and personally than anyone. The older adults lost loved ones, neighbors, and many close friends that they have known for years. All they had left were the memories. Not only did the attack affect them mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. When the attack hit, the elderly residents were in shock and devastated. Their daily routines were rudely interrupted by the attack. The older adults were unable to get care and the attention they were provided with on a daily basis. They could not rece ive supplies or help that was needed due to ecurity reasons; everything was on lock down. These restrictions prevented the older adults from meeting their personal needs. This was very hard for the older adults to cope with. For some of the older adults, the terrorist attack had refueled traumas from years back, making it hard for them to cope with what was going on. Not seeing those trade towers that stood there every day made the attack vividly come back to mind. The elderly could not physically see the trade towers standing, but they could visualize how they once stood in the city of New York.Viewing the scene of the skyline, noticing that the towers were gone, made the citizens realize how real the tragedy was. Supporting Jellinek, Willig, and the other three scholarly journal articles, in the article September 11th and the Mourning After: Media Narrating Grief, written by Adi Drori-Avraham (2006). He focuses on the impact of grieving and mourning of the citizens across the Unit ed States due to the tragedy. Drori-Avraham concentrates on the two different types of mourning that the New York City residents could be in or were about to experience.He states, â€Å"The good kind of mourning is a movement forward driven by a passion for meaning. † In other words, people need to let go of the loss and move on to a healthy future. The bad kind of mourning is called â€Å"melancholia, which is destructive grieving,† (Drori-Avraham, 2006, p. 289). This is the opposite of making one’s life meaningful again. Drori-Avraham mentions an exceptional example of unhealthy grieving. The unhealthy grieving is when New York City employees, tourists, and picture takers are capturing those last moments of the world trade center. These pictures are capturing the memories of what the United States has lost.The city residents that pass by the location of the falling twin towers are now walking by passing the devastating site everyday in order to return back to work. The residents are grieving at the site that was once miraculous. When tourists are there taking pictures and pointing out the memories of loved ones that have been lost, the residents are yet again reminded about that iniquitous day. As the community residents walk by day by day they are constantly reminded about the unexpected tragedy on September 11th. When thousands of people die many thousands are left in the state of mourning.This is a natural occurrence when lives are lost. It is a very upsetting time for everyone in the nation. Even normal grief can be prolonged for a long time when a community wide disaster takes place. Hurtful memories and photographs from the attack may still be present. Certain sounds or experiences may resemble the terrorist attack. This day with never be forgotten. The mass terrorist attack on the nation has impacted and changed many people’s lives because of the trauma they had perceived on that day. Post traumatic stress disorder is just one problem people developed from the attack.Another problem that was developed from the tragedy is depression. Several scientists also concluded that alcoholism is another trait that people acquired from the attack. Overall this attack has negatively impacted several people. I believe that in the future there should be more professional counselors willing to reach out and help others going through these disorders. References Adams, R. , Boscarino, J. , & Galea, S. 2006. Alcohol Use, Mental Health Status and Psychological Well-being 2 Years After the World Trade Center Attacks in New York City.American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse. 32(2), 203-224. Retrieved from http://metis. findlay. edu:2066/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=20380132&site=ehost-live Bakalar, J 2002. Disaster and Trauma. Harvard Mental Health Letter. 18(7), 1-5. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=5762387&site=ehost-live Drori, A. 2006. September 11th and the Mourning After: Media Narrating Grief. Journal of Media & Cultural Studies. 20(3), 289-297. Doi: 10. 1080/10304310600814110 Hongtu C. , Chung, H. Chen, T. ,Lin, F. , & Jian-Ping, C. 2003. The Emotional Distress in a Community After the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center. Community Mental Health Journal. 39(2), 157-165. Retrieved from http://metis. findlay. edu:2066/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9450651&site=ehost-live Jellinek, I. & Willig, J. 2007. When a Terrorist Attacks: September 11 and the Impact on Older Adults in New York City. Generations. 31(4), 42-46. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31633966&site=ehost-live

