Monday, September 30, 2019
Case Study on Hr Planning Essay
It is the countryâ⬠s best recognised energy brand. Centrica is a multinational company, with businesses in many countries. Centrica was formed in 1997 and consists of eight separate energy-related businesses, ranging from the supply of gas and electricity to consumers and organisations in the UK and Europe, to storage of gas for other providers, and drain and pipe work maintenance. The UK energy market is highly dynamic. Customers look for the best deals and are increasingly prepared to switch suppliers. In 2007, 900,000 customers switched energy providers. An energy company needs to show it is not just competitive on price, but that it can also provide the right levels of customer service to attract and retain customers. British Gas does not only supply gas but also deals with the installation and maintenance of domestic central heating and appliances. It provides a maintenance and breakdown service for electrical white goods and home wiring. Through the Dyno brand, British Gas also offers drain clearing services, plumbing and home security services. To deliver these services, British Gas needs high calibre staff. It employs more than 9,000 trained gas engineers to install and maintain central heating and gas appliances. This case study explores how British Gas manages the recruitment and selection of new employees. Page 2:à The role of human resource management Managing a successful large business involves acquiring, developing and maintaining a wide range of resources. These resources include materials, buildings, land, equipment, technology and, crucially, people. Any organisation needs good employees who have the right skills to achieve the companyâ⬠s aims and objectives. Human resource management (HRM) is the business function that focuses on the people aspects of an organisation. It ensures the efficient management of people in the business. It is responsible for ensuring that an organisation has the right people to deliver its overall business plan. Meeting customer needs Centrica, the parent corporation of British Gas, has to deliver long term profitability. Its shareholders expect the business to show a return on their investment by making profits, now and in the future. British Gas needs to contribute to these profits. This means consistently meeting the needs of its customers with competitively priced products and services that give good returns to the company. Residential consumers across the country are the core customer base of British Gas. These customers expect top-class service at keen prices. If British Gas does not meet this standard, the company may lose business to competitors. To ensure customer satisfaction, British Gas engineers must have the technical skills to undertake work to the required standard and the people skills to deliver good customer service. Through its engineer recruitment team, the British Gas Academy must therefore ensure that the company attracts and retains the best engineers. This involves several complementary tasks. It requires planning to assess the future needs for skilled employees at British Gas. It requires a recruitment and selection programme to bring new people into the business. It requires a training operation to equip new recruits and existing employees with the right skills. Retaining people Importantly, British Gas must also ensure that it retains its best people. It is much more cost effective to retain trained and highly skilled staff than recruit and train up new people. British Gas seeks to retain people by offering a mix of financial and non-financial benefits. As well as good pay and a pension scheme, the company provides employees with the opportunity to buy shares in Centrica and it offers a great place to work and high-class training. Page 3:à Training As an expanding business, British Gas needed to increase its workforce to meet customer demand. At the end of 2002, British Gas established the British Gas Academy. The Academy has helped to develop and refocus training facilities to handle the extra training requirement in recruiting an additional 5,000 employees into the engineering workforce. * British Gas runs an intensive apprenticeship programme. This is delivered in training centres. Trainees should expect to qualify by year five. All domestic gas engineers become fully acquainted with the latest computer-aided diagnostic technology. There are also traineeships, which provide a way for new recruits to learn about the gas industry and gain relevant skills and qualifications. British Gas provides technical training for all its engineers throughout their careers. This ensures that its employees are kept up-to-date with new information and technologies to enable them to provide the best service possible. Training does not simply focus on technical skills and knowledge. Most employees have direct contact with customers, so it is important that they have good people skills. Awareness training is provided for employees across British Gas through an online learning package. Another programme is improving staffâ⬠s cultural awareness, particularly to support the growing international operations at British Gas. Page 4:à Workforce planning Workforce planning is the process of assessing a companyâ⬠s current and future labour needs. The British Gas Academies must consider not just overall employee numbers but also the skills that will be required within the business. Workforce planning also involves managing any training and recruitment process to ensure the organisation has the right staff in place. Managers at British Gas conduct a programme of forecasting to predict how much the UK market for domestic gas engineering services will grow. This helps the company decide how many additional engineers it will need in the future. British Gas makes detailed forecasts of its demand for engineering personnel for one year in advance and makes more general estimates for a further two years into the future. Factors affecting workforce planning At British Gas, workforce requirements are driven by two different demands. First, there are contract customers that have service agreements with the company. Second, there are customers who call for one-off assistance if they have a specific problem. Demand for both these services has grown. In the last three or four years, the need for engineers has expanded accordingly. This has meant that it has had to recruit more staff. There are several other factors that influence workforce planning for British Gas. Engineering skills need to be constantly updated. Health and safety issues are also critically important in the gas industry. Health and safety regulations are changing all the time and EU regulations must also be considered. Apart from regular formal training to close skills gaps to ensure engineers stay up to date with technical matters, British Gas can alert engineers about technical changes via field radio or text messaging. Engineers can work all their careers in the field until they retire. Qualified engineers may spend up to 10 years gaining their skills, qualifications and experience. They have valued practical skills that are needed to deal with equipment and customers. However, British Gas also needs suitable people for promotion to higher roles, such as management jobs. It needs managers to plan, organise and co-ordinate the teams of engineers. It therefore needs to attract and recruit a wide range of people into the organisation. Page 5:à Recruitment As part of its workforce planning, British Gas implements a diversity and inclusion strategy using tailored action plans. This means it actively seeks new recruits from a wide range of backgrounds. The need to recruit a diverse engineering workforce is seen as critical by British Gas. It plans recruitment to ensure it has a socially inclusive workforce. This is important as it will enable British Gas to reflect the diversity of its customer base. For example, it is useful to have employees from different nationalities and backgrounds to communicate with customers that do not speak English as a first language. Recruiting more women engineers may help to attract female customers. British Gas has won a national award from the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) for its efforts to encourage and attract women into the engineering workforce and into plumbing and associated trades. To dispel the myth that only men can be good engineers, British Gas runs a Georgina and the Dragon campaign for children. What British Gasââ¬â¢ recruitment programmesà have achievedà is demonstrated by various awards during 2009: * British Gasà won awards from the Local Employment Partnership in the East Midlands. The awards for ââ¬Å"Unlocking Talentâ⬠à and theà ââ¬Å"Outstanding LEP Achievement Awardâ⬠à recogniseà the companyââ¬â¢s recruitment work with the LEP and Jobcentre Plus in the region. * British Gas has been named in the 2009à Sunday Timesââ¬â¢s 20 Best Big Companies to Work For. * The British Gas Academy won an award from Women into Science and Engineering (WISE). The award ââ¬â Investor in WISEà ââ¬â rewarded the efforts British Gas makesà to promote science,à engineering and constructionà to girls and young women. Advertising British Gas tries to appeal to a varied and diverse audience when promoting its apprenticeships. To advertise opportunities widely, British Gas uses specialist Sky channels like Parliamentary Projects TV, which focuses on careers, and Passion TV, which is aimed at the black community. In print media, it uses womenââ¬â¢s magazines, publications targeted at ethnic minorities such as The Muslim Weekly as well as other careers directories for the same reason. Other channels include radio, newspapers,à British Gas websiteà (www. britishgasacademy. co. uk) and a DVD for schools. Recruiting gas engineers of the right level is important. Candidates for a British Gas apprenticeship must be at least 16 years old, and have a minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above or equivalent (e. g. NVQs). However, they need more than academic qualifications, they must be able to show some aptitude for customer service, such as being able to listen to customers and understand their requirements. Application British Gas uses an online application form. To help British Gas decide an applicantââ¬â¢s suitability, this includes a value-based questionnaire. This requires responses to a series of statements about attitudes to work. There are 90 statements in all, and an applicantââ¬â¢s overall responses are rated green, amber or red. The colour reflects the attitudes the applicant has about work and people. This helps to show which roles a person is best suited to. British Gas does not take applicants with red ratings further as they may not show a ââ¬Ëfitââ¬â¢ with the company requirements. However after an initial screening, green and amber applicants are invited to an interview and assessment centre for the final selection process. Here, candidates must show evidence of qualifications, ID and driving licence. Page 6:à Selection At the British Gas assessment centre the emphasis is very much upon ââ¬Ëcore competenciesââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëlife skillsââ¬â¢. Life skills are personal skills that are likely to affect the customer experience when someone is working in the field. British Gas engineers needs to show courtesy and politeness, for example. These are personal qualities that have a direct impact upon customer perception. Core competencies involve team working, interpersonal skills (such as dealing with people), motivation and responding to change. These are crucial skills that can affect the way an individual fits in and works within an organisation. Candidates attend the centre for a half-day assessment. This has three elements. The total scores from the three-part assessment help British Gas to decide who receives a job offer. Candidates are notified of the outcome within 14 days. All candidates can receive feedback. For those candidates offered a job, British Gas provides the usual job benefits including a van from the outset and a competitive starting salary. The new recruits then go on to benefit from the comprehensive programme of training through its Academy. This ensures that they are given the best start in their new careers. It also builds employee motivation and commitment to the company. Recruiting and selecting staff is an expensive process. By following a robust selection programme in this way, British Gas is able to ensure it gets the right people with the right skills. It also means it maximises the benefit from its investment. Page 7:à Conclusion Recruitment and selection at British Gas is driven by the need to maintain the competitive position of the company within the energy market. Domestic gas customers demand the very highest standards of service. They can be assured that British Gas engineers have high-level skills and expertise through its careful specification of entry qualifications followed by top quality training. British Gas also assesses the personal attributes of staff through role play and questionnaires as these influence customersââ¬â¢ perceptions of the service and the company. Great care is taken in determining the organisationââ¬â¢s future staffing needs. This drives the recruitment and selection process to ensure British Gas is seen as offering dynamic and exciting career paths for people of all backgrounds. By developing and nurturing its people, British Gas ensures that new recruits have the right qualities to help the business to compete.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Why Are Experiences of Stillness and Reflection (Meditation) Important to Buddhism?
