Book review on Olaudah Equiano Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book review on Olaudah Equiano - Research Paper Example One of Equiano’s masters and a captain in a British trade ship, Henry Pascal, changed Equiano’s name to Gustavus Vassa. This is a name he used his entire life, with an exception of the autobiography’s publishing. Equiano Olaudah travelled extensively during his service to Pascal and succeeding masters. For instance, he visited Holland, England, Gibraltar, Scotland, Nova Scotia, Caribbean, Georgia, South Carolina and the Pennsylvania. After his purchase from Pascal by a Quaker merchant, Robert King, Equiano’s life gradually took a turn. He worked as Mr. King’s clerk and also had the opportunity to explore his minor trades, which enabled him to save some money and later buy his freedom in the year 1766. In the subsequent year, Equiano Olaudah settled down in England where he attended school and worked for Dr. Charles Irving, a prominent scientist, as an assistant. In the year 1792, Equiano married a lady known as Susanna Cullen, with whom they had two daughters before his death in 1797. Equiano’s autobiography is rather intriguing owing to its narrative approach. He begins the book by describing the ordinary life he used to live with his family in Africa, prior to his kidnap. He indicates that he was the last son, hence his mother’s favourite child and irrespective of the large size of his family they had a home and sufficient food. Equiano’s greatest worry was his slight failure in warrior classes, a clear sign of the carefree life he had as a typical young African male. At the tender age of eleven, he heard of rumours that malicious people were kidnapping young children and selling them off as slaves. Equiano remembers climbing trees and looking around to see if these people would come to get him or his siblings. As fate would have it, Equiano, his brother and sister were taken away in the dark of night when his parents were not around. This marked the drastic and change in his life, especially after being separated from his brother and sister. The emotional upheaval caused by the situation is described by the author’s own words that â€Å"She was torn from me and immediately carried away, while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I cried and grieved continually, and for several days I did not eat anything but what they forced into my mouth† (54). On reaching a slave market, Equiano got sold and accompanied his new handler to a house where other people spoke his native language, a form of consolation, albeit little given the critical situation. Owing to his dedication to work, Equiano was considered to be the best slave in the house. However, his life changed soon after, when he was loaded into a ship with other slaves with no knowledge of what would happen next. He feigned fainting when being shoved into the ship with the hope of being left behind, to no avail. Equiano had to work as soon as he got into the Virginia bound ship and he remembers how bad the conditions were in the ship, to the extent of most slaves committing suicide by jumping overboard. Equiano spent some little amount of time in a Virginia farm but he was then taken back on the British slave ships and Trade Vessels serving the captains as a trusted slave. It was in the course of sailing, that he was given the name Gustavas Vassa, by Captain Pascal (Equiano 26). When still serving under Captain Pascal, Equiano travelled to many