Sunday, September 29, 2019

David Fletcher Case Essay

Jenkins, Fletcher Partners (JFP) has the potential to thrive and succeed in the financial service industry with stimulated, productive, and satisfied employees. However, there are small and large issues to be addressed in order to carry that in action. In this specific case analysis, we analyze the issues hindering JFP from further development, and suggest respective and appropriate suggestions to resolve those problems. First, a thorough evaluation of JFP shed light on a number of issues: The inconsistency with JFP’s differentiated and key organizational structure: wide, flat, informal structure for quick decisions. Struggles for autonomy within the company and the pending decision to hire a new research analyst. Anti-cohesiveness and lack of appropriate human resource management. Low team productivity and insufficient and inaccurate incentives within the work teams Although these issues present obstacles for further growth and potential of the firm, JFP is able to resolve th ese issues and consequently differentiate itself from its competitors in the industry with the following suggested resolutions: Further emphasize the informal and quick information sharing in between all the employees. Convince Stephanie to remain with the firm with a larger responsibility to enhance the structure under the assumption that her requirements are met. Hire Robinson based on her qualifications and acceptance by current JFP employees, and develop further evaluation of Fiske’s. Maintain a balance of young and senior analysts to achieve a productive and conducive learning environment. Implement regular and functional meetings at which every employee has an input. Develop performance management instead of performance reviews. Maintain the organizational restructures through work team productivity and implementation of appropriate incentivizing system. With these critical resolutions, JFP will become the unique, successful, and differentiated financial service firm that the founders originally dreamed of. One of the points of differentiation that JFP has from other financial service firms on Wall Street is its unique structure of small, flat, and wide for effective and efficient communication and decision making process. But Fletcher made a mistake to contradict that very principle of JFP. By not communicating with Stephanie and other salient members of the firm with regard to hiring process of Doyle, David Fletcher put more workload on himself, slowed the  decision making process, and disregarded other employees’ opinions and thoughts on Doyle, and practically created the silo effect. Fletcher explains, â€Å"I figured that Stephanie would do the health care and environmental stocks as well as the retail stocks while Brian would focus on his specialty, high-tech†, as he reveals his own â€Å"thought process† without the actual confirmation from Stephanie. Furthermore, Fletcher admits, â€Å"hiring Brian wasn’t coming from her pocket, it was coming from mine†, and demonstrates the contradiction to shared ideas and smooth flow of information he so desperately pursued himself. The employees at JFP are meant to communicate and share information with each other fluidly without any excluded members. However, Fletcher contradicted the ideal environment he desired to create by not communicating with Stephanie throughout the hiring process of Brian Doyle and thus deteriorated the structure he wanted. Although a desire for autonomy and greater success are contributing factors in Stephanie wanting to leave the firm, this significant incident has l ed to her feeling alienated and secluded from Fletcher and the work they used to do together. Another issue that Fletcher faces, looking forward, is whether or not to hire Fiske and/or Robinson. As previously mentioned, Fletcher makes the hiring process ineffective and inconsistent. When hiring Kindred, Fletcher learned from the conflict that had already risen between Doyle and Whitney, and makes sure to receive feedback from Whitney and other employees before moving forward with Kindred. Fletcher also maintains an incredibly packed schedule and the hiring process is overly crucial and overwhelming for him to do by himself. Moreover, because of his overwhelming schedule, Fletcher cannot possibly to train all the new hires on how evaluate stocks and consider the investment strategy. On a greater scale, throughout JFP there is an extreme lack of group cohesiveness and issues with conflict management. Members of the company compete to achieve the identical goal to become portfolio managers. Members of JFP have a power struggle to achieve their own individual goals; consequently, pay compensation directly associates with individual accomplishments. The very structure of Wall Street that Lodge dislikes includes silos with high departmentalization, and members with their own agendas. JFP requires a group cohesion for an effective decision making, yet the firm rewards for self-fulfilling achievements. Therefore, presented is a â€Å"Rewarding A while hoping for B†Ã‚  issue. Also, a clear relationship conflict versus task conflict is evident. There are personal and social disagreements that hinder employees to expend effort and resource on discussing vital company tasks and objectives. There are also many interpersonal and organizational conflicts that arise through peripheral transactions within JFP. One simple example includes Stephanie’s concern about where her desk is located. And yet, there are no company procedures to address and resolve these conflicts in a systematic way. Another example is lack of employees’ input about new hires. Unrest and social disturbances are within an organization present obstacles for employees to work efficiently and to be creative which affects their performance and in turn JFP’s success. The final issue to be address is JFP’s lack of effectiveness in work teams and motivation on both the individual and group le vels. More attention can increase productivity and motivation according to the Hawthorne Effect. Fletcher’s decreased attention toward Stephanie, demonstrated in Doyle’s hiring process, reduces her motivation and attachment to the firm and develops negative feelings about Doyle. Because Doyle and Stephanie have relationship conflicts, they cannot properly address task, including feedbacks for investment choices, which leads to decreased productivity and creativity within the firm. When Stephanie finds personal fulfillment and interest in her work, intrinsic motivation, Doyle’s hiring process situation diminishes it significantly. Because she is less secure and satisfied, Whitney is less motivated, which falls in line with Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory: hygiene factors, including security and working conditions, â€Å"operate primarily as de-motivators if they are insufficient† (175). Stephanie also has extrinsic motivation—Fletcher’s attention, praise, and guidance—which increases her intrinsic motivation as well as job satisfaction and a sense of purpose at JFP. Whitney’s lower job satisfaction results in a poor job performance and her attachment to JFP. In order to better achieve the wide, flat structu re for efficient and effective decision making, Fletcher should attempt to keep Stephanie Whitney with the firm because she has already gained expertise within the industry, and training and molding another new employee in place of Whitney bears immense opportunity cost for the culture and productivity of the firm. Additionally, Whitney has consistently performed at a high level, and the success she’s attained transitioning from  an administrative assistant to a portfolio manager can be leveraged as an effective tool to inspire others to work. Since Whitney has expressed a desire to leave, Fletcher needs to intrinsically and extrinsically motivate her to. In order to keep Stephanie motivated at JFP, Fletcher should have Stephanie with a team of her to delve into an industry that she is curious and enthusiastic about, so long as that industry has an investment potential for the firm. Since monetary incentives can be sufficiently satisfied with firms other than JFP, Stephanie needs to have the extrinsic motivator of autonomy. This reward for staying would be unprecedented in a firm where most decisions come down to David, and would be an indication that she is incredibly valued and essential to the organization. Permitting Stephanie to recruit her own team will also serve to widen the st ructure of the firm and delegate more tasks. Fletcher also needs to highlight the tie that they have shared in the past, apologize for not being transparent with her completely, and express respect towards her career development. Despite the possibility that Whitney will decide to pursue other opportunities, Fletcher needs to convince her to stay because of her credibility and the value lost from the firm’s perspective. There is an argument to be made that Whitney was at the root of personal issues in the past, but Whitney’s conflict was task-oriented, not personal. Her disagreement with many of Doyle’s investment strategies causes problems when Fletcher failed to address her concerns. In the end, Whitney ends up being right about Doyle, and it is not to be understated that she gets along very well with everyone else in the organization. Building a strong culture is a key for JFP in hiring new employees. Whitney, who already gets along with Robinson, can help to develop the environment in which portfolio managers work creatively and get along on a personal level as well. By treating Whitney as more of a thought partner than protege, Fletcher should keep Whitney for the benefit of JFP. As Kindred’s case reflect, new hires are more effective in their roles in hiring them. Therefore, the hiring process should be structured in a way that all existing employees get to meet the candidate before the decision is made. Organization’s small scale will allow such procedure that will result in more effective hiring process. More attention should also be paid to the current employees, not only to ensure new employees’ transition, but also to deal with the hiring process more  effectively. Whitney’s insistence upon leaving can be circumvented entirely had Fletcher heeded her concerns and addressed the issue earlier. JFP should also aim to balance between experienced and new hires, and encourage the experienced portfolio managers to act as mentors. Fletcher cannot possibly serve as a mentor for everyone; but forging mentor/mentee roles amongst the portfolio managers will lead to more cohesiveness in the organization, experienced employees leading by example and contribute to the flat structure of the organization with reduced risk of employees’ uneasiness. Fletcher has already taken a step in the right direction by seeking the approval of other employees for hiring Robinson, but needs to continue with evaluating Fiske. Moreover, JFP should feel confident about hiring Robinson because the other employees think highly of her and Robinson offers a unique background and valuable expertise. Despite Fiske’s experience, his ability to collaborate with his colleagues is the critical point to evaluate in the hiring decision. And thus Fletcher must turn to the rest of JFP for advice. In terms of cohesiveness and people management, JFP should implement work teams to emphasize the outcome is greater than the sum of individual ’s effort. Also, work groups can be particularly utilized in the new research analyst candidates’ environment because their primary task is to share information. Cohesiveness can be developed by rewarding employees as groups, increasing the time that employees spend with each other, stimulating competition amongst groups, benchmarking JFP’s performance to that of a competitor firm, and by increasing the exclusivity. Furthermore, JFP requires regular meetings at which everyone is involved and present to facilitate increasing the time employees spend together and resolving conflicts within the organization. Group successes and failures can be discussed and evaluated. In order to successfully restructure JRP, performance management is essential because it is another method for conflict resolution. Performance management will also bring a continuous flow of feedback so the employee can adjust his or her performance. An increase in employee satisfaction within the workplace will follow. Additionally, the Hawthorn Study states that non-financial incentives are more effective than financial incentives; also, attention from leaders has been pr oven to be 63% effective, praise from managers 67% effective, opportunities to lead projects 62% effective. â€Å"†¦(P)eople will  feel competent if they obtain feedback that indicates progress in their work or suggests ways that can increase their competence†. (176) The delegation of autonomy within JFP can also be addressed because autonomy is easily assessed and provided to employees if management constantly evaluates employee’s performance. Lastly, Fletcher needs to address work team productivity and motivation within JFP. As an example, Stephanie demonstrates enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment in her job, and Fletcher needs to develop these motivations further. He also needs to ensure a good team dynamic. Intrinsic motivation is conducive to creativity and result in more unique, productive and creative analysts. According to â€Å"scientific management†, extrinsic motivation is strictly positive; however managers often create undesired behaviors in their employees by utilizing this incorrect statement. (181) Therefore, Fletcher has to give critical feedback and attention to his analysts to provide them with some continuing extrinsic motivation. In addition, Fletcher should foster an environment in which analysts develop enjoyment and attachment, that will contribute to intrinsic motivation as well. Hackman and Oldham’s model of job enrichment (1976) suggests different ways to increase employee motivation. For example, task identity, task significance, and feedback are a number of them. Developing task identity means to increase an analyst’s sense of meaningfulness in one’s work and growing task significance means to increase the sense of importance of their work. Additionally, ongoing feedback will also contribute positively to the analysts’ motivation. Fletcher should focus on these methods, as well as an appealing work environment and good group dynamic, to increase his analysts’ motivation. With these constructive resolutions—further consolidating the unique organizational structure, effectively recruiting new employees, critically addressing conflicts and cohesiveness within the group, and appropriately maintaining the balance of motivation—JFP is assured to thrive as a differentiated, outperforming, and attractive financial service firm.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Answer Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Answer Questions - Essay Example Notably, Splunk development was meant for machine data, but can also be used to analyze big data in the category of digital footprint (Zadrozny and Kodali 5). During the term, I will work on ensuring that I do enough practice on the Splunk functionalities, including data collection, data indexing, and search as well as analysis using the Splunk Processing Language in preparation of my project. According to Snyder, Splunk Apps ensures that big data is secure from vendors such as Symantec. The article explains further functionalities that Splunk provides including reporting and alerting. I expect to learn installing Splunk on windows and Linux to ensure that log data is only sent to an analysis tool. Another important lesson from the source during the term is on how to get information out of Splunk. The term will enable in the practical experience of using Splunk to generate various reports ranging from simple graphs to textual and tabular reports (Snyder). Additionally, working on how to generate alerts from Splunk will help in the project