Why are experiences of stillness and reflection (meditation) important to Buddhism? Meditation is a mental and physical course of action that a person uses to separate themselves from their thoughts and feelings in order to become fully aware. It plays a part in virtually all religions although some don't use the word ââ¬Ëmeditation' to describe their particular meditative or reflective practice. Meditation does not always have a religious element. It is a natural part of the human experience and is increasingly used as a therapy for promoting good health and boosting the immune system. Anyone who has looked at a sunset or a beautiful painting and felt calm and inner joy, while their mind becomes clear and their perception sharpens, has had a taste of the realm of meditation. Successful meditation means simply being ââ¬â not judging, not thinking, just being aware, at peace and living each moment as it unfolds. In Buddhism the person meditating is not trying to get into a hypnotic state or contact angels or any other supernatural entity. Meditation involves the body and the mind. For Buddhists this is particularly important as they want to avoid what they call ââ¬Ëduality' and so their way of meditating must involve the body and the mind as a single entity. In the most general definition, meditation is a way of taking control of the mind so that it becomes peaceful and focused, and the meditator becomes more aware. The purpose of meditation is to stop the mind rushing about in an aimless (or even a purposeful) stream of thoughts. People often say that the aim of meditation is to still the mind. There are a number of methods of meditating ââ¬â methods which have been used for a long time and have been shown to work. People can meditate on their own or in groups. Meditating in a group ââ¬â perhaps at a retreat called a sesshin or in a meditation room or zendo ââ¬â has the benefit of reminding a person that they are both part of a larger Buddhist community, and part of the larger community of beings of every species. Meditation in Buddhism is a form of Bhavana, or self-development. The origins of Bhavana go back to ancient Indian spiritual exercises called Yoga. Hindu Yoga consists of 8 stages: 1,2 Making a conscious effort not to harm others and to establish good relations with them. ,4 Sitting postures and control of the breath. 5 Withdrawing the mind from external things and looking inwards. 6 Fixing the mind on a single object or thought. 7,8 Meditation, allowing the mind to rise above ordinary though and be directly aware of reality. These were taken up and developed by the Buddha. What Buddhists do when they meditate or worship may look very similar to the Hindu religion, but Buddhis ts do it in order to deepen the particular Buddhist view of life. There are two kinds of meditation: Samatha and Vipassana meditation. Samatha meditation is translated as ââ¬Ëcalm meditationââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëtranquility meditationââ¬â¢ etc. Samatha meditation helps to control the mind and to become calm, so that the mind is focused upon a simple object or idea. For example, if we have tendencies towards greed and selfishness we might take death as the idea to focus upon for meditation. We then begin to see that everyone must die whatever they may be or do in their life. We will realise that greed is futile in the face of death and knowing this will produce feelings of calm and dispassion in us. Samatha meditation is practised to attain deep concentration of the mind only. The purpose of Samatha meditation is to concentrate the mind on this touching sensation or respiration. Whenever the mind goes out, the meditator brings it back on to the object of meditation, that is, the respiration or the touching sensation, because he wants to deeply concentrate the mind on a single object of meditation. When the mind goes out in Samatha meditation it must be brought back to the primary object, focusing the mind on the respiration. The Samatha meditator must not observe the wandering thought or thinking mind. He need not realise any mentality or physicality. What he needs to do is attain deep concentration of mind on a single object, focusing the mind attentively, noting the in- and out-breathing. When the Samatha meditator attains to access concentration or to absorption concentration, when his mind is totally absorbed into the object of meditation, there is no mental defilement in that concentrated mind. At that time the concentrated mind is purified from hindrances. This is called purification of mind because there is no greed, hatred, ignorance, conceit, jealousy and so on. So the meditator feels peaceful and happy. That is the benefit of Samatha meditation but when the mind is disengaged from the object of meditation, the concentration is also broken and the mind goes to many different objects. Therefore many thoughts come into the mind. When the mind is defiled with greed, anger or ignorance the meditator does not feel happy or peaceful. He has suffering. The Samatha meditator enjoys peacefulness of mind while his mind is deeply concentrated on a single object of meditation. As long as the mind is absorbed in the object, he feels peaceful calm, tranquil and serene. One type of Samatha meditation that is suitable for everyone is where the subject of concentration is our own breath. The concentration of our own breathing includes feeling the air gently filling your lungs and then flowing out through the nostrils. As you concentrate on breathing you come to realise the value of it because we depend on it for life. Breathing becomes more delicate, and it may even happen that our breaths appear to stop; our thoughts become less and less, and peace and happiness arise within us. Therefore it will bring calmness and a greater awareness of yourself and your physical body. There are many different possibilities of the ways to sit during meditation. The important thing is to feel comfortable and relaxed, but also to be upright and alert. The classical meditation position is ââ¬Ëthe lotus positionââ¬â¢. This involves sitting cross-legged with the left foot on top of the right thigh and the right foot on top of the left thigh. While it helps for the body to be alert, relaxed and stable, meditation is really about the mind and the inner experience. Posture is a support to that but most Buddhist traditions do not regard it as an end in itself. Brahma Vihara means ââ¬ËSublime Stateââ¬â¢ and by meditating upon the Brahma Viharas a person develops feelings of love, compassion, joy and peace towards all living things. The four Sublime States are: 1. Metta ââ¬â This is usually translated as ââ¬Ëloving ââ¬â kindnessââ¬â¢. In meditating upon metta, a person first of all wishes himself or herself well, and then spreads the positive and friendly thoughts outwards towards all other beings. 2. Karuna ââ¬â This means active compassion understanding the nature of suffering and sharing the suffering of others. 3. Mudita ââ¬â This is sympathetic joy in which the meditator shares the happiness of all other beings. 4. Upekkha ââ¬â This is a state of peace and serenity, in which, with a well-balanced mind, a person looks on all beings ââ¬â whether friendly or not ââ¬â with the same positive attitude of care and well-wishing. Meditating on the Brahma Viharas may take the form of a visualisation. In the case of Metta Bhavana, or Meditation on Love, you would visualise the spreading of love from yourself to friends and family, to the community, and further on to the rest of the world. For the Brahma Viharas thought is action; meditating on the spreading of love throughout the universe. The effect of meditating off the Brahma Viharas is like ripples on the surface of water ââ¬â gradually spreading outwards. Vipassana meditation is ââ¬Ëinsightââ¬â¢ meditation, it is realisation, seeing or right understanding. Vipassana meditation refers to a system of mental development that consists of looking inwards, looking at your mind as if you were an outside observer. In this way the meditator can break through the predictable workings of the mind to see things as they really are. Vipassana meditation is practises to attain some amount of concentration and to realise these three characteristics, therefore removing all thoughts and to experience the ending of suffering. In Vipassana meditation, the purpose is to realise all mental states and physical processes in their true nature. In this concept, their true nature means the three characteristics which every mental state and physical process possesses. Any mental state or physical process may be the object of meditation. So the Vipassana meditator must not take only a single object but take many varieties of objects. The Vipassana meditation is an important step on the path to enlightenment. In fact, it follows from the seventh step of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Mindfulness, whereas Samatha relates to the sixth step, Right Effort. The Vipassana meditator follows the mind and observes it by making mental notes of all the movements and senses they observe such as the rising and falling movement of the abdomen and the hearing of a voice or of a distinctive sound. Due to these movements and sense they make notes within their mind, for example, when the abdomen rises the meditatior observes it, making a mental note ââ¬Ërisingââ¬â¢. When the abdomen falls, the mediator observes it, making a mental note ââ¬Ëfallingââ¬â¢. The meditator does this for every movement for the abdomen and makes mental notes ââ¬â such as these ââ¬â for everything he observes. The meditator observes and follows the mind because the purpose of insight meditation is to realise the characteristics of any mental state or physical process. Therefore to realise the three characteristics of a wandering mind, but the meditator has to observe it as it is, making a mental note as `wandering, wandering', `thinking, thinking' and so on until that thought has disappeared. Only after it has disappeared should he return to the primary object, noting as usual. However, the Vipassana meditator needs to realise impermanence, suffering and the impersonal nature of the wandering, thinking mind. He must observe the wandering thoughts, the thinking mind as it really occurs, noting `wandering, wandering', `thinking, thinking', `imagining, imagining'. When you note these thoughts, your noting mind should be more attentive, more energetic and somewhat quick, so that it becomes more and more powerful, more so than the thinking process or the wandering process. When the noting mind becomes sharper, quicker and more powerful, it overwhelms the thinking mind or the thought process, which then stops in a short time. When the noting mind is weak, then it is overwhelmed by the wandering mind. The noting mind is dragged along by the thinking process the thought process goes on and on and the meditator can`t concentrate well. So to make the noting mind stronger, sharper and more powerful, the meditator notes the wandering, thinking mind more attentively, energetically and quickly. Then the thinking process stops and at that time the meditator notices thought doesn't last long. It arises and passes away. So here the arising and passing away of the thought is vaguely realised as impermanent, though not clearly realised. When concentration becomes deeper and deeper, the meditator comes to realise that these individual thoughts arise and pass away, one after another. A series of thoughts arises and passes away. Unless concentration is deep enough, the meditator is not able to realise it. The purpose is to realise these thoughts and their three characteristics. So, whatever thought arises in sitting or walking, the meditator must note them attentively, energetically and more quickly. When thoughts are noted they become less and less, and concentration becomes deeper and deeper. If the thoughts are not noted, they increase and sometimes they persist a very long time. Then concentration is weak. In Vipassana meditation, the meditator concentrates the mind to a certain extent on many mental states or physical processes. Then he realises the true nature of mentality and physicality, their impermanent, suffering and impersonal nature. His mind is purified at that moment because he realises these three characteristics of mental states