Sex Ed Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Sex Ed Research Paper Essay In today’s society one has to try to determine whether we as adults are adequately preparing our young adults and teenagers for the responsibilities of adult hood, specifically when it come to relationships, sexual education available to them, and sexual intercourse. We are going to look at a few topics that need to be answered to see whether we are truly preparing our next generation appropriately to become parents and well informed young adults. The questions we seek to answer are: Are people who have their first child at a younger age more likely to favor sex education in public schools than people who have children at a later age; Are people of a younger age more likely to support the use of birth control use of teenagers than people of a later age; and Are people more likely to favor premarital sex amongst young adults over premarital sex amongst teenagers? Trying to understand how modern society relates to the subject of sex education can help guide and mold our next generation of young parents and adults. This is important to help young adults evolve from the common idiom of allowing history to repeat ones mistakes. If one does not take steps to inform them, then we are condemning them to repeat our past mistakes, by educating them and molding them to be prepared for young adulthood we can help prevent unwanted pregnancies, stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and hopefully give them a better start to their adult lives. Why do we, as a modern society, want to provide sex education to our children? Well the simple truth is many of us older adults are not educated enough about sex to teach them what sexually transmitted diseases there are out there, many adults tend to be afraid to let their children know what we did at their age, and some of us really are not prepared to explain how, for my case, how an opposite sex partners body works. We need educated people to inform our children about many of these things. Birth control in my day was way different than it is today, that is why we rely heavily on doctors to prescribe what is right for a young adult female. Now as a father of a now 20 year boy, I could and did have a pretty in-depth talk with my son about condom use and some of the things that I know but it was not near as much as what a teacher in a school has for information for them to learn. This is going to date me, but back when I was growing up our sex education class was part of home economics. We had a flour bag baby with an egg in the center of flour bag. We had to carry that 5lb bag with us everywhere we went for six weeks, change its clothes daily and manage to get a diaper on it. If the flour baby was not being tended to at all times we would fail the parenting portion of the sex education class. Now this was very difficult as a male and an active member of the high school football team. Not all males were required to take this course in high school back then, but I chose to because this is where I could learn to be a better person than what I had as an example as a father. Plus it was useful information learning how to do things like cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, sewing, and oh yea, best part was that there were lots of girls in the class that admired the few guys that chose to take the class. Back in our time, sex education was more teaching of abstinenc e only, but we had a teacher that also wanted you to know what to do in case you did have intercourse and you and your partner conceived a child. As I grew older I came to appreciate this teacher that taught the whole spectrum of the sex education verses only abstinence. Now that I have a teenage daughter, I also want her to know everything that she can about sex education to prepare herself for her future adult life. Since being a single father, sometimes there are things that she is embarrassed to ask me so I have to rely on female friends and the public schooling system to answer some of those questions. As one may see this topic is important to me because I have young adult children and I want them to be prepared and well informed prior to experiencing sexual intercourse for the first time. I am sorry but I am not ready to become a grandpa until they finish college themselves. With my daughter, I worry she will be heavily influenced into doing things she knows she should wait on, especially when I send her off to college. I just want her prepared for that stage in her life. Literature Review While trying to decide how to write this paper I ran across some very interesting articles that I would like to share with you, the reader. The first one was titled â€Å"Consequences of Sex Education on Teen and Young Adult Sexual Behaviors and Outcomes† by Laura Duberstein Lindberg and Isaac Maddow-Zimet which discussed the effectiveness of formal sex education, regardless of the type, on teens and young adults and the sexual health behaviors and the outcomes that where found as a result. The survey was conducted with both male and females between the ages of 15 and 24. Utilizing the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth with a data pool of a total of 4,691 surveyed. The study was trying to answer whether formal sex education has an effect on when the first vaginal intercourse occurs if received before their first sexual encounter and if the encounter was more controlled by use of birth control. The dependant variables that were surveyed to allow for this research topic to be answered which were the timing of the first vaginal intercourse, contraceptive use at first sex, and condom use at first sex, partnership selection as to whether it was a romantic partner or a casual partner, an age discrepant on the partner of 3 years variance, or unwanted first sex, measured lifetime and current sexual reproductive health indicators at the time of interview including having 6 or more sexual partners, ever been or gotten someone pregnant, sexual transmitted infections treatment in the past 12 months, and use of contraceptives at the last sex encounter. The others were age at time of interview, race/ethnicity, poverty level, mothers education, living arrangements at age of 14, community type, and frequency of attendance of religious services at age 14.(1) Utilizing all these variables, the author was able to see that formal sex education does in fact assist some in the prolonging of the first sexual experience than that of the individual who did not have any formal training and shows that the use of contraceptives and condoms are more likely to be utilized by those who have had some sort of formal sex education training verses those who have not. The survey additionally shows a higher rate of lower income Black and Hispanic people not having the formal sex education training with a higher than normal number occurrences of Sexual transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies. The next article I reviewed was â€Å"What if You Already Know Everything About Sex?† Content Analysis of Questions From Early Adolescents in a Middle School Sex Education Program by Linda Charmaraman, Alice J. Lee, and Sumru Ekrut. The assessment conducted was to see just how much sixth graders really knew about sex already. Based on data collected in the greater Boston area in eight schools utilizing the Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education that Works Curriculum, with the approval of an institutional review board, parental consent, and assent all six graders from the eight schools participated in anonymous questions about the curriculum. The questions that they were trying to answer were what sex-related topics do early adolescents ask about anonymously, which issues related to sex are of most concern to early adolescents, and how does the school context affect the types of questions raised. This was conducted to allow health care providers information on the conversations that may need to be addressed with early adolescents. The result varied to show that curiosity still had a lot of play from everything to pre-awareness and avoidance to more advanced questions into specific and explicit in nature. Students in larger higher risk schools were more likely to ask more specific questions verses the students in the smaller less risked schools. In classrooms were it was a single sex environment allowed for more specific questions as well. Since this research type was not pre based questions, the crew had one researcher enter in the precedence of the coding, and two others crossed checked the coding and all three debated until all were happy with the appropriate coding for each groups of questions that the students asked. Over all I would say that the research shows that even at the young age of sixth graders, more needs to be done to teach adolescent youths the birds and the bees at an age appropriate level more often than it is currently happening in society. One approach that may need more research may be to host single-sex sex education classes as to allow more students to ask more explicit questions. Another topic that may need to be addressed in more detail would be sex education to all students especially in the urban, lower income neighborhoods that tend to have a higher risk of early pregnancies and sexual transited infections. The third article I reviewed was â€Å"An exploratory study of Muslim adolescents views on sexuality: Implications for sex education and prevention† by Chris Smerecnik, Herman Schaalma, Kok Gerjo, Suzanne Meijer, and Jos Poelman. This article was created utilizing an exploratory qualitative study in the Netherlands to access current views on Muslim adolescents about sexuality. The research was mainly conducted to see how to approach Muslim adolescents about sex education with the questions to be addressed being the current views of Muslim adolescents on sexuality, who to and to what extent do Muslim views differ from the views of non-Muslim adolescents, and to hope to learn whether existing approaches to sex education among Muslim adolescents are likely to be successful or a new approach could be identified to assist in the education of the Muslim adolescents. (3) This research was conducted solely on the internet in a forum set up on the STI-AIDS Netherlands (Expertise Center for HIV/AIDS and other STIs). In this particular forum â€Å"Islam Sexuality† offered general information on sexuality, STI’s, and prevention. Targeted age for the forum was to be Muslim teens and young adults between the age of 14 and 24. The research was gathered for the analysis from June 2004 to September of 2005. To be Muslim sensitive and prevent any disparities on judgments, an Imam, was utilized for the discussion as well as two other trained monitors. All discussions were anonymous with the exception of whether the person was a male or a female, and Muslim or non-Muslim. Everyone else was weeded out of the survey resulting in only 44 Muslim and 33 non-Muslim participants being surveyed. Topics of analysis were sex outside of marriage, Inter-religious relationships, masturbation, homosexuality, and abortion. On the subject of sex outside of marriage it was interesting to note that although Muslim’s believe sex outside of marriage is a taboo, there is a double standard at play were many males do have sex outside of marriage but say it is definitely wrong for females to do so. Non-Muslims did not have any issues with sex outside of marriage. Inter-religious relationships are a true problem for Muslims because they are taught that parent’s approval is absolute in order to marry and Muslim tradition is to not marry outside of the religious circle. Non-Muslims did not have a problem with marrying someone of other religions since they seek love in a partner not religion. Masturbation in Muslim communities is forbidden and treated the same as sex before marriage therefore not allowed or condoned. Non-Muslims argued that this is a way to relieve sexual tension and is okay to do. Homosexuality was not given unto a person as they were born and therefore is not condoned in the Muslim faith. Non-Muslims seemed to express it is a trait you are born with and free to explore. Abortion was not only a problem with a Muslim person; it becomes an issue for the entire Muslim family, whereas non-Muslims portrayed it as a problem only amongst the female and the male who conceived the child. As one may expect, the results of the analysis shows there is a long ways to go to getting Muslim youth more sexually educated since they teach absentness is essential to Islamic law and traditions forbid the discussion of certain topics. One may try to approach the religious leaders to see how this topic can be discussed in a religious sensitive manner, and allow the religious leaders to talk to the parents for input on how to create an educational class that would be appropriate to not violate the Qur’an or Islamic laws that they follow. The fourth article I reviewed was â€Å"Build a curriculum that includes everyone† by Robert McGarry. This article is about the need to incorporate a gender bias, sexuality preference bias educational curriculum as to include the topics and discussions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adolescents to teach all adolescents that no matter what orientation preferences one has they should be accepted and all sexual educational needs should be addressed. Of a research conducted in 2011 by GLSEN’s of 8,000 students from 6th to 12th grade most have not been taught anything positive about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or transgender people in any curriculum. According to the article eight states have laws prohibiting the teaching of such practices in their schools including Texas. This article also mentions that most current curriculum takes an ignoring approach to the topic as to not bring the subject up. Some have demonized such practices, and even stigmatized the preferences. By incorporating a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender curriculum starting as early as kindergarten a school could change the way many students feel towards non heterosexual people and other students as they grow together in the school. This article portrays that by doing so we as a society can change our future way of thinking as the country regenerated its society. While I see the validity in the way the author is thinking, I agree with most of the curriculum that they are trying to introduce. The core concepts, access to information, communication, Self-management are all good topics. Teaching of anatomy, physiology, puberty, adolescent development, identity, pregnancy, reproduction, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, healthy relationships, and personal safety should be incorporated in every schools sex education class. I do have a few issues with the teaching of acceptance of all sexual orientation personally due to my religious upbringing and I also feel it is an invasion of my rights as a parent to teach my morals and values to my children. We as a society have already given in too much on losing our religious preferences with the removal of state and religion. Of course this is a different topic all together with many controversies as well since our country was founded on religious beliefs. In the article it has stated that a program was started after a 3 year controversy in a public school and put in to effect in 2007. I will be looking forward to reviewing the evaluation of the program over a 12 year period to see its effectiveness. The fifth article I reviewed was called† The multiple choices of sex education† by Rashea Hamilton, Megan Sanders, and Eric M. Anderman. The topic of this article has to do with whether or not to give a written test after the study of sex education in the school systems. Should an exam be given or should a role play example be more feasible to allow the adolescents to learn by being shown how to avoid situations and or stand up to the pressures of their peers. The research questions that were to be looked at were simple but very difficult to answer, â€Å"Do adolescents actually implement what they learn in health education classes?† and â€Å"Do the sex education classes actually work?