Friday, September 27, 2019

Saving Private Ryan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saving Private Ryan - Essay Example Spielberg shows this through many close-ups on his eyes, within which the audience sees the emotions and turmoil that exist despite his slow physical progress. Soon the film moves to a landing craft approaching the beaches on SD-Day. This is different from traditional war films in a number of ways. First, all the soldiers look terrified. Second, the very physical effects of this fear and the rough seas - a soldier vomiting - is shown. The soldiers around him do not even seem to notice the soldier vomiting because they are so caught up within their own thoughts and fears. Once the landing craft gets to the beach and opens up, German machine guns essentially eviscerate three soldiers before they even have a chance to move. Again, this is the point of view of the soldier. The audience sees the bloody pieces of the soldiers spattered all over the landing craft and their comrades. The scene continues with the point of view of a soldier struggling to make it up on to the beaches, and shows one of them drowning because he is wearing too much equipment. All of this shows the terror of war, and the easy, almost casual manner with which it takes life. As the scene continues the main character, played by Tom Hanks, essentially withdraws into his own world.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Marketing planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing planning - Essay Example The time when company started its business, only 20 smoothies were sold and this figure has increased up to 420,479 smoothies’ everyday which is a considerable achievement. Increasing sales, revenues and consumption of smoothies indicate that the quality of products offered by the company has been remarkable because of which Innocent Drinks is able to achieve a lot. Products offered by the company are made up of natural fruits and the quality management team makes sure that the fruits are fresh so that the quality of the products is maintained. Product life cycle is defined as the stage of the product as the life of the product increases, it moves from growth stage to maturity stage and then it starts declining (Kotler, 2009). Smoothies are at present during the growth stage of product lifecycle (Innocent). Products offered by Innocent Drinks are also at present in the growth stage and the increasing demand of smoothies represents further growth of the product. As the products offered by the company are still growing and generating substantial amount of revenues for Innocent Drinks. The market as well as the company is growing at the moment however major portion of the industry has been captured by Innocent Drinks with approximately 71% of the total market share. At a time when the market growth rate would decline, then Innocent Drinks can be considered as cash cow. Perceptual mapping shows that the products offered by Innocent Drinks are considered as of high quality and at the same time the prices of these products are believed to be relatively higher than the prices of competitors. Although some competitors are offering it at a lower price, but then the quality of products offered by these competitors is a question mark thus Innocent Drink is able to provide quality products at a relatively higher price. According to Ansoff Matrix the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

An historical account of an ancient Greek city-state or colony Assignment

An historical account of an ancient Greek city-state or colony - Assignment Example The author draws heavily from the primary sources of information such as the Herodotus, Plutarch, and the Thucydides to explain the nature and structures of various Greek land engagements in the 500 century B.C. In essence, the author presents a formative domain in understanding the history of Western warfare. The map below is a representation of ancient Greece city states that had come into existence in the 500 century B.C. the map clearly shows the settlements in the ancient Greece and the surrounding natural features such as the seas and other natural landscapes. From the map, it can be observed that the Athens City is among the notable City-States that existed in the early 500 century B.C. and was surrounded by rival city states such as Thebes and Corinth. The author gives a critical overview of the birth of the Athens City State and cultural diversity. The author notes that Athens is located at latitude 37 58’ 20† N and longitude 23 43’ 9† on the Attica plains. At the heart of the Attica plain, there exists a range of hills (presently referred to as Tourko Vouni) that spread from the northeast to the south. The hills separate the Kephisos and ILissos valleys that are boards a spur to the south. The spur can be termed as the link to the Athens City states. It is worth noting that the highest point of Athens is known as Acropolis. From the book, it can be identified that Athens has experienced dramatic transformations since its existence. Currently, the city is occupied by people from diverse origins in terms of race, ethnic background and religious affiliations. As a result of the settlement of people from diverse origins, the city is characterized by a rich a dynamic culture. Different people have different cultural construction and, therefore, meeting of residents in a common place leads to cultural

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Essay Example The epic, with its complex plot is acknowledged by historians and archaeologists as the oldest existing written story although it had been discovered and translated only relatively recently but it never fails to fascinate its readers with its many parallels to the biblical story of the Great Flood and that of Noah and his family. It is therefore not very far-fetched to assume that many parts of the biblical Noah got their origins and ideas from the Epic of Gilgamesh for its many similarities, barring mere coincidence, from the tale of Utnapishtim. What is even more remarkable is the story was based on an actual king named Gilgamesh. This paper explores this gem of world literature from the viewpoint of its importance in terms of its sophisticated moral lessons. Additionally, it will also discuss the universal questions that Man has been asking ever since, questions such as immortality, how to escape death itself, his place in the entire scheme of things in the cosmos, his relationshi p with his gods, with fellow human beings, governance and kingship. Moreover, the paper will likewise offer some hopefully useful insights into the immensity and scale of this grandiose tale. Discussion The epic is partly based on the real historical figure King Gilgamesh who ruled the kingdom of Uruk in ancient Sumeria at around 2700 B.C.E. (before current era, as historians now would like to date historical events rather than the usual B.C. or A.D. in order to avoid a bias towards Christianity and maintain neutrality towards all religions) but was written down in clay tablets only at around 2000 B.C.E. perhaps with an eye towards preservation of a story for posterity. Although it has historical basis as determined by rigorous historical research, it also contains so many embellishments to make the story more interesting to its intended audience and also partly to impart some important moral lessons, like biblical parables. The provenance of the epic story cannot be traced or ascri bed to a single writer but it is rather the work of several authors, who added a portion of the story with each succeeding re-telling to a listening audience, perhaps by the high priests of Babylon. It was originally an oral composition recited by traveling storytellers, which may help to explain why there are so many parts of the story which are mere fragments although it is still offers some continuity. It can be found in the royal library of King Ashurbanipal, who ruled around 700 B.C.E. but still portions or other versions of the same epic were unearthed at different epochs in the time of the ancient city of Babylon, providing a rich ethnological source as well (Maier 377). The Epic of Gilgamesh can be taken in context, in the sense it was written at a time of history when rulers often invoked their right to rule over their subjects from some form of divine intervention or deriving their royal power from the gods. This theme is very recurrent in many historical periods, and this theme is also quite common even in the other areas of the world, where kings ruled either by force or some other means to retain political control such as invoking their authority with their supposed knowledge and wisdom, just like Gilgamesh. A key character, Enkidu, was introduced to the epic as counterbalance to Gilgamesh. A good question to ask might be: What

Monday, September 23, 2019

Various Perspectives and Opinions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Various Perspectives and Opinions - Essay Example Biometrics technology has been widely employed in governments and corporations worldwide for security, particularly since the terrorist attacks of 9 September, 2001. Travel documents have security features which use biometrics to identify and verify. Airports and government agencies alike have used these technologies to screen passengers so as to ensure security of all passengers and verify their passes. It has also been used in forensics by the police to verify signatures used when signing credit receipts. This technology has been extended to elections, where voters would be barred from voting more than once, a similar application as for those being verified to access welfare benefits (Cole, 2005). Biometrics technology systems have been largely accredited for assuring citizens of their security. With screening at airports and borders of various countries, only persons that do not pose a security threat would be travelling and get to a particular destination as required. Corporation s have also appreciated the importance of this technology in keeping data safe and allowing authorized access only. The citizens who have been susceptible to fraud would better appreciate the importance of fingerprint biometrics technology. ... The FBI later retracted the case and admitted that the results were erroneous despite having been confirmed by about five senior latent fingerprint officers. More so, Opinion Research Foundation (2002) found out in his research that adults were skeptical that information stored in biometrics systems would have been used in ways to threaten their privacy. Since the technology involves use of radiations, health practitioners have had reservations on the eventual implications on the health of the public. For instance, iris biometrics uses near infrared radiation which would be illuminated to the iris so as to obtain the right data. The fear has been that retinal scanning could damage tissues in the eye. This argument has persisted despite the assurance from technologists and radiologists that the radiation is too weak to cause considerable damage to body tissues. Contact sensors have also been widely viewed as being contaminated. Since these sensors would be used by various persons, the risk of contamination by various microbes could be probable. But most organizations regularly irradiate UV light on these sensors so as to sterilize them. There are technologists who have however argued the lack of sense in this argument as the same persons who raise these fears use door knobs and rails on a daily basis which present a similar risk. Workers also feel that these systems have inhibited their movement at work places as their employers monitor their movements in corporations where they have to log in and out of work areas using biometric systems. Albeit the public has its reservations on the use of biometrics technology, it has still been widely utilized with Opinion Research Foundation (2002) finding that 82% of adults in America have at least one ID