and physical processes. He realises it, not through theoretical knowledge, not through learning scriptures but through his own personal experience of mental and physical experience, and this experience of the three characteristics is very deep and profound. This experience remains in the mind all the time though this insight knowledge of the three characteristics is also impermanent, suffering and impersonal. It occurs and passes away. The force of this insight knowledge remains in the thought process, in the process of consciousness, which continues for life. Therefore even though the meditator leaves the meditation centre and goes home or back to work, he may sometimes recollect his meditative experiences of these three characteristics, and they appear in his mind as if he is realising them at that moment. Then the mind is purified and he feels peaceful and tranquil. The benefit of Vipassana meditation is not only in sitting but also in the whole life and the next life. Therefore it helps the mind to be purified at any time. That's why the Vipassana meditator lives for peace to a certain extent. If he has attained any stage of enlightenment, the first stage, the second stage, the third stage or the fourth stage of enlightenment, if he has attained in any of these four, his mind is purer because some of the mental corruption have been uprooted by the path knowledge. He has lost some of the mental corruptions which cause suffering and he can live in peace and happiness to a certain extent. However, if he is able to attain all the four kinds of enlightenment, his mind is completely purified all the time and liberated from all kinds of mental corruptions. He will then live peacefully and happily. Zen is about living in the present with complete awareness. The word Zen is the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese Chââ¬â¢an, meaning meditation. However, we have seen that many different schools of Buddhism place great emphasis on meditation as a means to enlightenment. All schools believe that all people have the ability to be enlightened, just as all people have the ability to be angry or sad. Zen therefore says that enlightenment exists within all human beings all the time. The aim of Zen practice is to become aware of oneââ¬â¢s own enlightenment. This is called Satori. One important aspect of meditation is that it enables us to sit still and do nothing. It is said that the aim of Zen is not to aim. The meditation practice of Zen is called Za-zen, or sitting Zen. Sitting in the lotus position is very important, for it allows the meditator to breathe easily and slowly. He will put his hands into the dhyana-mudra and keep his eyes open. This makes them become fully in touch with the true nature of reality. Different schools of Zen do Za-zen in different ways: Soto meditators face a wall, Rinzai meditators sit in a circle facing each other. Zen considers there to be five kinds of meditative practices which go deeper and deeper. 1. Bompu is a very superficial form of meditation. Bompu means ââ¬Ëordinaryââ¬â¢. 2. Gedo refers especially to meditative practices of other religions. These practices may be useful, but do not lead to enlightenment. The word gedo means ââ¬Ëoutside wayââ¬â¢. 3. Shojo refers to Theravada meditation. Mahayana Buddhists often call Theravada ââ¬ËHinayanaââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ësmall vehicleââ¬â¢ because they do not consider it to be capable of leading all people to enlightenment. Shojo is used for the same reason. 4. Daijo is Japanese for Mahayana, or ââ¬Ëgreat vehicleââ¬â¢, and refers to meditation which leads to enlightenment. 5. Saijojo is the purest form of daijo, the highest form of meditation. A Zen practitioner tries to experience each moment directly. They don't let thoughts, memories, fears or hopes get in the way. They practice being aware of everything they see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. For example: when they eat they focus totally on the food and on the act of eating and prevent any thoughts in their mind. In Zen Buddhism the purpose of meditation is to stop the mind rushing about in an aimless (or even a purposeful) stream of thoughts. People often say that the aim of meditation is ââ¬Å"to still the mindâ⬠. Zen Buddhism offers a number of methods of meditation to people ââ¬â methods which have been used for a long time, and which have been shown to work. Zen Buddhists can meditate on their own or in groups. Meditating in a group ââ¬â perhaps at a retreat called a sesshin or in a meditation room or zendo ââ¬â has the benefit of reminding a person that they are both part of a larger Buddhist community, and part of the larger community of beings of every species.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Critical review of paper+ powerpoint slides Literature
Critical of paper+ powerpoint slides - Literature review Example The research addressed factors that what would make someone a good pharmacist and shared work situations that would made them uncomfortable ,or where pharmacist have to make compromises with regards to laws and make hard choices through professional judgement and decision making skills. The aim is to analyse pharmacy values across the profession . The a sample technique was adopted. It included 38 participants including 18 community pharmacists, 10 hospitals and 10 others (containing primary care trusts, senior management positions and academia). The pharmacists were chosen from variety of geographical locations, different ages, gender, experiences, employment statuses and ethnicities. The participants were selected via a snowballing process. It begin with contacts of the project team and was taken forward through referrals both from participants and associated institutional gatekeepers. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The principles of grounded theory informed the analytical process. The analytical process involved the summarising , categorising and linking of significant collection of data (open coding) which was then merged into larger sets (axial codes). A process was run of constant comparision was used within and across interviews and both open and axial codes were revised frequently. The paper presented data analysis followed by a discussion of.steps that were taken to ensure the validity and reliability of the work. The first nine transcripts were read and analysed by all the authors. Emerging analysis was presented to the pharmacy audience and feedback was taken to rives. The data was corrected and refined according to analytical categories. To understand the values of pharmacy practitioners it is important for the data to come directly or indirectly from the pharmacists. The method used is a purposive sampling so that the
Friday, September 27, 2019
Summary for the uploaded article 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Summary for the uploaded 5 - Article Example It can also happen from forces outside a community through a process called change from above. Experts argue that linguistic development happens through every generation when children change certain elements of the native language to suit their present situations (William, 2007). It is believed that communities keep passing elements that maintain their language by using children as the agents of transmission. Experts also argue that poor learning skills abilities by children play a crucial role in linguistic change. Linguistic development happens in a pattern similar to the shape of a family tree. This means that the difference learning aptitude between children and adults also influences the way language is transmitted in speech and spread across a community (William, 2007). A language has numerous dialects that are often transmitted through a community. These dialects are used to represent the branches in the family tree model. Branches or dialects that are close to each other tend to have numerous similarities (William, 2007). Just like a tree, any change that is introduced in a language can spread to every branch, albeit in different degrees. This means that certain dialects of a language can fail to change following a change. Discontinuities are also a common feature in linguistic development. They involve a situation when a single dialect of a language becomes more popular, thus overpowering the rest in terms of getting an identity (William,
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Malaysian Airlines Retention Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Malaysian Airlines Retention Strategy - Essay Example In 1986, Malaysian Airlines took its first flight to the United States of America, flying twice a week to Los Angeles. It also bought Boeing 747-300 Combi Aircrafts. Now, it was offering its customers far more destinations than ever before, with 34 domestic ones and 27international ones. In 1987, Malaysian Airlines System introduced ââ¬Å"Esteemed Travelerâ⬠loyalty program emphasizing on its commitment to customer services. After few years Malaysian Airlines along with Thai Airways International, Cathay Pacific Airways, and Singapore Airlines introduced ââ¬Å"Passagesâ⬠, offering lower prices and other rewards to frequent flyers. However, Passages came to end in 1999 and its place ââ¬Å"Enrichâ⬠was introduced by Malaysian Airlines which was traveler reward program for frequent flyers which included concessions and other facilities while traveling with number of other airlines, while using certain credit cards, while staying at variety of hotels and while shopping at retailers around the world. Malaysian Airlines offers holiday packages such as Golden Holiday, hotels such as Hilton Group of Hotels, Amari Hotels, and Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels, Marriott etc, credit card services such as American Express, Citibank, HSBC bank etc, car rentals such as Avis and Hertz are among some of facilities offered to its Enrich members On July 12, 2006, it introduced enhanced Enrich, now known as Enrich by Malaysian Airlines, which was designed on the same pattern as of Grads, the highly successful student traveling program of MAL. There are variety of Enrich Membership cardsââ¬âEnrich Silver, Enrich Blue, Enrich Gold and Enrich Platinum. Some of privileges and rewards of these cards are as follows: Enrich Blue offers upgrading from Economy Class to Golden Club class and from there to First class, with free tickets for you travel companion if the tickets of latter two are bought, concessions on golden packages, increasing miles through Enrich Express. To Enrich Silver holders, priority is given at boarding, check-in, baggage handling, and airport standbys