† (5) The biggest question of the whole article is retention of the information if it is taught as a testable technique style or if the retention would be greater if the information was taught as an introduction and show examples of the situations one could encounter and how t o really deal with the situation. In the reading I also found that another question really needs to be addressed as to the uniformity of where and how the information is delivered. It was interesting to read that many inner city adolescents have a higher rate of teen pregnancies and STD infections, especially if they are from low income and single parent homes. When conducting the research information the authors pulled their data from how many states taught what parts of sex education from the Guttmacher Institute, 2012 report. This report shows that even though the federal government provides funding for this education each state, district, and school all teach non-standardized approaches to how to get the information and to some extent what information to give out to the students/ adolescents. To conduct the goal structures and the long term outcome in sex education, they utilized the National Institutes of Health to sample over 5000 students in 32 high schools. They examined the goal structure of performance verses mastery that showed several important outcomes including student’s attitude towards sex, intentions to have sex, and self perceived ability to engage in safe sex behaviors. Results showed that those students mastering the sex education concept were shown or taught in a more example style technique verses the structured exam style. Life chances would be better for all young adolescents if they were more informed and were better able to actually understand the stuff they are being taught. The last article I reviewed while researching this subject was â€Å"Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy† by Pamela K. Kohler, Lisa E. Manhart, and William E. Lafferty. This article was a comparison of sexual health risk of adolescents who received abstinence-only sex education, those who received comprehensive sex education, and adolescents who receive no formal sex education. They looked at the age group of 15 to 19 heterosexual never married which resulted in a sample study of 1719 from the Nation Survey of Family Growth survey cycle 6(2002) . Of the results those adolescents who received comprehensive sex education were significantly less likely to have reported a pregnancy than the adolescents who did not have formal sex education. Abstinence only training did not reduce the likely hood of sexual vaginal intercourse but comprehensive sex educated adolescents showed a marginal decrease in the adolescents having vaginal intercourse. The mean age for the study was 17. Neither abstinence only nor comprehensive sex education reduced the reporting of STD’s among this study group. I found it interesting to learn that rates of STD, teenage pregnancy, and teen births are actually higher in the United States than most other industrialized countries. Romania and the Russian Federation were the only two countries that exceeded the United States in STD’s in the 2000 study of STD incidents among 16 countries. Method of research came from the National Center of Health Statistics nationwide survey from Jan 2002 to March 2003. Data was collected by trained personnel from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research through in home interviews that included audio computer assisted self interviewing. Items collected were basic demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding the family planning issues, and self reported sexual behavior and any previous diagnoses of STD’s. A total of 1150 girls and 1121 boys responded to the questionnaire and special interview. They were further reduced by sorting out the none heterosexuals, marriage status, age of first intercourse if less than ten years old, or they did not meet the criteria reporting of no formal sex education, formal sex education on how to say no to sex only, or formal sex education that covered saying no to sex and birth control. Results showed that of the sample that STD’s and no sex education were higher in the adolescent was from a low income non-intact family environment, black, and from rural areas. Comprehensive sex education was marginally associated with reduction of vaginal intercourse amongst the adolescents surveyed. Teen pregnancies were higher in older age, black race, lower household income, non central city metropolitan residence, and in non-intact families. The strongest predictor for STD’s was non-intact family unit status with a four times higher rate than others. Another results showed that the adolescents who were taught abstinence only programs found later sexual debut and that the majority of those who pledge abstinence only broke their vow to not have vaginal intercourse until they were married. They found those who had comprehensive sex education had a lower risk of teen pregnancy than those who had no formal training. Methodology When it came to answering questions we seek to find results for we turned to the General Social Survey (GSS) database located at http://www3.norc.org/GSS+Website/Data+Analysis . We first went to the NORC Public Use Data Catalog tab, then clicked on the GSS tab, then General Social Surveys, 1972-2006 Cumulative File, then variable description, followed by the subject index file. This data file was set up by the NORC, A Social Science Research Center at the University of Chicago, with the support of the National Science Foundation with a goal to provide a foundation for social research to have a structured orientation and to provide up to date, important, and high-quality data to social scientists, students, policy makers, and others. To answer the first question, Are people who have their first child at a younger age more likely to favor sex education in public schools than people who have children at a later age, we utilized the information pulled from the E tab, Education, Sex Education, then SEX EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS and the A tab, Age, At birth of first child, RS AGE WHEN 1ST CHILD BORN. To answer the second question, Are people of a younger age more likely to support the use of birth control use of teenagers than people of a later age, we pulled our information from the B tab, Birth Control, Teenagers use, then BIRTH CONTROL TO TEENAGERS 14-16, and from the A tab, Age, Birth Cohort, AGE OF RESPONDENT. For the third question, Are people more likely to favor premarital sex amongst young adults over premarital sex amongst teenagers, we pulled our information from the S tab, Sex, Premarital Sex, then SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE, and the S tab, Sex, Teen sex, then SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE TEENS 14-16. For the first question I utilized the cross tabulation chart with the dependant variable SEX EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS and the Independent Variable RS AGE WHEN 1ST CHILD BORN. For the second question I also utilized a cross tabulation chart with the dependent variable BIRTH CONTROL TO TEENAGERS 14-16 and the Independent Variable AGE OF RESPONDENT. The third one however I utilized a side by side comparison of two variables to see the results. Data Analysis In this section you will see the three research questions along with the graphs generated to answer my theories and hypothesis in order to come to my conclusion. Question # 1: Are people who have their first child at a younger age more likely to favor sex education in public schools than people who have children at a later age? Theory: People who have a first child at a younger age will be more likely to support sex education in public school because they may want teenagers to know more than they did when they first had sex and want them to have information to help guide them. Hypothesis: People who had their first child at a younger age will be more likely to support sex education than those who have their first child later in life. Dependant Variable: E: Education: Sex Education: SEX EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Independent Variable: A: Age: At birth of first child: RS AGE WHEN 1ST CHILD BORN [pic] This analysis does in fact offer support for the theory that people who have a child at a younger age will be more likely to support sex education in the public school system. As seen in the chart more people tend to favor sex education in public schools up to about age 4. After age 41, less people favor the support of sex education in public school but still at least half of them do still support the sex education in public schooling. Question # 2: Are people of a younger age more likely to support the use of birth control use of teenagers than people of a later age? Theory: Younger people will favor the use of birth control for teenagers more than older adults due to more recent frequency of sexual encounters and lack of maturity of teenagers having riskier sexual encounters. Many young adults just came out of their teenage years and the sexual experiences they recently encountered are still fresh in their minds. Hypothesis: People of a younger age will support the use of birth control for teenagers. Dependent Variable: B: Birth Control: Teenagers use: BIRTH CONTROL TO TEENAGERS 14-16 Independent Variable: A: Age: Birth Cohort: AGE OF RESPONDENT [pic] As seen in the graph above, younger adults do not in fact support the theory for the use of birth control by teenagers therefore our theory would not be a valid theory. We could however observe through this chart that as age progresses older people support the use of birth control by teenagers. An alternate theory that could be presented would be that older people will more likely support the use of birth control by teenagers than younger people. Possible reasoning would be because of life lessons they had to live with and may see if they would have utilized birth control at a young age they may have had different life chances that would have allowed them to pursue alternate life styles and career paths. Question # 3: Are people more likely to favor premarital sex amongst young adults over premarital sex amongst teenagers? Theory: Society is more acceptable to young adults having premarital sex than teenagers having premarital due to their maturity level and modern social beliefs. Hypothesis: People are more likely to support premarital sex among young people than premarital sex among teens. Variable 1: S: Sex: Premarital Sex: SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE Variable 2: S: Sex: Teen sex: SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE TEENS 14-16 Premarital SexTeens Premarital Sex |Values |Categor| | |ies | |Missing cases |33338 | | | | Teen Premarital Sex Summary Statistics |Valid cases |29596 | |Missing cases |21424 | As seen we do have support for the theory that premarital sex among young adults prior to marriage is more accepting than teenagers age 14-16 having premarital sex. In the univariate charts above People tend to agree that premarital sex for young adults is not wrong at all. While 28.2 percent say that is always wrong, 39.9 percent say that it is not wrong at all. Looking at the teenagers age 14-16 having sex however, an overwhelming 70.4 percent still believe teenagers age 14-16 should not have premarital sex while only a small 3.7 percent feel it is not wrong at all. Conclusion When looking at the graphs to answer the question of are people who have their first child at a younger age more likely to favor sex education in public schools than people who have children at a later age, we can conclude that we society in general is in fact in agreement that sex education should be part of our societies public school curriculum. The second question of are people of a younger age more likely to support the use of birth control use of teenagers than people of a later age, is not supported by younger people for some unknown reasons and in fact the opposite is actually true. Older adults support the use of teenagers using birth control. One can theorize this to be that older people are more reflective of their past and do not want teenagers to have the trials and tribunes they grew up dealing with at having to marry at a young age and start families because that is what society used to tell them was standard. Since times are changing and more women are further educate d and working to make ends meet in these economic times, older adults see this as a preventative measure. For the third question as to whether people are more likely to favor premarital sex amongst young adults over premarital sex amongst teenagers, the analysis supports the theory and concludes that yes society is more able to handle a young adult having premarital sex over a teenager having premarital sex. As a father of a seventeen year old daughter, I too conclude this to be the case since I do not want my daughter to take a chance in hindering her passion to one day becomes a nurse or a veterinarian. In my opinion after reviewing all my articles and researching the GSS data base, I am seeing the question of uniformity arises in all of them amongst all teachings. Every single article clearly states in one shape or another that we as a country need to be teaching on a universal informational playing field and this will allow each adolescent the same opportunity to gain the vast and important knowledge they need to be ready for their first vaginal intercourse. Only this will start to reduce the risk of STD’s and teen pregnancies. By asking the government to incorporate more stringent requirement on what has to be taught we can start to make this happen. Since the government only requires abstinence only program be taught to be eligible for title IV monies, many states do not go any further than they have to in order to receive the funding from the government. Another larger issue is the very nature of when, how, and even if sex education is taught at every public school. In the articles, one of the issues that came up over and over was that many inner city and rural area youth have higher rates of teen pregnancies and STD’s. With a more consistent program maybe we can slow this trend down. Of course a little more adult supervision could help as well, but with many low income families being single parent households, this can be very difficult and we as parents have to trust our children to do right when we are not around. When speculating what can be done to slow the progression of STD’s and teenage pregnancies I can only come to one repeated conclusion. Give the young adults and teenagers all the information available to every one of them and possibly incorporate an adult/parent orientation into the curriculum to teach the parents what they may have not known about or have forgotten over the years. Get the parent more involved in the teenagers and young adults lives and quit allowing the teenager to grow up unsupervised. Locate an activity for them to do after school until you are able to be home with them. I read a while back an article that stated most teenage pregnancies happened between four and six pm while the parents are away at work. I really wished I could have found that article to add to the reviews because it was very appropriate for this research paper. As a father I have started looking into what our local school is teaching when I started this course and found out that it too needs many improvements. The teach-for-a-test program does not work. We, our school and parents, need to look into getting more aggressive in the training of our teenagers and young adults so we can slow the progression of teen pregnancies and STD’s. Unfortunately, living even in this small town, we have experienced a high number of teen pregnancies. I would like to see this trend change to allow these young adults and teenagers a life chance for something other than raising a baby at a young age and still living at home with the parents. | | References: 1. Duberstein, Laura, Maddow-Zimet, Isaac, (2012) Consequences of Sex Education on Teen and Young Adult Sexual Behaviors and Outcomes. Elsevier. Journal of Adolescent Health 51 (2012) 332-338 http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/science/article/pii/S1054139X11007178 2. Linda Charmaraman, Alice J. Lee, and Sumru Erkut: (2012). â€Å"What if You Already Know Everything About Sex?† Content Analysis of Questions from Early Adolescents in a Middle School Sex Education Program. Elsevier. Journal of Adolescent Health Volume 50 Issue 5 527-530 http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/science/article/pii/S1054139X1100348X 3. Chris Smerecnik, Herman Schaalma, Kok Gerjo, Suzanne Meijer, Jos Poelman. (2010)† An exploratory study of Muslim adolescents views on sexuality: Implications for sex education and prevention†. BMC Public Health, 10:533 http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3sid=37308a58-e906-4d58-a6a8-b93798ee399a%40sessionmgr110hid=106 4. McGarry, Robert. (2013) Build a curriculum that includes everyone. : Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 94 Issue 5, p27-31, 5p, 1 Chart http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9c2f203c-9cd5-4413-acb2-a4679070f0de%40sessionmgr198vid=2hid=106 5. Hamilton, Rashea, Sanders, Megan, Anderman, Eric M. (2013). The multiple choices of sex education. Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 94 Issue 5, p34-39, 6p, 1 Color Photograph, 2 Charts http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.fhsu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=318398dd-779d-4ac2-97e3-b96d989e21ca%40sessionmgr198vid=2hid=107 6. Kohler, Pamela K., Manhart, Lisa E., Lafferty, William E. (2008). Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy. Elsevier. Journal of Adolescent Health

