Saturday, August 31, 2019

Locke and Hobbes and Their Philosophical Views

When one thinks of the great philosophers of the 16th and 17th centuries, the names John Locke and Thomas Hobbes automatically come to mind.   Both men were instrumental in the philosophical world.   Both were educated at Oxford and both chose a self-imposed exile to Holland because of their political views. On the state of nature, John Locke believed that God created the world and man.   Therefore, all men are equal.   No one has the right to take a life and that also applied to suicide.   He felt that all men were entitled to life, liberty, health and property.   However, he felt that government was something that took away these rights instead of insuring them.   To him, it seemed that only God was to have control of man. While Locke felt that man was better off without laws and government, Thomas Hobbes thought that it would be a complete state of confusion if this were to take place.   Without laws, people would be able to avenge any wrong that they felt was done to them.   He felt that it would leave man in a constant state of fear because there would be no safety.   Disputes would become a time of violence according to Hobbes. John Locke thought that a world without government would return man to his simpler, more rightful place.   This idea derives from the idea that no one man has the right to be in charge of another.   With the act of government and enforcement of laws, there are people who would have to do the enforcing of the laws.   Unfortunately, this would pit man against man and that would go against the natural order that should exist. Hobbes ideas of government seem contradictory.   In one sense he believed in a government with absolute authority, but then he states that man should not obey a law if it takes away his dignity and honor.   Hobbes felt that no one should even question whether one should obey authority of his/her government and that for anyone to be able to choose which laws that would be obeyed was insanity and would lead to complete confusion. Locke’s thoughts on the rights of each individual is that of self-ownership.   In other words, an individual was completely responsible for himself/herself and answered only to God.   He did believe in self-discipline and strict moral character.   He thought that even the monarch had to answer to God.   So he thought that all people should have equal rights and all rights should be afforded to all people. Since Hobbes was a Calvinist, he believed that man was inherently evil while Locke believed that it was society that was evil.   Hobbes believed that men needed something to dictate his behavior.   That is why he believed in a strong government which allowed certain civil rights, but not others.   He also believed that it was possible for some to enjoy more rights than others because of their behavior. Both men also had strong feelings on the right to revolt or rebel.   Locke felt that one of the true reasons that it would be right to rebel against a government was if that government was not a legitimate government.   The way that people could tell that a government was not a legitimate government was to look at how it believed in the rights of the individual.   If the government believed that it was right for a man to be enslaved or took away other rights that others shared, then that government should encounter a rebellion of its people. Hobbes on the other hand believed that revolt and rebellion would lead to mayhem.   He sighted that the French revolution ended in many useless executions of working class people because of a rebellion against the government.   He agreed that to change the government, one should change it by changing the laws and not by rebellion. Rene` Descartes was a philosopher who was known as the father of modern philosophy.   He was called that because he used much from science and math.   He believed that the body represented the physical world and the mind represented the metaphysical.   Descartes felt that if one was out of sort then the other would be as well.   He felt that everything in the natural world had to work together and so should the body and the mind.   The body was the physical organs while the mind was composed of the brain and the neurological system.   It was quite possible for a dysfunction of the brain to allow something in the body to not work properly. Locke, Hobbes, and Descartes gave great contributions to the world of philosophy.   They were in many ways different.   However they did cause the world to stop and think and not just take things at face value. Works Cited Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 7, July 2007, http://plato.stanford.edu/  