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Islam and Muslims in the western Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Islam and Muslims in the western Media - Essay Example Muslim community sees western Media as a representative of America and its European friendly member countries as enemies by and large. Although there have been independent Muslim bodies like the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which is although not an incorporated association, founded in 1997 yet one can fathom its importance when its Secretary General, Iqbal Sacranie was awarded a knighthood in the 2005 Queenââ¬â¢s Birthday Honours List for the services he rendered to the Muslim community and inter-religious talks. In this regard, it is worth noting the comments of Sunny Hundal, editor of Asians in Media ââ¬â an online media and current affairs magazine ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Dump the media circus,â⬠instigating media not to propagate the boycott of MCB on Holocaust Memorial, explaining "The MCB actually enjoys this controversy and the stance it takes because it helps maintain credibility with extremist supporters who think everything is a big 'Zionist conspiracy'ï âº....ï It also diverts attention from their own lack of power and influence". On the other hand, the Islamic world due to its poor performance in foresight and clarity of thought becomes a soft target by western journalists although vast population and natural resources of Islamic countries are quite enough to make them a formidable world power. In his book ââ¬â Islam In the Age of Western Media ââ¬â Akbar S Ahmed writes on Islam And The West: Confrontation or Consensus? ââ¬â blaming western media of labeling Islamic countries as ââ¬Å"an arc of crisisâ⬠or ââ¬Å"an Islamic crescent of crisis,â⬠referring it as a ââ¬Å"journalistic clichà ©Ã¢â¬ . This enmity of western media towards Islamic world gives a negative impression of two so-called infamous ââ¬Å"Oriental prejudicesâ⬠as called by Akbar S Ahmed, namely instable political scenario and ill-treatment of women in Islam by its male counterparts.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Parents as Educators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Parents as Educators - Essay Example This paper investigates that anyone who plans a career in the field of young childrenââ¬â¢s education must have a clear understanding of the value of play because this is an important medium through which children learn about the world. Children are vulnerable to many dangers in childhood, and it is important for me to identify the needs of any child in my care and work in collaboration with others to ensure that each child has the best possible start in life. I feel that it is essential to work alongside parents and carers, supporting them in their own individual approaches to childcare. School and playgroup environments can provide some additional support, but there is nothing that can fully replace the family based bonding and relationships that help a child to become socialised in the world.This research stresses thatà children grow up within a family and the family in turn is located within a whole social environment consisting of the wider family members, the neighbours, a nd various other known persons and strangers. Imaginative engagement by a caregiver is an important way of passing on cultural values and instructions on how the child should fit in with his or her local social environment.à One international study compared for example American Irish and Taiwanese families, and noted that there are some universal features, relating to developmental milestones for the child, and some variable features related to the culture of the family group in the way that caregivers initiate and support play with young children.... hool and playgroup environments can provide some additional support, but there is nothing that can fully replace the family based bonding and relationships that help a child to become socialised in the world. One aspect that I have reflected on is the need to be aware of different cultural contexts and to learn about varieties of play that may be preferred on different social and cultural groups. Some parents may be very achievement oriented, and they may be more or less child centred in their family environment, while others prefer passive storytelling activities, for example. II think it is part of my role to help families extend their repertoire so that parents and children both gain from productive kinds of play. Why family engagement supports early child development and learning Children grow up within a family and the family in turn is located within a whole social environment consisting of the wider family members, the neighbours, and various other known persons and strangers. Imaginative engagement by a caregiver is an important way of passing on cultural values and instructions on how the child should fit in with his or her local social environment. One international study compared for example American Irish and Taiwanese families, and noted that there are some universal features, relating to developmental milestones for the child, and some variable features related to the culture of the family group in the way that caregivers initiate and support play with young children (Haight et al., 1999). Similarly Farver and Howes (1993) found that there are differences between Mexican and American mothersââ¬â¢ strategies in guiding their childrenââ¬â¢s play, and this suggest that wider social norms are an important factor, as well as individual differences in each
Monday, September 23, 2019
European Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
European Government - Essay Example The tension that ensued in 1989 after the fall of Berlin Wall and the need to put hands on deck in fighting global terrorism have combinable shaped EU to implement diplomacy and intervention policy. One of the E Us efforts to maintain its power across the world that should be presented to support this essay is of its roles during the Yugoslavian crises around 1992. Though by then treaty was signed within it, which was tagged: "Common Foreign and Security Policy", but the Union effort to halt the fighting proved abortive. The EU countries had to join the United Nation Force, which at the end were under the United State leadership. Another Foreign Policy of EU that also focus on security which is seen as a strict diplomacy measure was its effort by creating formidable force that involves representatives from within its members countries, which great supports were attached to it The key action of this force is to foreseen and signal and alert on possibility of tensions. Thus it's dispatched action representatives to various hard areas around the world, so they can expand their power. Examples of these areas include Balkans, Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East. In its effort in creating more credibility's to intervention strategies under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), EU has programmed European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) that would mean to have unanimous defense structure. Since 2003, EU leaders endorsed an European Security strategy with basic focus on crushing terrorism especially in the Middle East, though the acts of terrorism is under increase in that part of the world, which signifies one of the EU failure in its mission over foreign policies. Moreover, EU has pointed out some measure assignments that its Military Force should undergo as part of foreign policy. These are peacekeeping, crises management, humanitarian and rescue mission, including peace making. To achieve these tremendous objectives, a formidable force has been created which is expected to grow strongly in the coming recent years. Meanwhile, despite points that are seen as EU achievements on the above discussion, yet there are some angles that its failures are also noted. One of these point states that though the Union had included political aspect in its international roles, members are finding it a hard task to reshape their nation's policy. A typical example explained how these members failed to come under one umbrella during a debate held in 2003 on if the United Nation should give a go-ahead on the United States led War on Iraq. Another important area that needs a focus as parts of EU Foreign Policy is the adaptation of "Common Agriculture Policy" (CAP), a policy that aims to offer agricultural subsidies for European Union. CAP was created in the late 50s and early 60s to supplement food shortages, which hit EU countries during and after the Second World War. "As part of building a common market, tariffs on agriculture would have to be removed. However, due to the political clout of farmers and the sensitivity of the issue, it would take many years before CAP was fully implemented". (Common Agricultural Policy). The CAP steering strategies had come into being in 1960 by the founding members, while in 1962 these strategies begin to take effect. In the same year there
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Autoimmunity and risk of cancet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Autoimmunity and risk of cancet - Essay Example Discussion Stimulation of T-cell leads to maintained survival of T-cells when stimulated by self-protein MHC. Lymphoproliteration results if T-cell homeostasis is altered. Moreover, in certain circumstances, an interaction between activated T-cells and B-cells (e.g CD40L-CD40 interaction) may lead to autoimmunity (Rose & Mackay, 2006). Sometimes, the presence of self-antigen may become the cause of stimulation of T-cells; this activation is tolerated by phenomenon like anergy or deletion (Mak & Saunders, 2006). It therefore follows that failure to achieve deletion in this scenario may cause an autoimmune process to flourish. Moreover, defectively matured dendritic cells might interact with T-cells to generate a class to T-cells that are directed against self-antigens. Upon infection by a foreign pathogen, T-cells are activated and various clones are generated. Some of these clones can possibly cross-react with self-antigens resulting in transient or permanent autoimmunity (Ohashi, 20 02). In normal cells, the process of production of cells is tightly regulated by a number of very important mechanisms. Moreover, the new cells which are produced become differentiated and specialized to perform the function for which they are produced (Sherwood, 2012). This controlled multiplication of cells when becomes defective leads to the production of cells which are uncontrolled; cells start producing in an uncontrollable fashion. Therefore, due to this type of defective mitotic process, the cells that are produced are 'de-differentiated' and unable to perform their desired function. This results in a neoplasm. Neoplastic tissue demonstrates a growth rate that exceeds the growth rate of normal healthy tissue of the body (Stubblefield & O'Dell, 2009). For this reason, it manifests as a mass which is often referred to as a tumor. Since cancerous cells are not the exact replicas of the normal healthy cells of the body, they fail to mask themselves from the functioning immune sy stem of the body (Brunner & Smeltzer, 2010). Certain signals are 'flagged' on the cell membrane of cancerous cells that invite cells of the immune system to target such cells; therefore in most cases they are destroyed prior to the formation of their clone; cancerous cells are monoclonal in origin (Tobias et al, 2010). Inflammation brings about a number of changes to the vascular and epithelial tissues. Moreover, it affects the function of immune cells. This is the result of a complex interplay of molecules like cytokines, growth factors and chemokines (Jabbour et al, 2009). Furthermore, chronic inflammation due to irritation or infection has been accepted as a cause of cancer. Persistence of inflammation has been related to tumorigenesis and progression of cancer (Coussens & Werb, 2002). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a vital role in mediating inflammation by causing tissue destruction as well as recovery. The actions of TNF result in fibroblast growth which can destroy blood ve ssels and at the same time contribute to angiogenesis (Kollias et al, 1999). As far as the etiology of cervical cancer is concerned, the causative organism has been identified to be Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Studies have shown that E6 and E7 oncogenes are incorporated into the genome of the host (Radosevich, 2012; Robertson, 2011; Stanley et al,
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Family and Household Essay Example for Free