Sunday, September 22, 2019

NBC Internet TV Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NBC Internet TV - Assignment Example The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has blocked active online streaming sites with temporary restraining orders, saying permission is not granted to broadcast without paying copyright fees. Some companies agree that the FCC needs to â€Å"clearly define what an online video distributor is† and post clear and concise rules that consider all stakeholders for this new type of broadcasting across the Internet (Kang, 2010). In order for NBC to be a competitive force in the Internet TV arena, they must offer connection to all forms of Internet technology that is being used regularly. NBC is interested in continuing to broadcast news, shows, and other programs on the Internet TV, claiming the ability to reach a much larger audience than regular TV. Opposition to NBC’s close-circuit broadcasts believe that anyone who owns a television capable of connecting to the Internet should have access to everything the Web has to offer (Kang, 2010). Reports that detail the network s that currently block viewing privileges of web-based programs to some Internet TV subscribers has some interested parties upset. The idea that big conglomerates can oust smaller organizations before they even have a chance to be successful is unfair monopolization of the industry, according to business attorneys for the opposition (Kang, 2010). The ability to reach a larger audience by broadcasting across Internet TV allows NBC to increase revenue through increased ad sales and other vendor payments that would otherwise be invalid, were it not for global inclusion. The threat of having to share content provided by NBC to other Internet TV users could hamper the revenue collected by NBC. Companies and trade firms involved in Internet TV would like to see FCC rules and regulation maintain â€Å"the integrity of the pay stream† that has been established (Kang, 2010). The Nielson ratings and demographic coverage supply the data used by television stations to sell future adverti sements. Tapping into the Internet TV market allows data statistics to increase, thus revenue to potentially increase for NBC (Robertson, 2012). The success or failure of putting NBC on Internet TV may very likely be attributed to the conditions the FCC puts on this and other television stations wanting to broadcast across the globe. The ability for NBC to compete in the Internet TV arena will include their willingness to do what it takes to maintain the seamless Internet connectivity desired by those loyal customers who will continue to support NBC. Rogers Internet TV Rogers On Demand Online, one of the three largest broadcasting networks in Canada, changed their name to Rogers Anyplace TV (RogersKaili, 2012) to incorporate the idea that viewing of programming can happen anywhere or anytime. Rogers has opened the access of Internet TV in Canada to personal computers, smartphones, tablets, and the Xbox360 (Suppa, 2010) giving viewers more options of scheduling and availability of pr ograms. The Internet TV options in Canada are expanding due to Rogers efforts to open up alternative ways for customers to continuously stream programs into busy schedules. The offering of â€Å"play-shifting, time-shifting, micro-transactional, and high definition content delivery† (Suppa, 2010) have made Rogers the first company to expand this extensively into Internet TV. The idea behind the name is that the more options a customer has to

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Bmw’s Dream Factory and Culture Essay Example for Free

Bmw’s Dream Factory and Culture Essay The culture at BMW is an entrepreneurial culture which emphasizes creativity, risk taking and the bottom-up system of freewheeling ideas. The top-down management style is popular in Germany but not at the BMW. As soon as associates start working at the BMW, they will have the sense of the place, history and the mission of the company. BMW creates a working environment that promotes easier communications between leaders and employees. Every employee can contribute his or her ideas and creations via either formal or informal ways. For example, an employee sees his or her supervisor by chance on the way to lunch, he/she can tell this person of the idea which has just happened in his/her mind. More importantly, their voices and their ideas are heard, welcomed and brought into discussions and consideration. As a result, a car from BMW is often a production of thousands of impromptu brainstorming sessions. Furthermore, BMW cares for the benefits of its employees. It includes all employees in profit sharing. It has a plan that distributes as much as one and a half months’ extra pay at the end of the year to employees. The company also provides a high level of job security for its employees. Lastly, BMW also focuses on high-quality but practical products which meet the demand of consumers and are highly competitive with other auto producers. The company’s near-failure from producing impractical and expensive cars during the postwar time in 1959 was a big lesson for them. This near-failure is always retold and mentioned in all new orientations for the new associates. It helps to remind all employees at BMW of a lesson learned for the company in developing its plans in the future and ensuring that kind of mistake should never happen again. 2. Discuss the model of leadership illustrated at BMW. The model of leadership illustrated at BMW is the consideration model of leadership. The leaders at BMW have close relationships with subordinates that are based on mutual trust, two-way and open communications, and respect for employees’ ideas. The managers at BMW must stay humble and work closely with subordinates and their peers. The Leipzig factory, which looks like an art museum, is a very creative working environment that can make the communications between managers and employees easier. Managers at BMW are the ones who know to make the right questions to ask their subordinates, not the ones who have all the right answers. They also emphasize the satisfaction of their employees’ needs and provide as many benefits to their employees as possible. They are approachable and always willing to listen to their employees. They think if the employees are well motivated, better cars will be produced. . Discuss how the leadership model contributes to the culture. The leadership model at BMW shortens the distance between leaders and subordinates. The relationships between them are built on mutual trust. Employees can feel free to raise their innovative ideas to their managers anytime and anywhere. When the employees see that their voice is heard, they are more encouraged to talk. Moreover, the company cares for the employees’ benefits. In return, the employees are very flexible to contribute their best for the company. The employees do not mind working temporarily for months in another work location which requires them to be far away from their family. They are willing to work for extra hours without being concerned about overtime. In summary, the leadership model at BMW has made it such a culture that is quite distinct from other German companies. 4. Discuss why employees derive high job satisfaction at BMW. The employees of BMW derive high job satisfaction because their benefits are well cared of, their voice is heard and their hard work is highly appreciated. Also, their job security at BMW is high. Any employees, regardless of what grade they are, can contribute their ideas and their innovations to the company’s managers easily. There are no complicated, formal processes or procedures required to send their ideas to their management teams. Furthermore, when the company gets more profits, the employees will also be more benefited. Good working environment is developed and paid attention to. In conclusion, BMW’s employees are highly motivated so they are satisfied and willing to contribute more to the development of the company.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Concepts of Black Identity