Friday, August 30, 2019

Christian Perspective on Physician-Assisted Suicide Essay

Throughout our lifetimes, we are faced with questions that sometimes seem impossible to answer. Everyone is guided by something (or someone) when It comes to making choices both big and small. When it comes to issues of a moral nature, â€Å"three-quarters of all Americans claim their religious beliefs are the primary Influence on how they find guidance In their lives. † (O’Mathuna and Amundsen, 1998) What is the Christian perspective on physician-assisted suicide (PAS)? While the topic certainly inspires debate, conclusions can be reached using examples from the Bible, cripture verses regarding life and death, and denominational statements. There are seven recorded accounts of people in the Bible choosing to end their own lives. (Because the Bible does not speak specifically of PAS, insights will be drawn using examples of suicide. According to the Bible, killing Is killing; no matter who commits the act for what reason. ) Abimilech, Samson, Ahithophel, King Zimri, King Saul, Saul’s armor bearer, and Judas Iscariot. While there is no specific command in the Bible condemning the choice to end one’s own life, the depictions of the aforementioned characters are not those of a positive nature. Abimelech seizes power in his lifetime by conspiracy and murder of 70 of his own half-brothers. He is not chosen or appointed by God. After being mortally wounded by having a woman drop a stone on his head, he asks that his armor bearer run him through with his sword so that no one can say he was killed by a woman. The passage states that his death repaid the wickedness he had done to his father by murdering his brothers (Judges 9:50-57, New International Version). Samson is gifted by God with amazing strength. However, he ignores God’s commandments and lives a life tainted with trickery and sexual Immorality. He dies after being held prisoner by his enemies when he tears down a temple to which he has been tied. It collapses killing Samson and everyone else inside Oudges 17:29-30, NIV). Saul becomes the first king of Israel after being warned by God that Israel’s desire for a human king Is a rejection of the kingship of God. Saul; eventually becomes alienated from God, his family, and his people. His jealousy leads him to attempt murder on more than one occasion. Saul becomes wounded during battle and has no one to turn to for help and refuses to seek Cod. He asks his armor earer to help him die, and after he refuses (and then immediately takes his own life), Saul chooses to fall on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:1-6, NIV). Oftentimes in the New Testament, self-destructive behavior (suicide) Is associated with demon possession. Though the suicide of Judas Iscariot in the New Testament is recorded without comment, Judas was called a traitor, a devil, a thief, and a son of perdition. Judas betrayed Jesus. claiming he never knew him. The weight of his guilt lead him to hang himself. â€Å"A similar analysis of all the other suicide accounts reveals a consistent pattern. Nowhere is suicide praised or commended. In fact, the lack of explicit comment on the suicides could Just as easily be viewed as a negative evaluation. † (O’Mathuna and Amundsen, 1998) There is one last mention of suicide in the New Testament, yet its conclusion is full of hope and life. Two characters, Paul night, Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God in the midst of their suffering. A violent earthquake shook the foundation of the prison, opened all the cell doors, and loosened all of the chains of the prisoners. The Jailer was awakened and for fear of being killed once prisoners escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted and insisted that he not harm himself because no one had escaped. Paul and Silas then spoke with the Jailer about God’s love and salvation. The Jailer was filled with Joy because he had come to believe in God (Acts 16:24-34, NIV). Christians believe that the Bible is the spoken word of God through his people. They believe that the Journey of Jesus Christ from birth to death on a cross demonstrates how they are called to live even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Disney’s Transition into Television and its Effects on Child Actors Essay