Neuroenhancers: Are they the answers for our problems? Essay -- Analys

In the article, â€Å"Brain Gain† by Margaret Talbot, it illustrates the growing underground world of neuroenchancing drugs. In her article, she writes about how more and more people are taking neuroenhancers to improve their cognitive functions. People are taking neuroenhancers because they feel pressure to compete and perform well in this stressful society. Talbot’s articles shows how this society has become so obsessed with efficiency and is so competitive that users are making justifiable reasons to take these neuroenhancers. These neuroenhancers are drugs that supposed to be used by people who suffer from cognitive disorders like A.D.H.D. The use of neuroenhancers for competitive gain is wrong on so many levels. The use of neuroenhancers is unethical, and cause philosophical problems. There are also physical risks for using neuroenhancers. The use of neuroenhancers for competitive gain, not for treatment of a disorder is unethical. Neuroenhancers like Adderall and Ritalin are used to treat people with disorders that disrupt their normal cognitive functions and are suffering from serious cognitive disorders (Talbot 2). Now more and more â€Å"over-committed people† are taking these drugs to become â€Å"higher functioning and more committed† (Talbot 2). They are taking these drugs to make the impossible to the possible. Also, these drugs are used by people who wasted their time too busy partying and engaging in activities that are â€Å"detrimental to their performances† (Talbot 2). They are too busy participating in other activities that they neglect their academic work. These students are cheating and using these drugs to get a competitive advantage. It is totally unfair for students who doing their assignments with neuroenhancers. Also, it ... ...is society has changed. Giving a hundred percent is not good enough anymore. Now people need to take drugs to get ahead. Thanks to these societal pressures there are demands for drugs like Adderall. Neuroenhancers are not the answers of our problems. Neuroenhancers are dangerous at so many levels. It causes physical, mental and philosophical harm. They are used by lazy people who have poor time management skills and who doesn’t want to do hard work. This shows how much our society has fallen. It resorted to drugs to make life easier. No one wants to make sacrifices or put hours of hard work. They want everything delivered to them. They don’t care what are the neuroenhancers are doing to their body. They feel the award is worth the risk. Hopefully users will realize what are they doing and stop using neuroenhancers before they are suffering from permanent harm.

Essay --

Introduction: The Basis for Nuclear Power The technological and scientific undertaking on the discovery of actinides such as uranium, plutonium, and neptunium cannot be ignored. It led, for example to the Manhattan Project of 1945; a Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union; and more recently, the active development of nuclear weapons by proliferating states, such as North Korea and Iran1-2. Although the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970 called for peaceful applications of nuclear technology, including technological by-products, derived from nuclear weapons3, environmental problems remain a concern as a byproduct of this age . In accordance to the NPT, efforts to recycle weapons-grade material, as a new energy source, has become an attractive alterative for power generation of the world’s electrical power supply via fuel reactors for two reasons. First, it can curb cost and foreign dependency of oil, by allowing the United States to invest their domestic policies on further development of their nuclear reactors programs. For instance, by August 2000, the average price paid by U.S. refineries for a barrel of oil had risen from $10 to $30 as defined by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)4. Second, nuclear power can take the place of burning fossil fuels by reducing carbon dioxide emission thereby addressing the concern of the greenhouse effect4. Even though nuclear power, accounts for 13-14% worldwide energy5, if nuclear fuel can produce electricity more cheaply compared to coal, gas, or oil, then the desire to be independent of international trade for energy supplies is indeed worthwhile. In sum, nuclear power is a remarkable solution for peaceful uses of energy especially i... ... (CTR) program: the consolidation and security of loose nukes from the former Soviet Union in the nuclear arsenal stockpile21, should also extend to the containment and security of new technologies, such as UOFs at designated nuclear engineering facilities in the United States. As a result, this will help inflate compliance to the NPT, and more importantly, reduce the likelihood of theft from threatening parties. Conclusion Uranyl organic frameworks, as a new fuel alternative is indeed an exciting and promising technology that can mitigate the nuclear waste problem in the United States. Even though UOFs introduce new issues in global security via nuclear proliferation and nonproliferation, the current and proposed safeguards of UOFs will help strengthen the United States posture in the international community by their continual adherence and transparency to the NPT. Essay -- Introduction: The Basis for Nuclear Power The technological and scientific undertaking on the discovery of actinides such as uranium, plutonium, and neptunium cannot be ignored. It led, for example to the Manhattan Project of 1945; a Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union; and more recently, the active development of nuclear weapons by proliferating states, such as North Korea and Iran1-2. Although the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970 called for peaceful applications of nuclear technology, including technological by-products, derived from nuclear weapons3, environmental problems remain a concern as a byproduct of this age . In accordance to the NPT, efforts to recycle weapons-grade material, as a new energy source, has become an attractive alterative for power generation of the world’s electrical power supply via fuel reactors for two reasons. First, it can curb cost and foreign dependency of oil, by allowing the United States to invest their domestic policies on further development of their nuclear reactors programs. For instance, by August 2000, the average price paid by U.S. refineries for a barrel of oil had risen from $10 to $30 as defined by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)4. Second, nuclear power can take the place of burning fossil fuels by reducing carbon dioxide emission thereby addressing the concern of the greenhouse effect4. Even though nuclear power, accounts for 13-14% worldwide energy5, if nuclear fuel can produce electricity more cheaply compared to coal, gas, or oil, then the desire to be independent of international trade for energy supplies is indeed worthwhile. In sum, nuclear power is a remarkable solution for peaceful uses of energy especially i... ... (CTR) program: the consolidation and security of loose nukes from the former Soviet Union in the nuclear arsenal stockpile21, should also extend to the containment and security of new technologies, such as UOFs at designated nuclear engineering facilities in the United States. As a result, this will help inflate compliance to the NPT, and more importantly, reduce the likelihood of theft from threatening parties. Conclusion Uranyl organic frameworks, as a new fuel alternative is indeed an exciting and promising technology that can mitigate the nuclear waste problem in the United States. Even though UOFs introduce new issues in global security via nuclear proliferation and nonproliferation, the current and proposed safeguards of UOFs will help strengthen the United States posture in the international community by their continual adherence and transparency to the NPT.

Polytechnic Education

In recent times, the discrimination of polytechnic education in Nigeria in the area of employment and even in admission has always created panic among polytechnic graduates and the youths in general. Various questions have been raised by students in the polytechnics and other similar institutions about the situation but there seems to be no answer. This paper therefore seeks to establish the relevance of polytechnic education in youth empowerment, economic self-reliance and national development. A sample of 200 respondents from different places was selected and a structured questionnaire was administered on them. It was established that, in spite of the discrimination on the National Diploma (ND) and the Higher National Diploma (HND), the demand for polytechnic education is on the increase. It was also noted that the polytechnics were established to train graduates for skill acquisition and practical knowledge necessary for industrial development. The paper concludes that though the Universities are the citadel of highest education, the polytechnic education was the first higher institution in Nigeria and West Africa in general and it has trained personnel for public and private organisations. Some of the recommendations made were: (a)The government should harmonize the admission criteria of the polytechnic in line with the universities (b) All Nigerians should change their orientations about paper qualification and learn to accept knowledge and experience in some areas during employment especially where practical knowledge is required.

The Biggest Error of a New Freelance Writer

The Biggest Error of a New Freelance Writer Here lately Ive received a rash of emails asking me how to become a freelance writer and make money. Well, actually, they ask how they can write and get paid So, lets look at this for a moment . . . Im supposed to take on someone who is not a commercial writer, teach them how to write such that it IS marketable, then pay them $50 for 500 words that fit FundsforWriters. Some submitters become quite disgruntled when I refuse them. Some pitch me anyway, then when I reject (always with reasons to help them learn), they get angry that I am not giving a new writer a chance Note to writers everywhere: It is not an editors job to teach you how to write. When you pitch, you are professing to already know the craft. It should be only a  matter of the writers pitch fitting the need of the publication. The best ways to learn how to write for a publication: 1) Read all the freelance chapters in a Writers Market. 2) Read enough of the publication youre pitching to understand their style. 3) Read the guidelines and study the editorial calendar (if available). 4) Ensure your writing is polished enough so that the editor wants to read more. 5) Know the Chicago Manual of Style. Second note to writers: Editors are not there to edit your work for you. They are there to edit for the publication, to find the best topics for their readers and then edit the stories to fit the space. Take the time to learn how to write well. Then take the time to learn how to pitch smart. Do not use editors for your trial and error learning process. Find beta readers and critique groups to test drive your work. You cannot undo a first impression, and yes, many editors remember. An idea that doesnt quite fit is one thing.not knowing how to write is quite another. Freelance writing resources for the new freelance writer: therenegadewriter.com/ makealivingwriting.com/ writersmarket.com/

Computer Security and Why It Is So Important essays

Computer Security and Why It Is So Important essays Although it is never possible to fully prevent the unauthorized use of information from people with security clearances and access, the use of security clearance and access is important to ensure that people without security clearance cannot access the confidential information. In other words, the concept of `absolute security' is a chimera. It is the nature of security that makes it necessary to weigh up the threats, the risks, the harm arising, and the cost of safeguards (Bach, 1986). A balance must be found between predictable costs and uncertain benefits, in order to select a set of measures appropriate to the need. In most of the cases, the risks of security clearance involve on the personal integrity, trustworthiness, and honesty than the information systems (IS) security measures. Even if IS security measures are handled to monitor and control all of the keystrokes of the computers, there are instances of unauthorized information because of personal negligence, such as one may leave inadvertently classified material left unattended. Also, computer diskettes, CDs, carbon paper, and used typewriter ribbons may pose a problem when doing a security check, as a visual examination of these items does not tell whether the items contain classified information Although to prevent the unauthorized use of information, information can be disaggregated at several locations, without providing networks communications between these locations. However, this kind of measure is neither cost-effective nor productive, because where people are trustworthy and they need such information for authorized uses will have access to such information in bits and pieces from several locations. It would not only create time delay in accessing all of the needed information, but it would create much difficulty in putting all of the information in order. However, when data are in a datab...