Family and Household Essay Sociology is the subject which looks at the social world around us, how the social world works and how it effects and influences our daily lives. People tend to accept the social arrangements in which they grew up as normal or too complicated to understand. The family is the natural way to bring up children and schools are the normal places for children to learn. For most people the social world is just there, challenging their lives, they cannot change it and it is not really worth while trying to understand it. There is a consequence of that argument, which is when people try to understand their place in society, rich or poor, isolated or popular; they usually do so by saying it is their personal abilities, weaknesses and situations that cause them to be as they are. Sociologists do not fully agree with this, they regard it as their job to understand society and the way it affects different people. They do this by using certain concepts such as, values, beliefs, norms and identity, they also look at different theories, which are explanations that link together social events and show how the social events have different effects on different people. Within this essay the writer will be looking at functionalism, feminism and Marxism and how the different aspects affect people and how they impact on the family and household. Family and household are two different things, a household simply means one or more person living in the same home, where as a family typically means a group of people related by ceremonial and or blood ties, living together or in frequent contact. (Moore, 2001) The functionalist perspective is one of the main theoretical perspectives within sociology. It has its origins in the likes of Emile Durkheim, who was especially interested in how social order is possible and how it remains relatively stable. Functionalism was the dominant branch of western sociology until the 1960s, since when it has been increasingly criticised by sociologists, favouring different sociological perspectives. Functionalists argue that ââ¬Å"societies consist of inter-related social institutions such as schools, mass media, political systems and the family each of which contribute positively to the maintenance of stability of society as a whole.â⬠(earlyhamsociologypages.co.uk, 2011) These institutions are said to be functional for societies as a whole. Broadly speaking it is assumed by functionalists that societies operate in the interests of all of their members so that there is no reason for fundamental conflict in society. Instead there is a high degree of consensus that societies are organised efficiently and relatively fairly. Functionalists believe every institution in society contributes to the smooth running of society as a whole. To functionalists the family is at the heart of the family. Murdock claimed that ââ¬Å"the nuclear family is so useful to society that it is inevitable and universal, appearing everywhereâ⬠(historylearningsite.com, 2012). Murdock claimed that he had found evidence of nuclear families in the 250 societies he studied. The family is universal because it fulfils essential functions for the family, such as sexual, which controls sexuality and provides stability for adults, reproduction, which provides new members of society, economical, the family provides for its members and education, the family socialises the young into societyââ¬â¢s norms and values. They are essential for social life since without the sexual and reproductive functions there would be no members of society, without the economic function (for example, the provision and preparation of food) life would cease, and without education a term Murdock uses for socialization there would be no culture. Human society without culture could not function. (historylearningsite.com, 2012).parsons states there are two irreducible functions of the family, these functions are primary socialisation, through which children learn to accept the norms and values of society and the stabilisation of adult personalities, the family gives adults the emotional support necessary to cope with everyday life. (Moore, 2001) The functionalist view suggests that the nuclear family has become socially isolated from extended family and geographically separated from wider family and more reliant on the welfare state. The family is self-contained, inward looking with little contact with neighbours and community, home leisureââ¬â¢s have made the family more home centred. Functionalists have been accused of idolising the family; they ignore conflict, abuse and gender equality within families and the ever growing divorce rates and family diversity. Feminists have been highly critical of the highly positive view of the family presented by Functionalists and the more critical view presented by Marxists. The reason for this scepticism boils down to one key concept: patriarchy. Patriarchy refers to a system of male dominance. Historian and activist Cheris Kramaroe once famously remarked thatâ⬠feminism is the radical notion that woman are human beingsâ⬠(Head, 2012). Feminism is about woman living on equal terms with men and not being pushed down by law or culture into a lower role within society. Feminists believe that the family is patriarchal, dominated by men and it exploits and oppresses women. The family supports and reproduces inequalities between men and woman, woman are Oppressed because their socialised to be dependent on men and remain second place. They reject the new rights view of the separate roles and also reject the march of progress view, in that society has not changed and it is still unequal. Feminists believe that marriage remains patriarchal and that men benefit from wives, they reject the functionalist view of one best family type, and they welcome fre edom and diversity. (Anderson, 2008). Critics argue that there is too much focus on negative aspects and that feminists sometimes ignore recent social changes. Critics claim that feminists portray woman as passive victims as if they are unable to act against discrimination. The same critics believe that feminists focus on one specific group and ignore woman in families from other cultures and ethnicities Marxist Feminists argue that within capitalist societies the nuclear family is part of the overall structure of capitalism and that its organisation and functions are heavily influenced by the nature of the capitalist economic base which means that womens oppression derives primarily from the organisation of the capitalist system rather than from the patriarchal behaviour of men. According to Marxist Feminists housewives fulfil several important functions for the capitalist system: they bear and rear children at no cost to the capitalist system and, along with their husbands, encourage their children to accept authority such that a new, suitably obedient generation of workers becomes available; housewives also provide many domestic services at low or zero cost which reduces the wage levels which the capitalist system needs to pay its male workers. Women also form part of the reserve army of labour which is available for employment during times of economic boom but which can return to the traditional housewife- mother role during economic recession. Marxist feminists also believe women provide emotional support for their husbands/partners without this they would be unable to face the oppression and alienation of the capitalist workplace. Without this emotional support it is also possible that workers would be more prepared to challenge the capitalist system. However, family responsibilities may also dissuade workers from strike activity and the existence of families with its demands for cars, washing machines and other consumer durables also helps to maintain spending and capitalist profits. The socialisation process which operates within the family both stabilises the capitalist system as a whole and also by discouraging female career aspirations, restricts female career opportunities. (Head, 2012). Marxists shares some similarities with feminism, it argues that society is unequal and that it is characterised by oppression, however, Marxists believe that the oppression is of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie. Marxism is a conflict theory which sees all societiesââ¬â¢ institutions, such as the education system, the media, religion and the state as helping to maintain class equality and capitalism for Marxists, therefore, ââ¬Å"the functions of the family are performed solely for the benefit of the capitalist systemâ⬠(sociogeeks.com, 2011). Marxists believe that the family aids capitalism by being a big consumer of goods, which they have to pay for, as long as the family are around, people will keep buying the products and the bourgeoisie will continue to make money. (earlyhamsociologypages.co.uk, 2011)Marxists also believe that woman staying at home looking after the children are producing the next generation of the proletariat. This means that more people will be created to fill the jobs of the retiring proletariat. Marxists believe that the family cushions the main producer, this is similar to the functionalist perspective where after a hard day at work, the main provider, usually the male, will be comforted by his family, they are there to relieve the pressures so he can return to work the next day less stressed than when he left the day before. This allows the bourgeoisie to have a worker in the next day and to have a guaranteed work force. Marxists believe that family is a strong influence on education and is considered the primary socialisation, this is beneficial for the bourgeoisie because the family and education system will teach the norms and values, which are that the society they are living in is correct. (Moore, 2001) Education makes the proletariat believe in the benefits of capitalism and will make the children believe in the myth of meritocracy. Feminists argue that the Marxist emphasises on social class and capitalism underestimates the importance of gender inequalities within the family, for feminists, the family primarily serves the interests of men rather capitalism. Functionalists argue that Marxists ignore the very real benefits that the family provide for its members, such as intimacy and mutual support. Others feel that Marxists tend to neglect the meanings families have for individuals and how family members interpret family relationships. (Head, 2012) In conclusion Functionalists see society as similar to a human body. Each part of the human body relies on different organs in order to function correctly. According to functionalists society operates in exactly the same way because it relies on different social institutions such as the family, schools, and the government working together to keep the social body working properly. In contrast Marxists see society as operating solely to make a profit for the ruling class. The proletariat are socially engineered to conform to the needs of a ruling class who benefit the most from societies using a capitalist economic system. Therefore schools and the family exist solely to provide a compliant labour force who will willingly serve the needs of capitalism. On the other hand feminists see society as operating in order to meet the needs and wishes of men (patriarchy). Patriarchal societies are engineered to meet the desires and needs of men through institutions like the family and the education system. On this basis feminists say women are second-class citizens. References Anderson, M. L., 2008. Sociology. In: J. Cheng, ed. understanding a diverse society. USA: Thompson Wadsword, pp. 308-312. earlyhamsociologypages.co.uk, 2011. early ham sociology pages. [Online] Available at: www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk
Friday, September 20, 2019
Social and Economic Impact of Tuberculosis
Social and Economic Impact of Tuberculosis Introduction Overview Tuberculosis is a common and infectious communicable disease that is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is of two principle kinds: pulmonary TB, which usually attacks the lungs, and extra-pulmonary TB, which attacks any part of the body, such as: the lymphatic, pleural, bone and/or joint, genitourinary, miliary, peritoneal, meninges and/or central nervous system (CNS), and all other sites combined. Pulmonary TB sometimes combined with extra pulmonary tuberculosis (Parimon, 2008; Sreeramareddy et al., 2008; Friedman, 2001). Tuberculosis is spread in form of droplets which are expelled when the infected persons cough, sneeze, speak, or sing. Close, prolonged, frequent, or intense contacts are the main ways that leads to 22% of the infection rate. Other resources include: foreign-born from areas where TB is common, residents and employees living in plagued congregate settings, health care workers who serve severely infected clients, low-income populations, highly inflicted racial or ethnic minority populations, children exposed to severely infected adults, and persons who inject illicit drugs. Extra pulmonary TB that occurs outside the lungs may spread through lymphatic or hematogenous dissemination to any tract or through coughing and swallowing to the gastrointestinal tract. Such a type of bacteria may remain dormant for years at a particular site before causing the disease. Since extra pulmonary TB can affect virtually all organs, it has a wide variety of clinical manifestations. A matter which causes difficulty and delay in its diagnosis (Mehta, 1991; Gonzalez et al., 2003). Though, it is said to be more often diagnosed in women and young patients (Rieder et al., 1990; Gonzalez et al., 2003; Yang et al., 2004; Noertjojo et al., 2002; Cowie and Sharpe, 1997; Antony et al., 1995; Chan-Yeung et al.,2002). In the United States, extra pulmonary TB is associated with ethnic minorities and with those born in other countries (Rieder et al., 1990) while in Asia, lymphatic TB occupies the front position of the risky infectious diseases (Cowie and Sharpe, 1997, 1998; Moudgil and Leitch, 1994; Nisar et al., 1991; Ormerod, et al., 1991). A study of Somali TB patients in Minnesota showed frequent lymphatic TB as well (Kempainen, et al., 2001). In HIV-infected patients, the frequency of extra pulmonary TB depends on the degree of decrease in cellular immunity (Huebner and Castro, 1995; Barnes, et.al., 1991). While in patients with