Concepts of Black Identity In the article Skin Bleaching, Self-Hate and Black Identity in Jamaica, Christopher Charles, tries to uncover the reason why Blacks in Jamaica decides to bleach their skin. In the article, Charles, uncover the word Identity which separates one entity from the rest. Jamaica is a plural society (Charles, 2003) and many black Jamaicans try to be accepted by the superior European culture. The major factor that contribute to the low self-esteem in Jamaicans are the black mothers telling their children white is better than brown and brown is better than black and their nappy hair is bad. Bleach has become so prevalent in Jamaica. The Ministry of Health and the Police force had to be more vigilant to crack down on bleaching. Many under-the-counter products were seized by the police but with a determination to have another identity many black Jamaicans were creating their own home-made products. Female advancement to be light-skinned or fair was blamed by the postindependence nationalist leaders. There are many reasons why females bleach but the one that stands out is their concerned with their body image (Charles, 2003). Christopher Charles made many interesting points as to why black Jamaicans bleach. The issue even 10 year olds in school are taking bleaching pill made me very upset. How could a mother or father put their own child through such a horrible treatment just so that their child can be brown skinned and be accepted by society? Bob Marley once said until the colour of a mans skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes. I agree with this statement because Jamaican women has lost track of what is important and significant about of black beauty. I also support the fact that parents should protect their child from all danger but endangering your child while trying to protect them color-coded or keeping up appearance is not accepted at all in my book. I think policy makers should put strict measures in place to severely deal with parents that strive to change the colour of their child skin and endanger them because the desire to change ones skin color to look different from ones racial group is cause by the psychological scars of the hierarchical plural society (Charles, 2003). The statement there are persons who are black, and they recognize this fact is true as far as I believe. However, Blackness has less salience in the construction of their identities (Charles, 2003). For example, someone (black) was adopted at a young age at about 12 by White parents. These white parents will teach their adopted child their values, norms and symbols because that is what the parent know to be right. The child identifying them as black but they still will not portray much of the black nominal. Another example of one embracing the nominal of other group is whites who become Rastafarian. They are not neglecting their own identity but their self-affirmed identity is with the group or groups whose values, norms and symbols they have incorporated (Charles, 2003) In concluding, I do agree with Charles on many aspects. Most black women, especially Jamaicans, have no value for their skin color any more. Parents instill this norm in their kids at a very young age, and therefore they grow up with the same mentality to teach their kids. And therefore, the cycle continues. The colonial system has miseducated our people into believing that the only standard of beauty is the one defined by European ideals (Charles, 2003). reeducation (Charles, 2003) is necessary for our people. Two Worlds by V.S Naipaul Two worlds defines how V.S. Naipaul, of Indian background, had to deal with the reality of knowing just about nothing of his ancestors other than his grandmothers house which had a little of the Indian history that their ancestors brought with them from India. He lived in a world where his Hindi language was minimal, only the alphabet was known among some, because the English language was penetrating through Trinidad. No one asked about India and when they decided to ask about it was already too late. As a writer his darkness became his subject. He wrote on India, Africa, the colony and many other topics. He traveled to India to discover what India was like because no one could have told him about India. He also traveled to different Caribbean region to learn more about the colonial setting. I cant remember anyone inquiring. And now the memory is all lost (Naipaul,n.d), this statement touch me because the Caribbean has a rich history as mix languages that was lost because of the constant change in the colonial master. In Grenada, many years ago we speak both English and French Creole but because of ignorance and selfish behaviors the French Creole language died with our great grandparents and was not pass down from generation to generation to preserve whats ours. But in St.Lucia French Creole has been passing down from generation to generation because they see the need to preserve what makes them different from the rest of the world and the Caribbean. Naipaul, (n.d) stated that All children, I suppose, come into the world like that, now knowing who they are. But for the French child, that knowledge is awaiting. That knowledge will be all around them. It will come indirectly from the conversation of their elders. It will be in the newspapers and on the radio. And at the s chool the work of generations of scholars, scaled down for school texts, will provide come idea of France and the French. The Mimic Men written by Naipaul, even if his intention was of the book was different but it capture a meaning of how the Caribbean is still on the puppet string being Mimic by the slave master. Men who had grown to distrust everything about themselves (Naipaul.n.d.). We are able to do anything and achieve anything on our own but once the former colonial master no longer in control get involved our inner slave starts to show itself, no longer we believe but obey and the Colonial men mimicking the condition of manhood (Naipaul, n.d.). In conclusion, Naipaul was lost in a world where he was born and a world where he was from. He travelled to India to discover where he came from, his ancestral land (Naipaul,n.d.) and also the Caribbean. Naipaul stated the world is always in movement and so we as Caribbean people need to move with the world for if we remind in mental slavery will and not up elevate our self our ancestor would have fought for our freedom in vain. O Brave New World by Maryse Conde The article O Brave New World by Maryse Conde raised some serious issues about globalization and what it means for the Caribbean. First he highlights, Caribbean countries seem to be the most concerned with this future since they lack political and economic power (Conde, 1998). This makes it difficult for Caribbean countries to compete in the global village against first world countries. Secondly, Conde, shamelessly states Globalization does not frighten me but For me it means reaching out beyond national and linguistic borders both in actual exchanges and transatlantic influences and in the expressive imagination of diasporic black communities (Conde, 1998). Here, Conde is showing that we do not need to have the largest economy nor political powers to break down barriers. We need to emerge together to overcome all obstacles as one people. Finally, Conde, highlighted black people had no intention of solving individually the problems of their specific countries but looked towards the t ransnationalization of black culture as a solution (Conde, 1998). He is mentioning that the barriers that once stood in front black people is beginning to give way and we Negroes of all origin and nationalities with different customs and religious vaguely sense that they belong, in spite of everything, to a single and same race(Conde, 1998). Sitting here and thinking how it is that we Caribbean people find it difficult to come together as one and not stand as individuals. Little Montserrat in the Caribbean, unknown to the majority of westerners, emerged from obscurity when it was threatened by the volcanic eruption of the Soufriere. This is a perfect example of why we need to stand as one people and not wait for a disaster to bring light to the Caribbean. I believe that we need to take ourselves out of the backward thinking and move towards a future thats transnational and global. Conde stated No intention of solving individually the problems of their specific countries. I dont agree with this statement because problematic countries will consume a lot of the other countries resources which will create even more problem for the resourceful country. For example, with the difficulties facing some African countries it would be hard to assist them. After encountering people of the same race from different countries, the state ment Negroes of all origin and nationalities with different customs and religious vaguely sense that they belong, in spite of everything, to a single and same race. On the religious aspect of the quote, I would have to agree with Conde. For example, in a black society of different religions: Rastas, Adventists and Catholics. Rasta believes that eating meat is bad, most Catholics believes that meat is good, while the Adventists think that pork (meat) is bad. Can everybody exist as one and not exist as multitude in the same race? I think not and this will create a lot of indifferences and cause a division between the people of the same race. In conclusion, the article, O Brave New World, has shown us that we still have a long way to go as transnational of black culture and with an ever changing world and each nation wanting to keep its own identity I think it would be difficult for any black nation to exist as one. Is Massa Day Dead? In the introduction of Is Massa Day Dead?, Orde Coombs highlight West Indian society is essentially a pappyshow society in which serious thought and dreadful calamities are acknowledge with the briefest of attention so that one can go about the business of ones business (Coombs,1974). In the West Indian society we give a blind eye to a lot of the serious issues or problems that plague our society in West Indian but in order to solve this issues we will have to change our way of thinking and remove The American cultural juggernaut that smashes its way into the willing or unwilling psyches of all the islanders (Coombs, 1974). Derek Walcott portrays a view that suggests he accepts both side of his heritage and cannot let one fade and one prosper but give both balance because both are important to his life. Brathwaite had a different view that we should accept our Africanness and neglect the other half of our ancestors. Whereas Millette and Rohlehr believe that black people need to stand up and drive its intellectual dynamic against the deepening pressure of this age of neo-colonialism (Coombs,1974). Hodge, Thomas, Hodgson, Stewart, Edmondson all speak of striving for equality among all black people and most importantly to take pride in our Africannes of West Indian society. In the Is Massa Day Dead? Brathwaite bids us a journey into the past to find the African and Amerindian in us, for only then can we become ourselves and measure the rhythm of our own creativity (Coombs,1974). Braithwaites views are that we should forget about the European that is in some of us, for example, Derek Walcott, like the halves of a fruit seamed by own bitter juice, that exiled from your own Edens you have placed me in the wonder of another, and that was my heritance and your gift. Walcott have both African and European in him and he claims both heritage and not one over the other but embracing of both cultures. Braithwaites view which I think dont apply in this global village but Walcott views pin point the direction that is being taking today as Coombs stated, black people have begun not only to probe their commonality, but to understand that the shibboleths that separate us. There are Many of the more serious thinkers of these islands who want to usher in a just society, who wants to abolish privileges based on race or class (Coombs, 1974). In the Caribbean we are still, sort of under the slave master mentally because once islanders make a valuable contribution to the island their ideas are not analyzed, but they themselves are put under a blaze of lights and their foibles and weaknesses exposed(Coombs,1974. With this type of mentality by islanders the island development will remind one place and not move forward but floats around like a piece of plank for all eternity. May be this due to the fact that Cultural juggernaut has penetrate our minds more then we think and it will and lot of education of our people and take us out of this illusion that America is better than us. In conclusion, I think that Coombs effectively displays a lot of the problems that we are faced with in the Caribbean. Among them, the inequality between men and women and how men still dominate and have high positions in society. However, in recent years, you will find women graduating with degrees and earning high positions in society. This clearly shows that woman are rising out of the mentally that women should be seen and not heard. Brathwaite and Walcott stand on their Africanness and Europeanness and for the many struggles that are still being fought by black thinkers to unshackle us from the neo-colonialism that still is with us today. West Indians and their Language by Peter A. Roberts West Indians and Their Language by Peter Roberts highlighted how geography, politically, definition, history and culture connects the West Indies language. The term West Indian as define by Roberts, it confers on the people of many different islands an identity or homogeneity which all of them do not want to be associated with (Roberts, n.d.). The term West Indies, does not have a precise meaning or definition but Roberts gives a general meaning it refers to the very same islands or territories (Roberts, n.d.). Roberts made mention of how geography and politics influence the West Indies connectively. Geographically, the islands are separated into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles there were separated because of the size of the islands and the distance from each other. Politically, the West Indies European policy determined the entities in the Caribbean by creating great distances or close links between the islands regardless of their actual distance from each other (Robert s, n.d.). Roberts, define the term language and a language. Language can be look at from the linguistic competence which the joining of the innate capacity (the child) and actual input from the society (words, phrases) (Roberts, n.d.). Languages in the West Indies change over time because of the constant chance of colonial (British, French) power which gives birth to the distinction of language throughout the West Indies. Roberts, highlights the varieties of language spoken in the West Indies. English which is said to be good or proper; English thats not good or proper is dialect (Roberts, n.d.). Roberts also give details of Creole, Patois and Slang that is part of the West Indies. Roberts enlighten me on West Indies language on how diverse our language is. I would have never thought that dialect is considered to be Standard West Indies English. Grenada, as history has shown, been through the French and the British hands for many years and finally become British about the 19th century (Roberts, n.d.). To look at why Grenada loss its French Creole I will take it from a cultural, educational and geographical point of view. First geographically, Grenada is located near to Trinidad than St.Luica and the other French Creole speaking islands. Cultural view because Grenada is now under the British rule, British will impose its culture on Grenada. Finally, from an educational view, British try or should I say eradicate French Creole through the use of school and teaching British language while the French Creole dead out. In conclusion, Roberts give a comprehensive understanding of West Indies language on how it went through so many different circles till it ends up as it is today. French Creole and many other languages that was lost because we were washed away of our African language and taught the European language English which is still considered bad or broken. West Indian English, however, unlike other dialect of English (perhaps excepting Indian English), has features which are significantly difference in nature, features which have resulted from the nature of the contact between African and European and from the circumstances of development of language in the West Indies (Roberts, n.d.). The Roots of Caribbean Identity: Language, Race and Ecology by Peter. A. Roberts In the article The Roots of Caribbean Identity: Language, Race and Ecology Roberts links how European countries embrace their identity which suggest that place, people and language are closely allied in the formulation of national identity (Roberts, 2008) and in the Caribbean we have a great present of European influence such as the language, place and person. Also he highlighted the notion of identity (Roberts, 2008). We in the Caribbean are the same but yet we still are different and how we as social being differentiate ourselves into classes. Finally, human societies are not static but no matter how similar or different we are we will create a new identity that will either be accepted or not. Language is in part a universal human factor and in part a factor of place this statement makes me think of how we as humans are the same but yet so different when it comes to our language. For example, here in Grenada we have this stigma (distinct language) between people from the country side (St.Patricks) and people from the town (St.Georges). Recognize speakers from outside their community by their speech. Someone from the country side will speak more dialect than someone from the town and someone from the town will speak not restricted to use of a single language because in the town people consider themselves as speaking standard English, considering they live on the tourism belt. Roberts stated that a sound is in essence what language or variety of language they speak. Many Caribbean islands national language is English because of the colonial ties with Britain. For example, if a tourist comes to Grenada; the taxi men and other people that come in contract with the tourist will know the nationality of that tourist base on their accent, for instance, if its a British tourist the taxi man will put on a British accent or if its an American the taxi man will put on an American accent. This is not a good way to appreciate our own language because the tourist might not even be able to understand what you are saying and this is why we as Caribbean people need to hold on to wants ours and pass it on from generation to generation. As Roberts mention while behavior may in some objective way be the best criterion for judging sameness, it is the sense of sight (colour/race) and sound (language) that provide the initial and usually most deep-seated conclusions about sameness and difference in identity. The Antilles: Fragment of Epic Memory written by Derek Walcott tells us of how the Caribbean move from a history of violence to what it is today. He mentions how the Caribbean culture is not evolving but already shaped (Walcott, 1992) and its proportions are not to be measured by the traveler or the exile, but by its own citizenry and architecture (Walcott, 1992). Which is true because when foreign looks at postcard they see blue sea, drinks with umbrella and they dont see the true nature of the island, the real history of the Caribbean. Walcott talks about how in Trinidad, the Indian people, reenact the Hindu Epic the Ramayana in the small village of felicity that shows the collective memory of its people which is the essence of human experience which goes way beyond any history that can be found in books. After reading and internalizing The Antilles: Fragment of Epic Memory, I agree with Walcott on one fact, which I think has been plaguing us in the Caribbean for some time now and it still is going on even if many efforts are being place in school to teach us about our history and not too much about the European history. As Walcott stated Every endeavor is belittled as imitation, from architecture to music for example, in Grenada the government is introducing to its school curriculum, consume making, with the intention of passing on some of our history to the youth. Today most of the youth are straying towards the first world culture. For instance, you would not fine a kid playing some of the Caribbean games no more but they would engaged in video and computer games or watch MTV or the Disney World channel or some foreign channel that dont teach them about their culture or ancestors. This is how the islands from the shame of necessity sell themselves; this is the seasonal erosion of their identity (Walcott, 1992). Walcott writes, Visitors to the Caribbean must feel that they are inhabiting a succession of postcards. The Caribbean is like a Botanical Gardens, as if the sky were a glass ceiling under which colonized vegetation is arranged for quiet walks and carriage rides (Walcott, 1992). The hidden beauty of the Caribbean is unknown by travelers (tourist) but known by citizens. The Caribbean seasons are like an unending summer of the tropics not even poverty or poetry seems capable of being profound because the nature around it is so exultant, so resolutely ecstatic, like its music, thats a perfect description of how the Caribbean is and not a postcard that tells a million words but the true essence of its culture, its people and its way of life. In conclusion, A culture based on joy is bound to be shallow (Walcott, 1992). Walcott speaks on how we take our culture, the people and the beauty and wonders of the Caribbean for granted. The Caribbean belong to us and we should portray it, not as a postcard, but a symbol of our heritage, our culture, our place of birth, as the song goes by Eric Donaldson this is the land of my birth, in essence, the Caribbean is the land of our birth and Caribbean people should not only express themselves when they are away from home, but should do so all the time. And in doing so, it should not be half represented. They should speak the true facts and paint the true picture of the land.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Faithing :: Essays Papers