Population Growth and Movement in the Industrial Revolution

Population Growth and Movement in the Industrial Revolution During the first Industrial Revolution, Britain experienced massive changes- scientific discoveries, expanding gross national product, new technologies, and new buildings and structure types. At the same time, the population changed- it grew in number, became more urbanized, healthier, and better-educated. There is evidence for some in-migration of the population from the rural areas and foreign countries as the Industrial Revolution got underway. But, while the growth was certainly a contributing factor in the revolution, providing the vast industrial expansion a workforce it urgently needed, the revolution also worked to increase urban populations too. Higher wages and better diets brought people together to meld into new urban cultures. Population Growth Historical studies indicate that between 1700 and 1750, the population of England stayed relatively flat, with little growth. Precise figures dont exist for the period before the establishment of a nationwide census, but it is clear from existing historic records that Britain experienced a demographic explosion in the latter half of the century. Some estimates suggest that between 1750 and 1850, the population in England more than doubled. Given that the population growth occurred when England experienced the first industrial revolution, the two are likely connected. People did relocate from the rural regions into large cities to be closer to their new factory workplaces, but studies have ruled out sheer immigration as the largest factor. The population increase came from internal factors, such as changes in marriage age, improvements in health allowing more children to live, and an increase in the number of births. More and Younger Marriages In the first half of the 18th century, Britons had a relatively late age of marriage compared to the rest of Europe, and a large percentage of people never married at all. But suddenly, the average age of people marrying for the first time fell, as did the rates of people never marrying, which ultimately led to more children. The birth rate in Britain also rose to out-of-wedlock births. As young people moved into the cities, they met more people and increased their chances of matches over sparsely populated rural areas. Although estimates of the precise percentage of real term wage increase vary, scholars agree that it rose as a result of growing economic prosperity, allowing people to feel comfortable starting families. Falling Death Rates Over the period of the industrial revolution, the death rates in Britain began to fall and people began to live longer. This might be surprising given that the newly crowded cities were rife for disease and illness, with an urban death rate higher than the rural areas, but overall health improvements and a better diet (from improved food production and wages to buy it) offset that. The rise in live births and drop in death rate has been attributed to a number of factors, including the end of the plague (this happened too many years before), or that the climate was altering, or that hospitals and medical technology had made advances such as smallpox vaccines. But today, the increase in marriage and birth rates is held to be the main reason for the sheer growth in population numbers. Spreading Urbanization Technological and scientific developments meant industries were able to build factories outside of London, and so multiple cities in England became increasingly larger, creating urban environments in smaller centers, where people went to work in factories and other mass places of work. The population of London doubled in the 50 years from 1801 to 1851, and at the same time, the populations in the towns and cities across the nation blossomed as well. These areas were frequently bad as the expansion happened so quickly and people were crammed together into tiny living spaces, with dirt and disease, but they were not poor enough to stop the lengthening of the average lifespan. It was the industrial revolutions population movement which began the era of the urban population, but the continued growth within the urban environments can be more justifiably credited to birth and marriage rates within those environments. After this period, the relatively small cities were no longer relatively small. Now Britain was filled with many huge cities producing enormous quantities of industrial products, products and a way of life soon to be exported to Europe and the world. Sources Clark, Gregory. Chapter 5 - the Industrial Revolution. Handbook of Economic Growth. Eds. Aghion, Philippe, and Steven N. Durlauf. Vol. 2: Elsevier, 2014. 217-62. Print.de Vries, Jan. The Industrial Revolution and the Industrious Revolution. The Journal of Economic History 54.2 (2009): 249–70. Print.Feinstein, Charles H. Pessimism Perpetuated: Real Wages and the Standard of Living in Britain During and after the Industrial Revolution. The Journal of Economic History 58.3 (2009): 625–58. Print.Goldstone, Jack A. Efflorescences and Economic Growth in World History: Rethinking the Rise of the West and the Industrial Revolution. Journal of World History 13.2 (2002): 323–89. Print.Kelly, Morgan, Joel Mokyr, and Cormac Ó Grda. Precocious Albion: A New Interpretation of the British Industrial Revolution. Annual Review of Economics 6.1 (2014): 363–89. Print.Wrigley, E. A. Energy and the English Industrial Revolution. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Soci ety A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 371.1986 (2013). Print. Wrigley, E. A, and Roger Schofield. The Population History of England 1541–1871. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Print.

Should Nevada legalize the possession of marijuana Research Paper

Should Nevada legalize the possession of marijuana - Research Paper Example Nevada should not legalize the possession of Marijuana. First, possession of marijuana would lead to more serious drug additions since the drug will be easily accessible than it previously was. These drugs could pose a higher risk than that caused by Marijuana. Marijuana intake makes a person to be violent to anyone who tries to go his way and also makes parents neglect their children. If Nevada legalizes marijuana, this would make it easily available, and more new users would get to the vice. Roads carnage is likely to be on the rise since drivers would be driving under the influence of the drug (Jorge 4). The addicts of hard drugs were once consumers of marijuana; therefore, legalization it would open doors for consumers to get into the same trend (Jorge 5). Those advocating for the legalization of marijuana in Nevada cite the medicinal value, which is extremely hypothetical and is yet to be proved scientifically. In fact, the drug is called second schedule, which means that it is yet to pass to the first class schedule. It would seem irresponsible when the laws passed to protect the citizens are the same ones used to destroy their health. Those advocating for the legalization of Marijuana are merely concerned with the economic growth, and not the welfare of its people. Since the sales of tobacco have gone down, they believe Marijuana sales will boost the economy. Thus, the legalization of Marijuana in Nevada is for political and economic gains, which are likely to be disadvantageous in the long run (Mitchell 21). Nevada should not legalize the possession of Marijuana since this would stimulate the trade in drugs. Legalization of Marijuana will consequently lead to more cases of drug trafficking than when the drug is not legalized. As a result, crimes and lack of security in Nevada would increase. Drug dealers would take advantage of the law and possess other drugs such as Cocaine and Heroin (Goldberg 252). Some patients

Enterprise Computing Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Enterprise Computing Systems - Essay Example It continued to command a strong market position and post profits in-an industry which was already struggling with declining sales and billions of dollars running in losses. Today, Dell directly sales around 90% of it’s PCs directly to the final customer. It has efficiently streamlined it’s supply chain in it’s favor by by-passing the re-seller channel which is a norm in the PC industry. The key to Dell’s success is it’s business model. This model gives Dell it’s competitive edge over the indirect PC sales. Dell’s efficiency was one of the primary reasons behind it’s success. It’s efficiency allowed the company to operate and a excel in a negative trading cycle. For it’s inventory management Dell adopted a Just In Time Approach. This approach helped Dell create a â€Å"pull† for it’s personal computers. Just-In-Time system also helped them save costs on storage incase of excess inventory. They were ab le to let the sales float irrespective of rising demand. The customization policy proved to be very successful for Dell. It turned out to be their value-added feature. They were better able to have an idea of what the customers wanted and were able to adapt themselves and their business processes accordingly. However in this rapidly changing world, the business environment keeps changing. Policies and models have to be hence revamped to adapt to the changing business model. During the course of 2006, Dell suffered a set back and significant decline in their sales in the PC market, and with that the continuous decline of PC sales prices too. This was coupled with other factors such as rising customer dissatisfaction, changing trends, less techno-savvy consumers, rising preference for mobile computing and less need for customization. Market analysts realized that Dell’s problems focused more on cost competition without providing value added customer service, efficiency without innovation and a reluctance

The Glass Menagerie Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Glass Menagerie - Research Paper Example The play gives not the external reality but the internal real life, life as felt rather than seen’. Since it is a memory play it represents the mental stature than the realistic expression. It is quite apt to think about the inner state of the characters by psychoanalytical approach. It is very strange that Laura, though very passive, is yet the centre around which the play revolves. The mother worries about her. Her mother Amanda is very much attached to her. She understands her plight but at the same time wants her to correct herself and improve herself; her brother continues to be haunted by her memory even after deserting her. Thus Laura is the pivot of the play. Tennesse Williams created Laura in the image of his sister Rose. Williams’’ fondness for is sister is evident I portraying Laura as an idol of beauty, delicacy and purity. He builds her within a protective coating of glass and warns the world to stay away lest she should become contaminated by ills. Laura, because of her physical disability and disposition, retreats herself to the world of Glass menagerie collection. According to Griffin her ‘glass animals are her escape mechanism’. Laura is completely isolated from the external world which seems to her as hostile and crue l world for a frail girl like Laura. The description from the sixth scene obviously state this attitude. â€Å"The arrangement of Laura’s hair is changed; it is softer and more becoming. A fragile unearthly prettiness has come out in Laura; she is like a piece of translucent glass touched by light, given a momentary radiance, not actual, not lasting† (Glass 62). Laura is described as an object exposed to male gaze; her face ‘unearthly fragile’. Thus Laura is identified as one of the unanimated glass animals only to be watched and touched by other forces. Her intimacy with the glass objects is the psychological process of mind. Carl