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Education of Frederick Henry :: essays papers
Education of Frederick Henry In striving to become a hero, Frederick Henry must first become an aficion, who must learn some difficult and often terrible lessons. Frederick must realize it is time to accept the truth that war is foolish and the most dangerous thing in the world and that he must leave his good, little, boys urges behind and prove he is ready to mature as a man. By discovering who he is, he can develop his own code of ethics. Frederick must learn and choose what is right and what is wrong, and also what the world might not approve and start considering his own beliefs. He must free himself of the traditional view of love that the warm and fuzziness that he may feel will only end in suffering. By freeing himself, he will destroy those fake notions and understand the malevolent trap he placed upon himself. The trap, that which he must come to realize, can snap close at any moment and seize all his hope, so he must learn not to be fooled into believing he has escaped. . Frederick Henry must learn tha t the war he sees as meaningful actually lacks glory and show no sign of honor. It is the killer of children because the people who are doing the fighting are too young and have no realization of the true consequences of their actions. Fred must understand that the war is a trap for everyone involved, including their families who would be killed if anyone escaped. By escaping the war, he can leave behind some of the malevolence of the world. He must realize no one can fully escape the malevolence since we are born and will forever live in its clutches. When one is born they are subsequently given a death sentence to die some point in their life. This malevolence is unforgiving and will destroy everyone and everything, making the world a wasteland. Frederick needs to learn how to make his separate peace from the war and all of the malevolence. He must realize its time to mature and have complete self-reliance in order to reject society. It is important for Frederick Henry to understand that he must leave the childish impulses behind and move on to strengthening his manhood. In order to do that he has to recognize that he is not a warrior, so, therefore, there is no need for him to be in this war.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay example -- Poetry
Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem The short but inspirational poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes' views on deferred dreams. "Harlem" is an open form poem. The poem consists of three stanzas that do not have a regular meter. To catch the reader's attention, the writer made sure that specific words and questions stood out. As a result, the lengths of the lines vary and certain syllables are stressed in every line. The first line in the poem: is the longest line, it is separated from the rest of the poem, and it grabs the reader's attention. The last line in the poem: is separated from the rest of the poem, is italicized to show the importance of this particular question, enables the reader to envision the consequences of putting of a dream. The poem has a rhyme scheme of abcbc ded eff. The poet chose not to use a consistent rhythmic pattern. For example, sun and run (lines three and five), meat and sweet (lines six and eight), and load and explode (lines ten and eleven) were the only lines that contained exact rhyming. The assonances noted were the words: sun and run (lines three and five) and meat and sweet (lines six and eight). In addition, the words dream deferred (line one) and syrupy sweet (line eight) are the alliterations that were used. Concrete imagery and similes are utilized throughout the poem. The concrete imagery arouses the reader's fives senses--as a result they get a better insight of what the poem is conveying. Hug... ...tions to get them to this point. Hughes' expressed a feeling of intense disdain of deferring dreams. Through this poem he is trying to convey to the readers that postponing dreams is not a good idea. In addition, when you have the chance to acquire your dreams take advantage of it while the option is available. "Harlem" was published in 1951, during a time when there was racial inequality. The title of the poem, "Harlem" shares the same name of the city where Hughes was recognized for being one of the key figures during the Harlem Renaissance. Works Cited Rampersad, Arnold and Roessel, David The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Alfred A. Knopf Inc.: The Haddon Craftmen (1995): 3-20. Roberts, Edgar V and Jacobs, Henry E. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 6th ed. Upper Saddle: Prentice Hall (2000): 787.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
the misappropriation of events :: essays research papers
The Misappropriation of the events that took place on December 27, 2001 The following report is based solely on the opinions and the feelings of the author and contains vague and dry statements about the education system, school system, those judging, and the institution that we call learning and how it has been affected by this unfortunate incident. For you the reader, I have broken this document down into six ( 6 ) parts. Education System School System Those Judging Learning The law Conclusion and reference Section 1: Education System My education and my fellow assailants education has proven to be a very productive thing in our careers as students. We are all seniors in highschool and we will all be going off to college next year to pursue our futures and continue to expand our minds with learning. It is said that education is the best tool that a person can have under hisher belt and can be used to build the "houses of life". My house of life was looking rather alright until that December day when the "criminals" were captured. ( I say criminals and I express that with captions because that is how the school is treating usâ⬠¦ like cold hard criminals ). My education as well as the other three is looking like it is about to hit the rocks right now. I will explain a little more about how it will hit the rocks when I focus on the School System section. I donââ¬â¢t give our system of education any haste in this day and time because the youth of America are being taught all about the world and learning to cope with other cultures as more and more flow in to our country. But they are also being taught about the terrible things that happen in our society ( i.e. crime ). Crime is where we come in. Just a couple of kids, having some fun, spray painting a stupid school. It is just a rivalry thing and we were caught smack dab right in the middle of it all. I know that this section is supposed to be about the education system that we have but it will also be a brief overview of everything that happened. I really donââ¬â¢t feel like scrolling all the way back up to the top of this page to add another section so you will have to bear with me on this one.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Huckââ¬â¢s Enlightenment Essay
Throughout Mark Twains Adventures Huckleberry Finn, Huck challenges everything society has taught him about racism and eventually forms his own beliefs, based experience. When Huck and Jim first decide to runaway with one another, they form a friendship that is merely based on survival. At the beginning of their companionship, Huck does not recognize that Jim has feelings, so he plays a cruel trick with a snake; he also fails to make an apology. During their journey down the Mississippi River, Jims humanity bewilders Huck. When Huck tells Jim about King Solomon, whom Huck believes to be the wisest of men, Jim takes an interesting perspective and argues it relentlessly; Huck is surprised and claims that he has never seen a nigger do such a thing. As Huck and Jim overcome each obstacle in their journey, particularly when Huck learns to apologize to Jim, their friendship strengthens from one that is founded on survival to a relationship that is built on compassion. Huck then starts to q uestion what society has taught him about race and begins to form his own beliefs. When Huck and Jim embark on their expedition society still has a strong influence on Hucks beliefs, this is evident in the snake incident on Jackson Island. Before Jim and Huck leave Jackson Island, Huck decides to play a cruel joke on Jim. Huck hides a snake near Jims foot, hoping that when Jim wakes up it will scare him. However, Huck forgets that the snake will attract its mate, and sure enough, the mate returns and bites Jims ankle. Hucks carelessness shows us that he does think of Jim as a human yet. Although Huck feels foolish for forgetting about the snake, he does not apologize to Jim. In fact, Huck vows never to let Jim know that he was responsible for the snakebite, I warnt going to let Jim find out it was all my fault, not if I could help it. (p. 53) This incident shows that Huck does not care for Jim as if he were a human; Huck jeopardizes Jims safety and does not even apologize afterwards. Despite this incident, Huck and Jims friendship grows with time. After leaving the Walter Scott wreck, Huck and Jim continue down the Mississippi River. One afternoon, Huck tells Jim about King Solomon the wise, and a debate ensues. Although neither probably sees the significance of King Solomons story, Jim takes the story literally and argues that Kingà Solomon was unwise because he wanted to split a baby between two women. Jim claims that having half a baby is worthless and that King Solomon is unwise for considering this. Although this is not the actual point of the story, Huck is not able to prove Jim wrong. After giving up the argument, Huck states, I never seen such a nigger. If he got a notion in his head once, there warnt no getting it out again. (p.78) Jims persistence against Huck, a white person, makes him appear to be more human. As Huck and Jim continue on their journey, they approach the Ohio River. Before they can get to land, a thick fog causing them to lose all sense of direction separates Huck and Jim. Eventually, Huck is reunited with Jim, who is sleeping on the raft when Huck arrives. When Jim awakes, he is elated to see Huck, but Huck tries to trick Jim and pretends that Jim simply dreamed their separation. Jim finally notices that he did not dream this, and that Huck is playing another cruel joke. Jim becomes upset at Huck for making him feel like a fool after he worried so much about him. At first, Jims reaction dumbfounds Huck, but then realizes that Jim felt worried, like any other human would be. Huck struggles to apologize because he has been brought up in a racist society where it is unheard of to ask for a slaves forgiveness. After some time, Huck decides to apologize to Jim and explains, It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a niggerI wouldnt done that one if Id a knowed it would make him feel that way. (p. 86) This apology is significant because it shows that unlike the snake incident, Huck apologizes to Jim as if he were a human. Jims humanity is becoming more evident to Huck. At the beginning of Hucks journey with Jim, Huck sees Jim as property. However, as their relationship develops, so does Hucks understanding of Jims humanity. By the end of their voyage, Huck fully recognizes Jim as a person, despite what society has taught him. Hucks unlearning is significant to him because he now sees slavery from a different perspective and the evil that lies behind it. Hucks experiences with Jim and his recognition as a human can teach us to make our decisions without influence from society.