Faithing Faith is an odd sort of virtue. In these days of televangelism, tracts, and the "Christian right," one would be tempted to identify faith with a set of beliefs, a conglomerate of successive religious propositions that one has accepted; a branch of one’s "mental furniture," so to speak. However, to limit one’s definition of faith to this narrow band is to do faith itself a disservice. In the history of literature and philosophy alike, there are those who have conceived of faith rather differently. Among these are Myles Connolly and Sà ¸ ren Kierkegaard in their respective works Mr. Blue and Judge for Yourself! What these men seek to effect is not so much a redefinition of faith as a refinement and expansion it. Principles, yes, they say; but furthermore, actions flowing out of those principles. This type of faith is thus characterized not only by beliefs, but also the natural actions that come from those beliefs. In this way, faith becomes something that envelopes a per son’s whole being; it is transmuted into a complete orientation for one’s life. This type of faith, extolled by Kierkegaard, is embodied in the character of J. Blue in Myles Connolly’s book Mr. Blue. Blue was a rather singular person to say the least. At the very beginning of the book, the narrator says the following of Blue: I have not the slightest doubt he would have been †¦ immensely happy in a poorhouse. He had no money. When by accident he happened upon some he gave it away. He worked here and there for his meals and a place to sleep. He roamed eastern United States and really did get abroad. The while he lived gloriously, and, withal, religiously. He impressed one as a sort of gay, young, and gallant monk without an Order. Or perhaps his Order was life, and the world his monastery. (15) Such a person was Blue. He had little interest in possessions, he was much more entranced by a bright splash of color, a marching band, or a sunset viewed off the top of a skyscraper. But above all, his profession, if he could be said to have one, was people. Blue was in love with people, his eyes sparkled for them, his mind was on fire for them, his heart bled for them. Blue’s idea of the ultimate life project was to establish what he called the "Spies of God," an unorganized group of people that simply went around loving other people, people in need, poor people.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Ethics of Capital Punishment Essays -- Papers

The Ethics of Capital Punishment Ethics is "the study of standards of right and wrong; that part of philosophy dealing with moral conduct, duty and judgement.'[1] Capital Punishment is 'the death penalty for a crime.'[2] The word "capital" in "capital punishment" refers to a person's head as in the past; people were often executed by severing their head from their body. Since the early 1800's, most executions have resulted from convictions for murder. The death penalty has also been imposed for such crimes as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and treason. Some people believe that capital punishment is necessary for punishing people that have committed any type of crime, much of the time because these people want justice; others think that capital punishment is only necessary in extreme cases, such as murder, while others believe that it is wrong and shouldn't be aloud to take place. Amnesty International's thoughts on the death penalty is that it is 'cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment and a violation of the right to life'[3]. In extreme cases, I believe that people should be punished. People who commit crimes such as murder (mass or only an individual killing), rape and kidnapping should all be punished for what they have done. For example, the current issue with the Balibombings "mastermind". Amrozi Bin Nurhasyim is up for trial and if proven guilty, the death penalty will be imposed. Although he himself believes that he is a hero, I believe that as he killed so many and injured many more, the death punishment is the only fitting and adequate punishment. Many people oppose the death penalty because they consider it cruel.... ... that Capital Punishment is the best way to go to punish people who murder and commit other drastic crimes. I believe that murders should have the Death Penalty imposed to punish them for taking someone else's life, although everyone has their own opinion and that is fine to have a different opinion. Whether Capital Punishment is ethical is also up to your own beliefs, and I hope this essay has given you an insight into Capital Punishment and helped you determine you own opinion. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] World Book Online Dictionary - http://dictionary.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbDict?lu=ethics [2] World Book Online Dictionary - http://dictionary.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbDict?lu=capital%20punishment [3] Amnesty International Report "The Death Penalty"