Goldman sachs customer service controversy Research Paper

Goldman sachs customer service controversy - Research Paper Example Goldman was later on joined by his son-in-law where the firm expanded and grew into a general partnership to become Goldman, Sachs and Company. His son, Henry, was put in charge of the company’s domestic growth and Goldman, being committed to a diversified portfolio noticed a huge potential in a number of other developing industries (McGee 2010). Despite being difficult to market at the beginning these investments soon became profitable ventures only after the firm managed to convince companies to adopt stricter accounting as well as auditing procedures. Goldman, Sachs managed its very first IPO (Initial Public Offering) in the year 1906 when one of its clients, United Cigar Manufacturers announced its intention to expand (Butler 2010). Despite the fact that the Goldman, Sachs hand never managed a share offering in the course of its operation history, it became successful in marketing an estimated $4.5 million worth of the client’s stock and made United Cigar Manufactur ers qualify for trading on the New York Stock Exchange. As explained by McGee (2010) in 1998 Goldman, Sachs began to consider going public and after selling an estimated 69 million shares it officially adopted the name The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. where it named Henry Paulson, Jr. ... Its main clients include governments, private individuals as well as corporations that transact with it. Very few controversies are associated with Goldman Sachs since it was founded. However, the most famous controversy involved the leaking information on inside trading, which was done by David Brown when the company was in takeover talks. This incident happened in 1986 and Robert Freeman, a senior partner of the company was also linked to the controversy. The company has also been accused that last year it boosted its quarter earning through changing substantial writedowns in its December financial reports. This section thus looks in details some of the controversies (Recomparison, 2011). As noted by Butler, (2010) though the company is seen as the most profitable investment bank in the world in addition to being an excellent money-making machine running rings around its rivals while rewarding its high fliers with multibillion-pound bonuses, Goldman Sachs has a tendency of attracti ng controversy to a level separating it from its competitors. The most recent controversy has been in April 2010, regarding betting against a package Goldman Sachs sold to their own investors, which is believed to have been the turning point for regulators not only in the United States but around the world. At that time, the firm was already under scrutiny for having awarded year end bonuses as well as payouts to its stuff for the financial year ending 2008 upon receipt of an estimated ?6.1 billion UK bailout from the United States government, being part of the bailout toward those financial institutions worst hit by the credit crunch. From the controversy, it is said that Goldman Sachs materially gave wrong

The effect of Value-Added Activity Based Costing and Economic Value Essay

The effect of Value-Added Activity Based Costing and Economic Value Added Measure and their impact on Process Improvement & Busi - Essay Example Though ‘True Cost’ in any situation is fraught with so many uncertainties, by and large the efforts made in its ascertainment paved way for efficient and alternative management practices with improved results. An introspective analysis might reveal that no Value Added Measure circumventing this basic philosophy can make a headway in process improvement or business profitability, for the simple reason that all the value added measures hinges primarily on productivity, which could be addressed properly only through revisit of the approaches to the ‘value’, which predominantly depends on reasonably accurate calculation of the cost of production. Economic Value Added Measures Economic value addition (EVA) is generally discussed with reference to the financial performance, and acts as a complementary tool in the measurement of the performance in a broader perspective, keeping in line with the expectations of the stakeholders, where the finer details of the cost i s not perceived as important as in the case of management practices of ABC. ... iency in the operations, EVA needs to be integrated with ABC in the long run, because the later is related to the factors not directly related to ‘cost’ but scores of other factors such as alternative investments, competition, government policies and international events, which nevertheless influences cost. Cost Management Cost management is the basic underlying factor for the success of a business. Hilton, Maher & Selto (2008, p. 5) states, â€Å"Cost management is important to organizations because it is more than measuring and reporting costs that have occurred. Cost management is focused on the future impacts of current or proposed decisions. Cost management is a philosophy, an attitude, and a set of techniques to create more value at lower cost†. Computation of direct (or variable cost) of material or labor is relatively simpler. But, in the modern business enterprises and in the society, the increase in the proportion of other costs over the period of time w hich hitherto have been considered as fixed and uncontrollable assumed significance, since the controllability of such costs could not be overlooked in a competitive environment. Vazakidis, Karagiannis & Tsialta (2010, p. 382) state, â€Å"The use of this method [ABC] with the cooperation of new technologies and new methods of management, can resolve all the deficiencies of Public Sector, so as citizens and companies will be better served†. Fundamentals of Activity Based Costing Hilton, Maher & Stelto (2008, p 148) state that â€Å"Studies of company practices indicate that a large number of companies, as well as some organizations in the public sector, are using ABC. Some companies have tried ABC and dropped it. Reasons for this include its implementation cost. In the case of Hewlett-Packard division that one

Goldman sachs customer service controversy Research Paper

Goldman sachs customer service controversy - Research Paper Example Goldman was later on joined by his son-in-law where the firm expanded and grew into a general partnership to become Goldman, Sachs and Company. His son, Henry, was put in charge of the company’s domestic growth and Goldman, being committed to a diversified portfolio noticed a huge potential in a number of other developing industries (McGee 2010). Despite being difficult to market at the beginning these investments soon became profitable ventures only after the firm managed to convince companies to adopt stricter accounting as well as auditing procedures. Goldman, Sachs managed its very first IPO (Initial Public Offering) in the year 1906 when one of its clients, United Cigar Manufacturers announced its intention to expand (Butler 2010). Despite the fact that the Goldman, Sachs hand never managed a share offering in the course of its operation history, it became successful in marketing an estimated $4.5 million worth of the client’s stock and made United Cigar Manufactur ers qualify for trading on the New York Stock Exchange. As explained by McGee (2010) in 1998 Goldman, Sachs began to consider going public and after selling an estimated 69 million shares it officially adopted the name The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. where it named Henry Paulson, Jr. ... Its main clients include governments, private individuals as well as corporations that transact with it. Very few controversies are associated with Goldman Sachs since it was founded. However, the most famous controversy involved the leaking information on inside trading, which was done by David Brown when the company was in takeover talks. This incident happened in 1986 and Robert Freeman, a senior partner of the company was also linked to the controversy. The company has also been accused that last year it boosted its quarter earning through changing substantial writedowns in its December financial reports. This section thus looks in details some of the controversies (Recomparison, 2011). As noted by Butler, (2010) though the company is seen as the most profitable investment bank in the world in addition to being an excellent money-making machine running rings around its rivals while rewarding its high fliers with multibillion-pound bonuses, Goldman Sachs has a tendency of attracti ng controversy to a level separating it from its competitors. The most recent controversy has been in April 2010, regarding betting against a package Goldman Sachs sold to their own investors, which is believed to have been the turning point for regulators not only in the United States but around the world. At that time, the firm was already under scrutiny for having awarded year end bonuses as well as payouts to its stuff for the financial year ending 2008 upon receipt of an estimated ?6.1 billion UK bailout from the United States government, being part of the bailout toward those financial institutions worst hit by the credit crunch. From the controversy, it is said that Goldman Sachs materially gave wrong

How using Microsoft Excel helped you with this process Essay

How using Microsoft Excel helped you with this process - Essay Example With this, we can easily find the name of the customer, the amount, the invoice number or the receipt number that corresponds to the amount that will be disbursed. Moreover, if the firm wishes to maintain a minimum cash balance, it can easily be controlled with the help of Excel. It is for the reason that with Excel, the amounts are already shown and the formula can always be fixed. So with just a simple click and simple encoding of amounts, you do not have to worry about the accuracy of the balances anymore. Next to disbursements is the cash receipt. Likewise, it also forms part of the financial statements and it is a vital operation in the company. A firm cannot just disburse cash without getting something to replace it with. And this is where the receipts enter. Cash disbursements and cash receipts are the two important factors that make up the budgetary system. And without the balance for the both, the firm could face a huge problem. And the use of Excel in maintaining the cash receipts record is a good way to avoid this problem. The cash being received by the firm can be entered initially on the Excel and as time passes by, the firm need not to worry about the total amount that they have received during say, a month or a week. The Excel can do that on its own. And it is really helpful especially to the bigger firms. Likewise, the ability to maintain a systematic record and to find the needed file is another advantage of using the Excel in formulating accounting records. The very essence of preparing a financial statement is to show how the firm is operating – whether it operates very well or not. And so the check and balance scenario is commonly used in preparing the financial statements. Figures are needed to be balanced in order to finalize the financial statements. Excel can also be a tool in achieving this scenario. Mittal (2010) stated that the financial statements are collectively presented