Perception on the functionality of the school library Essay
Chapter I Background of the Study A school library is a library within a school where students, staff, and often, parents of a public (state) or private (fee paying) school have access to a variety of resources. The goal of the school library is to ensure that all members of the school community have equitable access ââ¬Å"to books and reading, to information, and to information technology. â⬠A school library ââ¬Å"uses all types of media are automated, and utilize the Internet for information gathering. â⬠School libraries are distinct from public libraries because they serve as ââ¬Å"learner-oriented laboratories which support, extend, and individualize the schoolââ¬â¢s curriculum. A school library serves as the center and coordinating agency for all material used in the school. â⬠Across the United States, research has shown that students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools without libraries. From Alaska to North Carolina, more than 60 studies have shown clear evidence of this connection between student achievement and the presence of school libraries with qualified school library media specialists. In the Philippines there is a severe lack of public libraries. Reading programs are not enough, by themselves alone, to achieve the overall and longer-term objective of making children fall in love with reading and become regular readers for life. Read-along are great in sparking a childââ¬â¢s initial interest in books and reading. But something more is needed to convert that initial interest into a real love of books and a lifetime reading habit. According to experts, children need at least two other things to actually adopt such a habit: (1) As much guidance, encouragement and example as they can get from their usual role models ââ¬â their parents, teachers, and older siblings ââ¬â and (2) regular access to books and other reading materials. As far as I know, some of the students of DCHS are using the library for past time and group chatting not for gathering information, references, and researching their homeworkââ¬â¢s. DCHS library has a low rate of students visited every day because they think reading books is so boring. I conducted this survey to motivate the students to visit the libraries and to improve their reading and writing skills, English language arts, fine arts and etc. This survey will help us to improve the library and improve the interest of the students. Statement of the problem The main purpose of this study was determined the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library. What is the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library? Is there a significant difference in the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library in terms of : section? gender? Null Hypothesis The following null hypothesis had been formulated using 0. 05 level of the significance for the present study: There is no significant difference in the perception on the functionality of the school library in terms of section and gender. Review of Related Literature A significant number of relevant literature and related studies have been compiled in this section by the researcher to provide some general basis of the design and conduct of the study. Bosah L. Eghoso conducted a survey that studied about the Perception of the library by secondary school students in enhancing success in their examinations. After the success of his survey, Bosah found a conclusion that both private and public schools relegated the library to the background in teaching and learning in recent times. Private schools proprietors do not see for expanding their finances in libraries especially when they can make their students pass their examinations through dubious methods. Dr. Zeynep Filiz, said that every two library meet the studentââ¬â¢s information. He conducted a survey that studied about the service quality of university: A survey amongst student at Osmangazi University and Anadolu University. A total of 400 usable responses were received. About 70% of the respondents were men and 50% of responses were from Osmangazi University. About 75% of respondents had used the library more than six times, and 51% of respondents indicated they relied on the library staff when using the library. Moreover, about 35 of respondents said they intended to use the library in the future and recommended others to use the library. Sofi Zahoor Ahmad said that more than 89% rural and 90% urban schools claim existence of a library with no standard physical requirements and specifications, She condected a survey entitled A Survey of Senior Secondary School Libraries in Jammu and Kashmir India. This give her a conclusion that 89. 55% are housed in insufficiently spaced single rooms within the schools while 5. 47% are accommodated in principal offices where students always have inhibitions to go. However, a few schools 4. 97% possess separate library blocks, though these also lack the basics of a library design. No significant difference is revealed while assessing the rural-urban statistics relating to the library housing and location. Jerome Idiegbeyan-Ose said that in Benin City, do not have a library period for the students, and as a result students can never be taught how to make use of the library. He conducted a survey entitled ââ¬Å"A survey on the Present State of School Libraries in Benin City majority of the schools investigatedâ⬠. School libraries in Imo State lack adequate accommodation, materials, and funds, as well as trained staff to manage the libraries in Imo state. These are similar to what is on ground in Benin City where unqualified staff manages the school libraries. Which revealed the various librariesââ¬â¢ staff strength, it can be deduced that all the libraries under investigation are understaffed; Human resources in libraries contribute to the standards of that particular library. This research revealed that all the schools visited are under stocked with library materials. A majority of the schools visited in Benin City have outdated books which are very dusty, where they existed. It is very unfortunate that most of our school libraries in Benin City are staffed by unqualified staff and non-librarians, which fall short of minimum standard of a school library. Emmanuel E. Baro said that only a few library schools offer the course information literacy as a stand-alone course in their curricula. His survey entitled ââ¬Å"A survey of information literacy education in library schools in Africaâ⬠. Results from the study revealed that, presently, only a few library schools offer the course IL as a stand-alone course in their curricula. Many library schools have not yet incorporated ââ¬Å"ILâ⬠as a stand-alone course in their LIS curricula; rather, it is briefly discussed as a topic in related courses. Although not all the library schools in Africa were examined due to language barrier, more than 60 library schools were investigated, among them 20 institutions were found offering IL courses or a related area. This studies the researcher compiled is related to the researchersââ¬â¢ studies, because it is about a survey of perception on different students towards school library. It is also about enhancing the school libraries to encourage students to visit. It is also to motivate students to make their assignment and gather information in the library because one of the most fundamental areas responsible for the dwindling educational standards and fortunes in our educational system is the area of the library education and library service utilization among students. Significance of the Study The results of this study are generally aimed at providing information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in todayââ¬â¢s information and knowledge-based society. The result is deemed significant to the academic community but mostly valuable to these groups of people: 1. Administration. The proposed study helps the institution to be more aware of what the students need in a library to develop and improve students learning progress. It also helps the administration to improve the library in the way the studentââ¬â¢s needs. 2. Teachers. The proposed study helps the teachers in preparing classroom curriculum or seeking professional development resources. It also helps the teachers in their research to improve their visual aids. 3. Parents. The proposed study helps the parents to have a small library at home to improve the basic needs of their child. 4. Students. The proposed study helps the student to have very good concentration in their study. It also helps the students know the lesson in advance by searching the book in the library. CHAPTER II METHOD This chapter presents the research design, research subject, sampling method, research instrument, data gathering procedure and statistical treatment of the data. Research Design Descriptive research is a research that provides an accurate portrayal of characteristics of a particular individual, situation, or group. These studies are a means of discovering new meaning, describing what exists, determining the frequency with which something occurs, and categorizing information. May be used to reveal summary statistics by showing responses to all possible questionnaire items. It can provide leads in identifying needed changes and it may be used to explore relationships between two or more variables. In this research study, it intends to describe the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library through conducting this study and by having a survey on how useful a library is. In this study, the researcher will attempt to describe how students find the functionality of the school library behind the difference between the gender and section of the respondents. Research Subject This study gathered the percentage of students of the fourth year level of the Davao Central High School in relation with their perception on the functionality of the school library. The actual population of these students is seventy-five, due to a limited time and resources, by using the Slovinââ¬â¢s formula, the researcher would only take nineteen respondents from Confucius; twenty-four respondents from Mencius and twenty respondents from Lao Tzu to have a total of sixty-three respondents. Solution: n=N/-(1+Ne^2 ), where N(75) is the actual population, e is the percent error (5%) â⬠=â⬠ââ¬Å"75â⬠/-(ââ¬Å"1+75â⬠(? ââ¬Å"0. 05â⬠? ^â⬠2â⬠³ ) ) =63 In table 1, it is indicated that the actual population of 75 (100%) is divided into two clusters which consists of 14 (19%) females and 9 (12%) males in Confucius; 16 (21%) females and 12 (16%) males in Mencius; 14 (19%) females and 10 (13%) males in Lao Tzu and a total of 44 (59%) females and 31 (41%) males. Using the Slovinââ¬â¢s formula, the number of samples decreased into 63 (100%) which now consists of 12 (19%) females and 7 (11%) males in Confucius; 14 (22%) females and 10(16%) males in Mencius; 12(19%) females and 8(13%) males in Lao Tzu and a total of 38 (60%) females and 25 (40%) males. Sampling Procedure In this research study, the researcher will use the systematic random sampling method. In systematic random sampling method, the researcher will conduct a survey through selecting sample members from the population according to a random starting point and a fixed, periodic interval. Typically, every ninth member is selected from the total population for inclusion in the sample population. The researcher chose this since that based in the researcherââ¬â¢s estimation, there are sixty percent in the fourth year level students are using the library every day. Thus, the researcher comes up with an idea on using the systematic random sampling method in conducting this research study. The researchers wrote all the names of the fourth year students in a paper and arranged by section. The researchers selected a number that he/she likes; and lastly the researcher selected the respondents every ââ¬Å"ninthâ⬠of the names until he gets 63 respondents. Table 1. Distribution of Respondents Section ClustersPopulationSample Number NPercent (%)Number nPercent (%) ConfuciusFemale1461%1261% Male939%739% Total2331%1931% MenciusFemale 1657%1457% Male1243%1043% Total2837%2437%. Lao TzuFemale1458%1258% Male1042%842% Total2432%2032% OverallFemale4459%3859% Male3141%2541% Total75100%63100% Research Instrument The research instrument consisted of fifteen-item questionnaires that are divided into two categories (students and library) on whether the library is functional to the fourth yr. students. The respondents will respond to a five-point scale ranging from very positive, positive, fair, negative and very negative. Items on the questionnaire were drawn from literature on the normal reasons for answering the question on what is the perception on the functionality of the school library. The proposed survey questionnaire is self-constructed. In order to interpret the response of the research subjects, Table 2 will be used as basis. Table 2. Quality Index Mean ScoreQualitative Description 4. 20 ââ¬â 5. 00Very Positive 3. 40 ââ¬â 4. 19Positive 2. 60 ââ¬â 3. 39Fair 1. 80 ââ¬â 2. 59 Negative 1. 00 ââ¬â 1. 79Very Negative Data Gathering Procedure This research survey had been conducted by the use of systematic random sampling method. Through this, the first 65 students in the fourth year level will serve as the respondents for this research survey. The procedure of conducting this research survey is as follows: The researchers distributed the survey questionnaire to the 63 students that has been randomly selected and ask to answer the survey. After the student had answered the questionnaire, the researchers gathered the entire survey questionnaire and thanking the students who had answered the following survey questionnaire. Statistical Treatment In this survey, the researcher used the following statistical tool to analyze the gathered data of this study: Mean. By using the mean, the researcher had been able to get the average of studentsââ¬â¢ sample population which is using the school library. Since, that the respondents are divided into two clusters, the researcher also get the average percentage of every male and female respondents of this survey. Standard Deviation. In standard deviation, it showed how much variation exists from the average mean. In short, this measured the confidence of the respondents in statistical conclusions. t-test. The t-test assesses whether the means of two groups are statistically different from each other. This analysis is appropriate whenever you want to compare the means of two groups. Through the use of t-test, the researcher had been able to distinguish the difference on the perception on the functionality of the students on the school library in terms of their gender and section. Chapter III RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter presents the data obtained through the survey conducted, and the analysis of the data using the appropriate statistical treatment and the interpretation of the results obtained. Problem No. 1 What is the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library? Table 3 Perception of the Students on the Functionality of the School Library by Gender GenderMeanStandard DeviationQualitative Description Male2. 950. 39Fair Female2. 