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Focalization in Richard Wrights :: essays research papers fc

Focalization in Richard Wrights Bright and Morning Star 1. Introduction 3 2. Narration 4 3. Focalization 5 - 6 4. Conclusion 6 5. Bibliography 7 1. Introduction The presentation of events in narratology differs greatly with the purpose of the text. Certain events would seem less authentic if they were to be presented in a third-person narrative, other events just can’t be described objectively within a first-person narrative. Sometimes the events call for a non-involved description but on the other hand are too personal not to include thoughts and views of the character. In this case a different perspective is needed to view the events, not to describe them. For analytical purposes one can assume that the different aspects on narration are chosen for reason by the`implied author ´, a substitute agent which is "the governing consciousness of the work as a whole." (Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan, Narrative Fiction Contemporary Poetics, London / New York, 1983). This agent therefore presents the events through the mediation of a certain perspective, the focalizer, and verbalizes them through a different agent, the narrator. The analys is of both narrator and focalizer can give further insights into the purpose of a story and can help to overcome hermeneutical differences in the interpretation. I will begin my narratological analysis of Richard Wrights Bright and Morning Star with the aspect of the narrator and his role and purpose in the interpretation. Since the aspect of narration is not my main topic I will keep the analysis short and in direct relation to the focalizer. I will then concentrate on the aspect of focalization and the different levels of pervasion of the focalized. The degree to which the lead character is focalized can be directly related to aspects of interpretation and certain linguistic features which I will specify. I will then conclude my analysis by showing that the described aspects serve to evoke a certain perspective and atmosphere and are therefore useful for contextual interpretation. 2. Narration In Richard Wrights Bright and Morning Star the events are mediated through a third-person narrator who describes events past to him. Using the terminology of Rimmon-Kenan the narrating agent can be classified as an ulterior extra-diegetic, heterodiegetic narrator. The first aspect defining the narrator is the relationship between narration and story, the time when the story is being narrated. The most frequent form is the narration of events after they happened, the ulterior narration, as in Bright and Morning Star. The use of the past tense is the most prominent indication of an ulterior narration.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Playing Monopoly Essay

1. Identify the behaviors that you think are ethically questionable in the history of Microsoft. Evaluate the ethics of these behaviors. Pretend to embrace a technology and become the major source for that technology like buy out the competitors. Declare it obsolete because your original way is better. Wait long enough for a technique or idea to be forgotten by the majority of people or just long enough that the majority of your followers are naive newbies. Bring out the old idea and present it as a new invention. For example, many things in Visual Studio .Net are presented as new ideas even though they have existed in RAD tools like Delphi for over a decade. Why this works? because the majority of new software geeks have no idea what Delphi is and didn’t know that you could do everything exactly the way Microsoft claims you can in their â€Å"new† invention. It is very much clear about incidences that Microsoft has been unethical in its approaches. Rather that applying their own thoughts, most of the products they have released by copying ideas unethically from other competitor’s products. Rather than having the fair competition in the market Gates always tried to monopolize the market. Though all the monopoly has brought him profit but ethically Microsoft didn’t. 2. What characteristics of the market for operating systems do you think created the monopoly market that MIcrosoft’s operating system enjoyed? Evaluate the market in terms of utilitarianism, rights and justice (your analysis should make use of the textbook’s discussion of the effects of monopoly markets on the utility of participants in the market, on the moral rights of participants in the market, and on the distribution of the benefits and burdens among participants in the market), giving explicit examples from the operating sytems industry to illustrate your points. Some of the characteristics of the market that created monopoly market that Microsoft’s operating system enjoyed are as follows: Incorporation of various Microsoft applications like Windows Digital Media Player and  Internet Explorer in 1995 with its operating system gave an advantage to the company as this monopoly worked out for them. Users using Windows didn’t want themselves to get into trouble of purchasing a different browser and different Media Payer. Users were also not ready to pay extra money for buying other companies’ applications, as all those applications were readily available with Microsoft’s operating system. Every company was releasing their applications and operating systems in the market and every time Microsoft was able to know their programs. Using those programs Microsoft created monopoly in the market by releasing advanced version of competitors’ products. As when Navigator came in 1994, Microsoft launched Internet Explorer which was borrowed from Spyglass Inc. and made it similar to Navigator. It incorporated Internet Explorer with Windows. Media player was also incorporated in Windows. Sun Microsystems’s Java was also licensed to Microsoft first and then Microsoft built its own Microsoft java permitting Windows Users to be compatible with it.In the software industry users did not want to shift to new products or applications until proper training and workshops are organized. Microsoft’s used good strategies for training users. With the Installation disk, a proper tour of Windows is provided to facilitate user. 3. In your view, should the goverment have sued Microsoft for vilolation of the antitrust law? In your view, was judge Jackson’s order that Microsoft be broken into two comanies fair to Microsoft? Was judge Killar-Kotelly’s november 1, 2003 decision fair? Was the April 2004 decision of the Eruopean Comission fair to Microsoft? Explain your answers. USA Attorney General Janet Reno filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft in the court of Judge Thomas Jackson. Microsoft made the computer companies using Windows as their operating system not to license, distribute or promote competitive software products of other companies. It embedded Internet Explorer with Windows and thus demolished consumer freedom to go for any other Browser plus it also degraded windows performance. In the agreements with computer companies those using Windows, Microsoft wanted them to leave Internet Explorer as the default Web–Browser and didn’t allow installation of any other browser. The judge was having complete authority  to take hard actions against Microsoft’s unethical business strategies. As per the case study it is evident that Microsoft has used various unethical business strategies to make their business profitable. Microsoft copied the copyright of Apple’s OS/2 and developed its own operating system on the same line . Moreover they forced users to use its Internet Explorer and digital media player. They suppressed the platform independent functionality of Sun’s Java by releasing Microsoft’s Java and making it cross platform language. In my view, government should not have sued Microsoft. Consumers were well satisfied by Windows which was evident from the market share of its use. So signing of agreement involves approval of computer companies and Microsoft and if computer companies have signed that agreement that means they weren’t having any problems and neither consumers upon implementing the agreement. So Microsoft just used a marketing strategy over here. Judge Jackson’s order was fair for the competitors as well as for the software industry because Microsoft has really invoked the monopoly situation in the market. It was essential to have fair competition in the market. As an operating system and applications are totally two different aspects and Microsoft should no t club these two aspects. This order would have helped competitors and users to choose their favorite applications. From Microsoft’s point of view it was not the fair decision, as they never wish to separate their business into two domains. It was a marketing strategy adopted by Microsoft so that it can withstand with the competition. According to them it also facilitated consumers for not spending their money in buying other corresponding software and also playing a risk of installing and uninstalling. According to the settlement between Microsoft and DOJ, Microsoft was asked to share its application programming interface with other software rivals and to allow users to hide Internet Explorer icon from the screen. It was asked not to prevent other competitors programs to install on its operating system and not to retaliate against computer makers in releasing their products. This settlement was officially approved by Judge Kollar-Kotelly on November 1, 2003. The decision was really fair for the competitors as well as users. The decision has created free competitive market in the software industry. It allows users to use other available applications and allow them to hide icons which they do not want to use. From competitors point of view market became much more open to release more  products with advanced techn ologies. This move also helped people to think out of Microsoft’s box and helped to showcase their technical skills. As a result various new operating systems with better performance than Windows like Linux, Suse, Knoppix, and Solaris came in market. 4. Who, if anyone is harmed by the kind of market that Microsoft’s operating system has enjoyed? Explain your answer. What kind of public policies, if any, should we have to deal with industries like the operating system industry. Monopoly of Microsoft’s operating system has harmed everyone from users to computer producers. Due to unavailability of fair market the users were bound to use Microsoft’s operating system and applications. They were unable to hide icons of the Microsoft’s applications from their operating system. From producer’s point of view, they were not free to launch Windows compatible applications due to unavailability of Windows application programming interface in the market. The competition became minimal in the market due to monopoly enjoyed by Microsoft. Due to monopoly in the market one single company Microsoft was holding maximum market share. It hampered the technical advancement and innovation in the market as well. Some of the following public policies could be used to deal with monopoly Government should issue some standards for a given technol ogy/system/product which should be followed by everyone in the industry. Anti-monopoly law can be created to prevent monopoly to occur in the market. Some policies can be incorporated in the system to motivate and encourage newly launched companies to increase the innovation in the market. Some policies should be made to share information among the companies whose applications are inter dependant.