Reflective Paper Essay Example for Free

Reflective Paper Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organization in the business and industrial setting is like a very interesting organism worthy of effort and time for study. The behavior of people and the environments with which they are in constant interaction is a ceaseless source for curiosity and fascinating research. This is so especially during this particular century when technology sparks the many changes that take place. This generation is in the epoch of organizational reform and innovation. The time is marked with rapid changes in the demography of workforce, changing corporate culture, and changing institutions. In the light of the rapid shift in today’s organizations, the skills required of managers, beginners in the profession and even aspiring students in the discipline, rest on the foundation of knowledge on the whole gamut of organizational development. Corporate America is not without its complications. When the company â€Å"succeeds,† there is with it (the success) a corresponding notion of responsibilities and liabilities. Organizations thrive today because of the policies and guidelines they have managed to fixed firmly in their set-up and translated into their day to day affairs. Big businesses have the competitive edge over others – i.e., over small entrepreneurs, because they have arrived at their positions in the market place by securing certain parameters in the many facets that comprise their organizations. This is especially true on government laws and regulations (McKenna, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is imperative that organizations in industry and business compete with the changing times. To fail to do so may spell substantial loss in both the financial and human capitals; two major components necessary in an organization. Being competitive in today’s business jargon is not as simple as it sounds; it involves a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the whole gamut of organizational behavior and the complex changes that are dynamic in nature (Mangelsdorff, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper attempts to express in prà ©cis the various facets of the nature of organization with specific intentions to elaborate on the student researcher’s understanding, insights and learnings regarding how quality management and control systems relate with human motivation. It takes into consideration the importance of how all these concepts are of significance in one’s individual relationships as well as their relevance of the person’s (especially the student researcher’s) professional plans and actual work situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational change though oftentimes unpredictable and incomprehensible to many, still goes through a cycle; the nature of which makes it possible for concerned people to study with the hopes and intentions of ultimately, implementing revisions or remodeling. These serve to enhance and improve systems and discover excellent procedures of handling things or procedures and people (Mangelsdorff, 2007). Problem Statements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be specific, the following questions are addressed in this paper: Define what is meant by â€Å"strategic planning.† Distinguish this from long-range planning and other forms of planning. Planning can lead to organizational change. What do the text writers feel are the issues that face the managerwho plans to bring about organizational change? How should a planner go about the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive competencies in an organization? What is the impact of the findings on planning? Discuss the relationship between mission statements, planned change, and unplanned change. Use Discussion Define what is meant by â€Å"strategic planning.† Distinguish this from long-range planning and other forms of planning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bruffee, author of Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge (1993), explains the need for a more efficient, economical and equitable management of the people in the industry or organization has never been as pronounced as it is today. This need has never been brought about by factors which inevitably affect not only the established structures and ways of doing things within the personnel area but also by the more meaningful and substantial task of managing the organization’s most important asset – the human capital. Among these factors are: stiffer competition in business; rapid changes in technological, competitive and economic environments; the explosion of technical and managerial knowledge; spiraling wage and benefits cost and so many others. These factors have no doubt been responsible for the emergence of the personnel function as a vital area in the implementation of corporate strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Demick and Miller (1993) places in context first what an organization is like and settles how it can affect behavior in general and when that is established, proceeded to explain leadership and management in this context. In organizational behavior which is basic to the management of human resource, it points to the inquiry and application of learning about how people, individuals, and groups perform, operate, and work in organizations. It accomplishes this by means of adopting a system approach. Explicitly, it infers people-organization affairs in terms of the entire person, group totality, complete organization, and total social structure. Its intention is to put up enhance relations by attaining human goals, organizational purposes, and social goals. In such a milieu, the goals to effect change are influenced by several significant factors which are crucial to the overall results. Hence, there are expected leadership behaviors that maintain momentum during the change process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Effective strategic planning is a process of analyzing an organization’s assets and its needs under changing conditions and developing the activities necessary to satisfy these needs. It is essentially a two-step process. The emphasis is on techniques or systems to be applied. The forecasting of needs allows determining of priorities and allocating of resources to where they can do the most good. Analysis of needs leads to program planning. The planning approach defines human resource needs in relation to the organization’s overall needs and defines a strategy to satisfy them. In this way, individual development, training programs, recruitment, compensation and other activities become integral part of a dynamic process. There are different types of planning aside from strategic type of plan. These include the alignment type, the goal-based type, the self-organizing type, and the scenario-based type (McNamara, 2006). The goal-based type of planning is involved with tailoring the process of improving and enhancing the system of operation of an organization with the focus on the organizations’ goals which may be further specialized according to each of that organization’s departments. The alignment type bases its planning strictly on the organization’s mission and tailors all activities according to that specific aspect of organizational flow. In particular, the scenario type of planning, however, makes use of the critical areas of the organization’s set-up which nay be experiencing problems and issues that may emanate from the external environment such as changing laws and problems outside the firm or establishment which may affect the life, continuity and effective productivity of the organization.   Lastly, self-organizing type of planning is centered on the organization’s core of values and that any or all of the various problems or issues encountered have to be evaluated according to the values of great importance to the members of the organization (McNamara, 2006). -Planning can lead to organizational change. What do the text writers feel are the issues that face the manager who plans to bring about organizational change?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational behavior is actually a complex and dynamic mechanism. It includes the application and integration of theoretical perspectives from the social and behavioral sciences to shed light on how and why individuals behave in a variety of ways in organizations. Included in the study are the ways the individuals carry out their tasks, the structure, design and operation of human persons in simple and complex organizational set-ups (Mangelsdorff, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is accomplished utilizing the systems approach or systems model. The latter is meant as interpreting people and organizational relationships in reference to the whole individual, â€Å"whole group, whole organization, and whole social system† (Knoster et al., 2000). The objective is developing improved and enhanced relationships by attaining individual aims, organizational goals and social aspirations (Mangelsdorff, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specifically, any student who pursues the study of the concepts involved in the matter will examine how individuals work in groups; acquire insights into human strengths and interpersonal relationships. Intertwined in the study is to delve into theories or principles of motivation of personnel, effective leadership with the goal of formulating a sound thinking and values of management and leadership. Moreover, organizational behavior investigates scientific data and utilizes a variety of research traditions to further understand how individuals work and function efficiently in diverse forms of structures (Shortell et al., 2000)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concepts that are pursued in organizational behavior include the following: the evolution and organizational and management theories; the rich historical background of management, organizational theories and the development of management thought, are adequately covered in this particular aspect (Robbins,1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational behavior, when scrutinized closely, thus far covers a lot of topics. It embraces the understanding of structure, design of the organization itself. It also includes the study of the work design, policies and practices of the human resource, job design, and decision making as an organization. Furthermore, it also examines the organizational culture, its dynamics where change is aimed to be implemented (Revans, 1982) How should a planner go about the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive competencies in an organization? What is the impact of the findings on planning?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Working relationships are a central portion of a person’s life.   Motivation and dedication to any endeavor (e.g. work) and the pleasure from it are collective concerns of the organization and the individual. There are definite factors that generate satisfaction, the so-called â€Å"motivator† factors according to Herzberg. These factors push the worker to the highest levels of accomplishment possible. They are an inherent part of the work itself and consist of the nature of the work, the person’s sense of achievement, level of responsibility, and individual development and improvement. These motivator needs can only be rewarded by stimulating, challenging, and absorbing work. Consequently, the goal of motivation should be to enhance individual growth and advancement, develop sense of accomplishment and liability, and provide recognition (Franken, 1994).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychology recognizes different perspectives of motivation. One of these viewpoints pertains to the idea of â€Å"motivational inducements,† otherwise known as incentives. Incentives are referenced from either the vantage point of internal, or that of external motivation. An inducement coming from within the individual is called intrinsic or internal motivation. It is, according to Morris and Maisto, about the â€Å". . . desire to perform a behavior that originates within the individual.† An inducement coming from outside the individual is called external or extrinsic motivation. It is the aspiration to do or achieve a goal in order to acquire a type of incentives or escape or steer clear of punishment (Morris and Maisto, 1999, p.316). People are often induced by the presence of external incentives to perform expected tasks or avoid incurring punishment. For motivation experts, however, a person developing the internal type of motivation will reap more lasting and beneficial effects compared with external motivation (Morris and Maisto, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, in taking care of a medical surgical unit and handling newly hired nurses with a few years of experience only, myriads of problems are not remote possibilities. From issues of tardiness during call of duty, in irresponsibility in dispensing of medicines and relational clashes, to grave misconduct within the workplace such as sexual harassment between employees, these are all stark realities that are potential complex problems. Initiating the Herzberg idea can probably be useful. I will groom first the few expert nurses and those who will be directly supervising others that they practice and execute specific agenda for increasing motivation, one of which is Management by Objectives (MBO). It entails having faith in involving the employees in goal-setting and in decision-making. MBO works by integrating goal-setting into individual participation in decision-making in order to establish individual work goals to which the employee feels reasonably committed. At the motivational level, it is theorized that resistance to change is decreased if individuals participate in decisions regarding change and that individuals accept and are more committed to decisions in which they have participated in making. To further encourage and increase involvement, the hospital provides suggestion boxes and hold monthly contests where they give monetary rewards for the best three suggestions. These give the employee a sense of achievement and responsibility for its success. For this workplace in particular, the employees receive incentives in the form of Ladder promotion, general salary increase annually plus performance rating salary increases, CBA – employees can expect a minimum of 15% increase in salary annually within three years; and welfare benefits which include group insurances, medical insurance, accident benefits among others (Baron, 1983). A set-up like this goes to such great lengths at least to assure that it does something for sustaining employees’ morale and motivation. -Discuss the relationship between mission statements, planned change, and unplanned change. Use illustrations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The elements of organizational behavior lean upon management’s plan and philosophy, vision and objectives. Basing on this foundation springs the organizational culture where the formal and informal types of organization and the social environment are best understood (Knoster et al., 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Every person in direct supervision of employees or workers knows the intricacies of leadership and management of people under his/her care. Whenever possible, it is to the best interest of the organization and employer in general that the workers perform their respective jobs efficiently and on a continuous or consistent manner. This is the aspiration of every owner of a company or those delegated to deliver their/his/her goals. However, this will only work so long as the individuals in their various places or positions know and understand what they want and where they want to go in the context of the overall goals of their organization. Intertwined in this idea is the fact that individuals are motivated to work not only for them but that the vision and mission, goals of the corporate world where they belong must be their own also. Ownership as a motivational factor is critical for the survival and sustainability of both the individual worker and the organization as a whole. Studies reveal that how an organization runs depends upon every human person within the workplace functioning as he/she should be in order that productivity is achieved. This is actually a cyclical picture; both the organization or employer level and the rank and file levels must understand the team and group dynamics that must work to achieve their own objectives. However this seemed to be easy to understand, the applications of which are complex involving multiple disciplines (Mangelsdorff, 2007). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The problem of employee motivation is critical in all kinds of organizations today and is responsible for the shoddy products we buy and the careless service we receive. It was thought that all that was necessary to produce high motivation in workers was to pay them more; this idea may no longer be valid for a large portion of the work force (Adams, 1965). Modern workers demand jobs that satisfy their inner needs for fulfillment, expression, and self-actualization. Traditional values involved loyalty to the company and a strong drive for money, status, promotion and security. The new breed of workers focuses on self-fulfillment and self-actualization and demands jobs that are challenging and that allow participation in decision-making (McClelland, 1976). They have little loyalty to the organization and less concern with money, status and security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychologists have proposed several theories of motivation. The need for achievement by McClelland posits the existence to be the best in whatever they undertake. Studies show that good executives are higher in Ach than poor ones. High in ability and take calculated risks and set moderate achievement goals. These individuals constantly need feedback on their progress (Halonen Santrock, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These theories deal with content of motivation, with internal needs that arouse and guide behavior. Process theories of motivation focus on the psychological processes involved in making decisions and choices about work. This is illustrated in the goal-setting theory, which argues that employee motivation is defined by our intention to achieve a particular goal; and equity theory, which deals with our perceived ratio or outcome to input and how equitably that ratio compares with those co-workers (Halonen Santrock, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The workplace today considers any of the perspectives mentioned in this paper. However, what are more reflective at many organizations are their strategies in enhancing the life of the average worker. The understanding of the needs or drives that motivate people is therefore critical in the choice of what â€Å"motivator variables† that the management may employ to encourage their people to do or sustain an excellent job or an efficient performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mentoring and its application is very much the vogue today in corporate America. It is a strategy employed by companies or institutions to enhance professionalism and the increased transfer of learning and building of skills from the more adept and/or experienced to the junior or neophyte employee. It is also a way of improved retention rate within a company. Reference: Baron, R. 1983. Behavior in Organizations: Understanding and Managing the Human Side of Work, Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Bruffee, Kenneth A. Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1993. Demick, J. and Miller, P., Development in the Workplace, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, New Jersey, 1993. Druckman, Daniel, Jerome E. Singer, and Harold Van Cott (Editors) (1997). Enhancing Organizational Performance. National Academy Press: Washington, D.C. (optional) Franken, R.E. 1994, Human Motivation (Belmont, CA, Wadsworth). Halonen, JS and JW Santrock, 1996. Psychology: Contexts of Behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown    and Benchmark, p.810. Knoster, T., Villa, R., Thousand, J. (2000). A  framework for thinking about systems change. In R. Villa J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp. 93-128). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Landy, F.J. 1985. Psychology of Work behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. Mangelsdorff, David A.2001. â€Å"Organizational Behavior and Theory. Accessed August 19, 2008 http://users.idworld.net/dmangels/orgbeh.htm McClelland, D. C., Burnham, D. H. 1976. Power is the great motivator. Harvard Business Review, 54(2), 100-110. McKenna, Eugene, 2000. Business Psychology and Organizational Behavior: A Student’s Handbook. 3rd Ed. Psychology press: Taylor and Francis Group. McNamara, Carter. 2006. â€Å"Basic Overview of Various Strategic planning models.† Retrieved August 19, 2008. http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/models.htm Morris, Charles G., Maisto, Albert A., 1999. Understanding Psychology.4th ed., Prentice Hall: New Jersey, pp.315-316. Revans, R. W. 1982. The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Hunt, England: Chatwell-Bratt, Bickley Robbins, Stephen P. 1997. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, Eighth Edition, Prentice Hall. Shortell, Stephen M. and Arnold D. Kaluzny. 2000. Health Care Management: Organization Design and Behavior, Fourth Edition, Delmar Publishers Inc. Revans, R. W. 1982. The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Hunt, England: Chatwell-Bratt, Bickley Robbins, Stephen P. 1997. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, Eighth Edition, Prentice Hall.