960. 52Fair Overall2. 960. 46Fair Table 3 summarizes the perception of the fourth year students on the functionality of the school library when classified according to gender. The data shows that the mean of male students is 2. 95 with a standard deviation of 0. 39 which is interpreted as fair. Moreover, the female students obtained a mean of 2. 96 with a standard deviation of 0. 52 that canà be interpreted as fair. Comparatively, it can be generalized that 4th year females are more aware of the functionality of the school library than 4th year boys. The table explains that the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library has an overall mean of 2. 96 in terms of gender that can also be interpreted as fair. The female students of all 4th year are aware of the functionality of the school library than the male, because the female students obtained a mean of 2. 96 and a 0. 52 standard deviation that can also be interpreted as fair. Table 4à Perception of the Students on the Functionality of the School Library by Section SectionMeanStandard DeviationQualitative Description Confucius2. 910. 46Fair Mencius2. 990. 45Fair Lao Tzu2. 970. 49Fair Overall2. 960. 46Fair Table 4 presents the perception of fourth year students on the functionality of the school library when categorized according to section. The data shows that the mean of Confucius students is 2. 91 with a standard deviation of 0. 46 which is interpreted as fair. Furthermore, Mencius students obtained a mean of 2. 99 with a standard deviation of 0. 45 that is interpreted fair. The mean of Lao Tzu is 2. 97 with a standard deviation of 0. 49 that is interpreted as fair. It can be generalized from the data that the Mencius students are more aware of the functionality school library than the other two sections. As a whole, the mean of all the 4th year students who were chosen as the respondents for this study is 2. 96 with a standard deviation of 0. 46 which indicates that the overall level of usage of the school library is fair. The table explains that the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library has an overall mean of 2. 96 in terms of section that can also be interpreted as fair. The 4th year Mencius students are more aware of the functionality of the school library than the two other 4th year sections because the 4th year Confucius students obtained a mean of 2. 91 and a 0. 46 standard deviation that can also be interpreted as fair. The 4th year Lao Tzu students obtained a mean of 2. 97 and a 0. 49 standard deviation that can also be interpreted as fair. Problem 2. Is there a significant difference in the perception of the students on the functionality of the school library in terms of gender and section? Table 5 Gender and Perception of the Students GenderMeanMean DifferenceComputed t-valueTabular t-valueDecisionConclusion Male2. 95-0. 01-0. 011. 99Accept NullThere is no significant difference Female2. 96 Table 5 shows the results of the t-test between the level of awareness of the parents and their gender. As presented on the table, the mean difference of the male and female respondents is -0. 01. Since the computed t-value of -0. 01 is lesser than the tabular value of 1. 99 at 0. 05 level of significance with 61 degrees of freedom, the null hypothesis is accepted. This means that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of the students of the functionality on the school library in terms of their gender. The table explains that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of the students of the functionality on the school library in terms of their gender because of the mean of the males is lesser than the mean of the females it also apply on the computed t-value and tabular t-value. The data shows that the mean of 4th year male students are 2. 95 while the 4th year female students are 2. 96 with a mean difference of -0. 01, a computed t-value of -0. 01, and a tabular table of 1. 99. Table 6 Section and Perception of the Students SectionMeanMean DifferenceComputed t-valueTabular t-valueDecisionConclusion Confucius2. 91-0. 08-0. 112. 02Accept NullThere is no significant difference Mencius2. 99 Confucius2. 91-0. 06-0. 082. 03Accept NullThere is no significant difference Lao Tzu2. 97 Mencius2. 990. 020. 032. 02Accept NullThere is no significant difference Lao Tzu2. 97 Table 6 shows the results of the t-test between the perceptions of the respondents and their section. As presented on the table, the mean difference of the Confucius and Mencius respondents is -0. 08. Since the computed t-value of -0. 11 is lesser than the tabular value of 2. 02 at 0. 05 level of significance with 41 degrees of freedom, the null hypothesis is accepted. This means that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of Confucius and Mencius students on the functionality of the school library. . On the other hand, the mean difference of the Confucius and Lao Tzu respondents is -0. 06. Since the computed t-value of -0. 08 is less than the tabular value of 2. 03 at 0. 05 level of significance with 37 degrees of freedom, the null hypothesis is accepted. This means that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of Confucius and Lao Tzu students on the functionality of the school library. Moreover, the mean difference of the Mencius and Lao Tzu respondents is 0. 02. Since the computed t-value of 0. 03 is less than the tabular value of 2. 02 at 0. 05 level of significance with 42 degrees of freedom, the null hypothesis is accepted. This means that there is no significant difference between the perceptions of Mencius and Lao Tzu students on the functionality of the school library. As a whole, it can be generalized that the perceptions of the 4th year students are aware of the functionality of the school library. Chapter IV SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary The study is about the functionality of the school library based on the studentsââ¬â¢ perception. The respondents in the study are the selected 4th year student of Davao Central High School. The method used in this study is the systematic random sampling wherein the researcher would pick out members from population according to the random starting point. The researchers choose this kind of sampling due to the researchersââ¬â¢ estimation that there will be about sixty percent of 4th year student who are using the schoolââ¬â¢s library every day. Thus, the researchers will be writing all the names of the students in a paper then he/she will pick a number that the researcher likes and lastly the researcher selects the respondents every ââ¬Å"ninthâ⬠of the names until the researcher will get 63 respondents. Conclusion After the careful analysis of the data gathered, the researchers reached the following conclusions: 1. The level of perception on the functionality of the school library is fair. Female is more aware of the functionality of the school library than male. Section Mencius has the highest mean followed by section Lao Tzu and section Confucius. 2. There is no significant difference in the perceptions of the students on the functionality of the school library in terms of their gender. Recommendation The administration should improve the library in the way the studentsââ¬â¢ needs. The teachers should give the students an assignments or projects that can be found able at the library. The parents should have their own mini-library at hone to improve the basic needs of their child. The researchers would like to recommend to the future researchers to do some related studies about the school libraries. The researchers would like to propose some that they could also conduct a study about the usefulness of the diff. facilities, and the completeness of the references of the library.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Consanguineous Marriage Essay
Consanguineous marriage in clinical genetics is defined as a marriage between two related individuals. The individuals come from close kin or are second cousins exhibiting inbreeding coefficient higher or equal to 0. 0156. Consanguinity is more prevalent amongst the world population residing in North Africa, West Asia, and Middle East, and among these communitiesââ¬â¢ emigrants who are currently residing in Australia, Europe, and North America. The increased public awareness programs on genetic and congenital disorders prevention in offspring has made various couples to think about reproduction and marriage. This is especially in communities that are highly consanguineous. Among these people, there has always been a lack of, or very little education concerning the effects of consanguineous marriages to the offspring. Rather, one may say that these people do not take into account what might happen if they get into such marriages. These communities are in pursuit of counseling on consanguinity. Providers of primary health care are faced with numerous challenges especially when they have to provide answers to consanguineous couples regarding their offspring anticipated health risks. Thus, it is important if health care providers are trained on areas such as consanguinity premarital and preconception counseling. Bittles (33) argues that the widespread form of consanguineous marriage globally is contracted between first cousins, those that are closely related to the parents of the marrying cousins, of whom the parents may be brothers and/or sisters. One eighth of these couplesââ¬â¢ genes are inherited from the ancestor that is common amongst them. He also points out that national populations can be categorized into four main groups. The first group involves individuals whose consanguineous marriage accounts for approximately 1% of Unions, whilst the second category accounts for 1% to 10%, the third category is 20% to 50% whilst the final category involves individuals whose consanguinity level is unknown. Bittles (76) also points out that, regardless of the prevailing legislation, consanguineous marriage will decline in future as a result of the decline in family sizes. Today, many people have resorted to having smaller families with a few children, while some have resorted to staying single by choice. However, there will be no consistency in terms of decline across populations. The decline will be experienced amongst populations in the urban areas, amongst couples who have high levels of education, and the future generation marriages because of the focus that they lay on issues other than building a family. As the size of the family decreases, double uncle-niece and first cousin, will be extremely difficult to organize within the conventional norms of coupleââ¬â¢s age distinctions. Similarly, there will be less emphasis for an individual to marry within the set of consanguineous union pattern as a result of increased socio-economic conditions and connections that will see off this practice slowly. In light of the above, there is limited understanding and knowledge regarding consanguinity marriage as a result of the limited number of research conducted. For instance, amongst the Western societies, the available information tends to concentrate on undesirable clinical outcomes of marriages between individuals from a close kin. The detrimental outcome impacts a minority of individuals and families. Thus, for purposes of benefiting communities and families in which one or numerous damaging recessive genes are undergoing segregation, it is of great significance if investment is put towards developing a multidisciplinary survey to estimate the problem level. This should be followed by putting in place counseling programs that are community based. Consanguineous marriages are contracted in various populous countries in the world. Additionally, in countries that are less developed, inherited disorders are lethal hence the need of life time cares under treatment facilities that are highly improved. Since consanguineous marriages increases inherited disorders, it is important for counseling programs to be put in place in order to benefit the whole of human society (Bittles, 102). According to Agarwal et al (741), in various parts of the globe, consanguineous marriages are prevalent. Consanguineous marriage in some societies make up to 60% and is often between closer biological relatives or second cousins. Approximately 10% of the population around the world is as a result of consanguineous parentage. This is despite the marriage being linked with genetic disorders, congenital malformations, and increased levels of mortality amongst offspringââ¬â¢s as well as reduced fitness. Consanguinity propagation and origin is often characterized with its multiple benefits that are socio-economic. Indisputably, union between relatives is essential because it provides the newly wedded couple with a sense of security. Similarly, the wife is treated well and wealth of the family always remains intact. Even though socioeconomic theory seems to be logical, it is extremely limited when it comes to explaining why people in non-consanguineous marriage societies stop from uniting with close biological links. The theory also fails in explaining first cousin marriages popularity amongst societies that practice consanguineous marriage. As a result of the socio-economic theory failure, there has emerged alternative elucidation for consanguineous marriage. Currently, extremely inbreeding low levels have been correlated with fertility increase, thus increased levels of fitness for the society and individual family. Similarly, recessive genes selection is bigger by inbreeding. All in all, marriages that occur between close kin result in families exhibiting strong support (Agarwal et al, 747). Uksel et al (134) argue that the population structure is influenced by consanguineous marriages. Accordingly, it is practiced in various parts of the globe. However, higher frequencies are experienced in the African, Asian, and Middle East populations. Consanguineous marriage is less dominant in the United States and Europe. According to studies conducted by the above authors, it is evident that despite the existence of various programs that aims at promoting child and mother health such as activities to lessen consanguineous marriages, it was extremely difficult to achieve the expected outcomes. The study also indicated that among consanguineous marriages, genetic defects were very high. This is a clear indication for the need for further studies in this area. The studies need to focus on the negative outcomes and the reason for consanguineous marriages. Also, there is a need for public education programs to increase awareness regarding the consequences of consanguineous marriage. Accordingly, there is a need for more effort to lower consanguineous marriage connected social factors. Hamamy et al (512) point out that there is a change in consanguinity rates, to be exact among cousin marriages. From one generation to the next, there is a sharp decline among first-cousin marriages. The changes are caused by various things such as female education increased rates, population influxes, increased family economic status, lower fertility rates, and increased levels of alertness regarding consanguineous marriage effects on children especially when their exists an inherited family recessive disease.
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