Childhood Development Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Patterson and Bronfenbrenner came up with a comprehensive explanation of the role that a child’s context plays in their developmental process. These two sociologists assert that children’s culture, parenting style, social network among other factors tremendously affect their overall outcome as adults. The essay shall examine the latter author’s theories with regard to delinquency. Role of contextual analysis in determining delinquent patterns   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The country is under tremendous pressure owing to the high rates of delinquency. It would therefore be very useful to place this pattern of behavior under context. Kennedy and Swenson (1995) explained that the country needed a total of one billion dollars to deal with the juvenile system which is usually brought on by delinquency factors. Some of the assertions made by these experts include the fact that juvenile delinquents are more likely than other individuals to depend on welfare as adults or to be unemployed in the future. It is therefore imperative to detect some of the possible causes of these behaviors and nip them in the bud.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   DeBaryshe, Patterson and Ramsey (1989) explain that the interactions which children have with their families have a major role to play in terms of the way children turn out in the future. It should be noted that those children with minimal guidance from their respective families have higher chances of exhibiting delinquent behavior. Additionally, these negative effects experienced by such children are likely to trickle down to their overall behavior within the school environment. More often than not, such children feel rejected by their parents are thus unable to give their all within the school environment. The overall result of this is failure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On top of the latter, it is possible to find that most children who are exposed to negative family influences or those who have been rejected by their families tend to join socially deviant groups. The main explanation for this is that those children are looking for some sort of acceptance. While the socially deviant groups may not be acceptable by other members of the community, most of them make neglected children feel at home. When a rejected child joins such a socially deviant group, they are likely to ape the behaviors of their peers and engage in delinquent behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Patterson (1996) explains that in order to understand or even determine whether a child will exhibit delinquent behavior, one ought to examine whether that respective child is exposed to good family management. Additionally, it was also necessary to look at some of the issues revolving around their parents. This factors include; availability of parents, nature of parental interactions and whether those respective individuals can understand the nature of the child’s respective challenges.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The latter mentioned authors also asserted that it was necessary to asses whether a child’s school environment was a positive influence upon their lives. This means that more often than not, children who perform poorly in school or those who feel out of place in school are more likely to exhibit delinquent behavior than their counterparts in other types of schools. Consequently, it is necessary fro such children’s parent to take part in monitoring their children’s behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It should be noted that the latter authors were trying to move away from the traditional explanations of delinquency. In other words, they believed that delinquency is more a result of family interactions rather than family structures. Traditionally, it was thought that children brought up in single parent homes were more susceptible to delinquent behavior than those children who have been raised by both parents. However, contextual development adherents believe that a child can be brought up in a single parent home and fail to become a juvenile delinquent if the nature of their family relationships is strong enough. Additionally, Patterson asserts that when parents continually monitor their children, then chances of delinquency are drastically reduced. This is something that Patterson (1996) believes can occur even at slightly younger ages. The latter assertion indicates just how closely rel ated this theory is to Piaget’s child development theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the latter author, children learn through the processes of accommodation and assimilation. Assimilation is the process by which a child takes up certain habits or issues from their respective environments through changes in their own perceptions. On the other hand, accommodation is the process by which certain elements in a child’s minds change as a result of the assimilative processes. It should be noted that there is one major factor that is common between these respective components. It is the fact that most of the information that changes a child’s perceptions of their environment is obtained from their respective contexts. This means that context has a large role to play according to Piaget. If a child’s family, social circles or school does not stimulate certain assimilation or accommodation processes, then that child will miss out on a crucial part of their development. This therefore implies that such children have higher chances of exhibiting delinquent behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some other authors also concur with Patterson and Bronfenbrenner in terms of the causes of delinquency. Examples of such authors include Megens and Weerman (2007). They assert that the nature of a child’s social interactions have an inherent effect on their likelihood to exhibit delinquency. The latter authors believe that when children interact with peers who are likely to affect them negatively, then chances are those children will take up negative influences and hence become more deviant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   DeBaryshe, Patterson and Ramsey (1989) explain that children who become delinquents are those ones that get negative influence from their respective schools. They believe that when certain children achieve academically, then they are more likely to be positive in their present and future lives. This means that some of the assertions made with regard to Patterson concur with these explanations. The authors believe that academic achievement acts as a go between for a respective child in terms of the nature of their parent’s role and also in terms of delinquency. Their studies showed that when children performed well in school, they were less likely to become delinquents even when their parents did not monitor them effectively. Their findings also showed that when children did not perform well in school but received discipline from their parents, then they were less likely to show delinquent behavior just like the latter mentioned category of children.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In terms of explaining the nature of social networks amongst children, Dishion and Loeber (1983) explain that belonging to deviant groups can make children more vulnerable to delinquency because it teaches children how to become delinquents. The latter authors elaborate this further by explaining that children with higher cases of conflicts between themselves are also more likely to receive less support from their corresponding peers. The overall result of this exposure is exhibition of delinquent behavior. These social groups usually engage in substance abuse and may show negative tendencies towards one another. The overall result of this is that children then become delinquents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During discussion of delinquency, one cannot ignore the effect of SES as many individuals have suggested this as a causative factor. However, research in the area has indicated that most individuals can counter the effect of SES status through parental involvement in a child’s life. These studies as indicated by Patterson et al (1989) show that most individuals may exhibit patterns of juvenile behavior if they do not have any sort of parental reinforcement regardless of their SES status. Despite the fact that most juvenile cases happen to be individuals with lower SES status, the latter authors explain that this is as a result of poor parental or family management. Had those children been exposed to greater parental discipline, their SES status would not have mattered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some authors explain that juvenile casers are also caused by biological factors. There are certain instances in which exhibition of violent or criminal behavior may be brought on by ones’ respective biological make-up. For instance, it has been shown that most cases of juvenile behavior occur amongst boys than it does among girls. Also, it has been found that juvenile delinquency increases as a child gets older. While one may not be able to link these biological factors to a child’s context, it is imperative to realize that certain social factors are linked to biological factors. For instance, society requires that girls should be well behaved and engage in socially acceptable behavior. This is a concept which they learn at an early age and they learn to live with it for their entire childhood. Consequently, social context has a role in determining why males exhibit greater cases of delinquency than females because boys are taught about these roles through their interactions with family, friends, school mates etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, it can also be asserted that the issue of age as a biological prerequisite to delinquency can also be examined in a contextual environment. Most children learn about their world as they grow older. Consequently, the older they get, the more likely those respective individuals are to be affected by their respective environments and also the higher their chances of engaging in delinquent behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children or adolescents who spend more time with other individuals who are non-family members may exhibit delinquency. Research shows that taking children away to religious or learning institutions for long periods of time deprives them, off the much needed parental guidance and eventually causes deviant behavior which may be manifested as delinquency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Others theories also bring out the fact that children who experience excessive discipline measures usually record greater instances of delinquent behavior than those who are exposed to moderate levels of discipline. The reason for this is that children have greater tendencies to rebel against their parents or caretakers in cases where they receive heavy punishments because such children may feel that their penalties do not befit their wrongs and may therefore feel unfairly treated. Therefore, such children may have pent up anger and may therefore vent it out through delinquent behavior. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It has been shown that when parents exercise greater control of their child’s whereabouts, then they are more likely to prevent delinquent behavior. This same pattern may also be observed when parents exercise consistent discipline and also when they have supportive relationships. Biological factors have little influence on their own but they matter when analyzed contextually. Also, the issue of SES status can be minimized through effective family management. Reference   Patterson, G., DeBaryshe, B., and Ramsey, E. (1989):   A developmental perspective on antisocial behavior; American Psychologist, 44, 2, 330 Patterson, G. (1996):   Some characteristics of a developmental theory for early-onset delinquency; Oxford University Press Swenson, C. & Kennedy, W. (1995):   Perceived control and treatment outcomes with chronic adolescent offenders; Journal of Adolescence, 30, 565-560 Loeber, R. and Dishion, T.   (1983):   Early predictors of male delinquency; Psychological Bulletin review, 94, 1, 73 Megens, K. and Weerman, F.   (2007):   The Dynamics of Peer Associations and Delinquent Behavior in Adolescence; American Society of criminology report, No. 12