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge Discuss.

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge Discuss. People created proverbs and used to apply them when experiences similar to the one which resulted in the construction of the proverb reoccurred. The Persians had one of the most famous proverbs that are still used in our time; they used to say doubt is the key to knowledge, but to what extent is this phrase true? Through the areas and ways of knowledge, this proverb will be further studied to determine to which extent it is true. In this essay, I will be using the natural sciences and religion as areas of knowledge and linking them to the ways of knowledge; perception and reason or logic. Doubt is one of the earliest ways the human beings started gaining knowledge from the world around them. It is known that doubt is when a person starts questioning a subject that confused him or has been on his mind for a time. It is then that this person starts asking questions in order to gain further knowledge about the subject he wishes to acquire. We can generally say that doubt is the origin of obtaining knowledge as human beings started questioning the world and everything in it; they were able to get the answers they wanted and increased their knowledge. The world famous French philosopher, writer, physicist and mathematician Renà © Descartes believed that doubt could never be the key to knowledge and information from the world. He was considered one of the first thinkers ever to introduce philosophy to natural sciences. Descartes believed that one can gain truth without doubt; he introduced his method called methodological skepticism in which he rejects any ideas that can b e doubted, then reestablishes them so that he can get genuine knowledge from these ideas. One of Descartes books is one called Meditations on First Philosophy. The book has six meditations in it in which Descartes banishes any belief that contains, even if in small quantities, any kind of uncertainty, but then reestablishes the things that are known for sure. Each one of the six meditations were written as if in one day Descartes speculated and came up with the meditation; so the book was authored as if he meditated for six days and developed his meditations. Three of Descartes meditations are discussed. His first meditation is called Meditation I: Concerning Those Things That Can Be Called into Doubt. In this meditation, Descartes remembers that he was once deceived by his senses and since that happened before, it can happen again. So he tells himself, if I am being deceived, then my beliefs are treacherous and uncertain. The second meditation called Meditation II: Concerning the Nature of the Human Mind: That It Is Better Known Than the Body is an acknowledgment to the first meditation. Descartes believed that since he is a thinking thing, then he must exist. Since he is a thing that can deceived and have thoughts and beliefs, he must exist. His third meditation Meditation III: Concerning God, That He Exists argues that God is present and he rejects the idea of God being invented. He proposed three types of ideas; Innate, Factitious and Adventitious. The innate ideas are the ones that are and always have been with us, whereas factitious ideas are from our imagination and lastly the adventitious ones come from our experiences from the world. Descartes believed that God is an innate idea and that he is not improvised. That was Descartes beliefs when it comes to doubt, as he does not believe that doubt is the key knowledge. Let us discuss the natural sciences at first. Ever since the break of dawn, the human being has been trying to know the truth about his origins and the world around him; have we truly evolved from apes or were we simply created by God? These questions have always been present in the humans mind and this is the reason behind his doubt concerning this topic. This issue has raised many conflicts among people, but most importantly, created the Darwin theory of evolution. Darwin believed that all living organisms evolved from much simpler single-celled organisms. His doubt in the belief that God created us from nothing made him seek after the answers he wanted to get. He did not believe in what he was told and sought after the truth after questioning this topic, evidently coming up with his widely accepted theory from different people all over the world. One too many facts from the sciences such as physics and biology were found based on doubt. Take the Arabic Muslim optical scientist, Ibn Al-Haitham. The people who lived in his era thought that the eye itself emitted light rays and causing our sight. Ibn Al-Haitham, on the other hand, did not believe in what these people used to say and doubted this fact, and so he started his own experiments to prove them wrong, and he was able to show that light was reflected off surfaces and became incident on the eye resulting in our sight. People use the logic they have to reason with the things that go around them. And through the logic, they are able to realize that some things do not add up; and this leads them to questioning and trying to find answers if they are unsatisfied with the results in front of them. Through their journey of seeking the answers, these people can find them only by observing or experimenting and then find logical answers. Human beings find answers when in doubt by experimenting and when the results show up they use reason and logic to interpret them, leading them to knowledge based on doubt. However, a different area of knowledge that can be studied to show to what extent the doubt is the key to knowledge statement is true is religion. Let us take the religion for instance. Not all the people of the world believe in religion, but why is that? Why have the non-believers become what they are now? This is all because we, as human beings, doubt the things around us. We are curious beings and want to know more of everything. As time progresses, people doubt what had been told to them by God. Some do not believe that he created Adam and Eve and rather wanted to accept the evolution theories as true such as Darwins. Others do not believe that there is a judgment day, and therefore wish to explain what is happening to our world nowadays from a scientific point of view. As for religion itself, talking about Christianity for example, doubt is not an option. You either believe in God or you do not. It is said in the Holy Bible that Blessed are those who did not see and believe. Through this, it is like God is telling us that there is no need for doubt, and that we only have to follow what our hearts tell us and how our soul guides into believing that there is a God even though we cannot see him. Religion is telling us that doubt has no place in Gods will and he is our source of knowledge on him not doubt. He is the one who will explain everything to believers and guide them through their lives and provide them with answers when they need them; therefore he is a persons supply of knowledge and that person should gain it without having to doubt what God says. All in all, the statement doubt is the key to knowledge is true to an extent as proven earlier by the areas and ways of knowledge. But it is to a certain extent true, not fully true because other areas of knowledge such as the ethics contradict what the Persian proverb says. Doubt can reveal the response of unanswered questions, but on other times, it can blind us from seeing the truth. Word count: 1315 words