Disney has expanded their enterprise into many different areas, one of them being television. As Disney has explored the medium of television, they have focused the shows for the audience of children. In 1955, The Mickey Mouse Club was one of the first shows that Disney had on television. In order to appeal to younger audiences, the show had â€Å"young attractive stars performing before a live audience, clowns, magicians, cartoons, guest stars, educational elements, and music written for the show† (Pendergast). Children liked to watch the show because they were watching kids that were about the same age as them, and they could relate to the actors. The children watching the show were heavily influenced by the Mickey Mouse Club because they looked up to and saw the actors as role models (Telotte). They wanted to be like the actors, so Disney profited off this generation of children by putting out merchandise related to the show. In this way, Disney started making more and more money because of these child actors. Many people argue about the effect that watching Disney’s television shows and â€Å"their positive and negative influence on kids† (Hillstrom). However, what about the effect that Disney’s television shows have on the child actors? These children spend their childhood on the sets of television shows, â€Å"being a kid is a full-time job, with scripts to memorize, and tutoring to endure† (Corliss). They are playing the characters of normal kids, without being able to experience a normal childhood themselves, it is no wonder that many child stars get into trouble when they â€Å"start growing up and moving out† (Armstrong, Markovitz) and leave Disney, because they have not been able to experience normal life growing up as a Disney actor. Disney’s â€Å"ability to grow teen talent† year after year is what makes the Disney Channel so successful (Luscombe). While Disney’s other ventures are not making as much money as they used to, â€Å"Disney’s Teen Machine has become a finely tuned profit pump in an industry rife with unpredictability† (Luscombe). Disney seems to have figured out the formula for a great teen star, and they know when they see one. Casting agents at Disney say that â€Å"while they love high-energy kids who can deliver a line and get the humor, they avoid overtrained types† â€Å"they try to cast very real kids who have raw talent† (Armstrong). For most child stars, television is not the endgame, it is just the launchpad that they need to build themselves up until they become big stars. They also cannot just rely on their raw talent to get them though, acting is their job and they are getting paid to film the shows and star in the movies that Disney creates, so they need to not only be â€Å"cute, smart, and quick to learn lines, but also dedicated, focused, and in it for the long haul† (Armstrong). Disney Channel’s stereotypical television character is a teenage girl or boy with a strong family who sometimes gets into funny situations that they learn from in the end. The story lines differ from show to show, but the characters usually have that same background. They always have strong family values with an annoying sibling or two in order to make the show more interesting. Many of Disney’s successful shows have been known to continue for at least four seasons and sometimes more. This is because Disney is a family friendly network so they advertise â€Å"wholesome family entertainment†, and appeal to not only the children, but also their parents (Pendergast). Parents are a very large part of Disney’s enterprise, because they are the ones who are buying all of the merchandise. If they do not think that a certain show is having a positive influence on their children, they will stop letting their children watch the show which leads to less merchandise being bought. In this way, the teen actors also need to be very aware of the decisions that they make. Because they are the stars of these Disney shows, the kids that watch them on television look up to them. They instantly become role models for these children whether they want to be or not. And if they make a bad decision in their everyday lives and it gets into the media, and parents disapprove of the message it sends to their children, they stop being consumers of the actor and the show. Eventually the child and teen actors grow up, and want to leave the Disney Channel and pursue a career as an adult actor. However making the switch from Disney to Hollywood has not been achieved often. Disney has crafted a certain image for their stars, and it is hard for the actors to shake an image that has been associated with them for most of their childhood. The young actors grow out of the Disney shows and want to branch out into more serious roles, and many leave Disney and a lot of money behind to do so, for example Hilary Duff star of the hit Disney show Lizzie McGuire â€Å"famously walked away from a multi-million dollar offer† to start off on her own without Disney (Armstrong, Markovitz). Sometimes the upside for Disney is that when a star moves on, â€Å"the company no longer has to answer for every saucy leaked photo and tabloid scandal† in order to keep up their cookie cutter image (Armstrong, Markovitz). However, Disney would like to keep making money off of the stars, and they do that by â€Å"creating more opportunities so that the talent is more interested in engaging longer with the company† (Luscombe). In trying to keep their young stars, Disney has â€Å"created more opportunities for the stars within the company† (Luscombe). Disney has created many paths that they have their stars take, in wanting them to stay at Disney, they make the stars get involved in all aspects of disney. They make the stars go into no only acting in their television shows, but also getting involved in music and singing. This not only helps the stars gain more fame and fans, but makes Disney much more money than before. Instead of hiring actors and singers and dancers, Disney has shaped their stars so that they do everything with just one person. Disney has also had success in putting all three of these aspects together when they created High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls. They also take stars from their different television shows and put them in special episodes of other shows. This tactic advertises the individual actor and also a new show. Another way Disney gets their stars more involved in the company is if the stars record music and they put it in another movie, it advertises both the actor and the new movie. Disney’s advertising tactics have make their company more successful, and also their stars more famous. However because Disney has incorporated the stars into the company so much and has advertised them and their work as Disney, it is hard for them to branch out, which is exactly what Disney wants. They want to make it hard for the Actors to become disassociated with Disney. However, some stars handle branching away from Disney better than others. For example, Shia LaBeouf became very successful after Disney, starring in many great movies such as the Transformers series. Other former Disney stars handled the Disney branding badly, such as Miley Cyrus. She starred in the very lucrative Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. Where she played a very pure girl who moves for Tennessee to Malibu and has a secret life as a pop star. Miley had an even harder job at getting away from Disney that most other stars because she was not only known for the character Miley Stewart that she played on the show, but also for the character Hannah Montana which was the pop star alter ego on the show. She had two Disney characters to disassociate with and not just one. It was no secret that â€Å"Miley had been publicly testing the waters of adulthood for a few years†, she was taking dramatic and daring Vanity Fair photos and had â€Å"vaguely stripperish dance moves† at an awards show performance (Donahue). She also started to dress differently, less like the character on the show, and more of the short shorts and skin showing clothes. She was trying to change her image from Disney to more dangerous. However, the parents of the children who watched Hannah Montana were angry and made accusations that Miley was now a bad role model for their children and she lost some of her Disney fan base. â€Å"Disney makes you a star, you make them an enormous amount of money, and then you either crash and burn or you go out and stake your claim in the real world† (Donahue). In trying to branch out and get out from under the Disney stereotype, many of the former Disney stars have gotten into trouble with drugs and partying because they go to such drastic measures to change their image. They turn to drug use for the reason that it is so anti-Disney and they feel like that is the only way for people to see them not as their Disney Channel characters but as adults. But because Disney started their careers, they are indebted to them and feel like they owe it to Disney to stay with them for longer than they would want to. They also now have so much money that they could potentially get out of the business all together and be fairly well off. Disney has made a lot of money off of them and their fame, but they have also made a considerable amount off of Disney. Disney has made its young actors so famous that the kids have the world at their feet (Armstrong, Markovitz). But how much has the Disney lifestyle affected the child actors in their development and view of the world around them. They have not grown up like other normal kids did, they act for a living, and it is a full time job. They have to memorize lines and they are on set all day, they do not have time to go to school so they have tutors (Corliss). They play characters that live normal lives, and go to school, but they have not experienced these things themselves first hand. They are sheltered from the outside world while they are being shaped by Disney. They are who many normal children look up to and want to be, but sometimes they might want to just be normal. Having to represent Disney and watch everything that they do and say is a stressful job, and that stress created by Disney’s expectation of them and their fans expectation of them is enough to make anyone want to act out a bit, especially because they are teenagers. Being in the public eye and always being careful of what you do is not how children are supposed to grow up. They are supposed to be able to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes, but these Disney stars do not get the opportunity to make those mistakes because everyone is watching them and if they made even a minuscule mistake, the public would criticize them to no end. They have to live up to the Disney stereotype of the perfect pure child and also try to grow up and learn. Which is why when these stars try to deviate from Disney and to branch out from them, they take the most drastic measures possible because they do not know any other way. These child actors have so many children looking up to them, and so many people watching them that they do not have any room to breath and just be kids, they grow up too fast and then people criticize them for doing things that are too adult like wearing clothes that show ample amounts of skin or going out to clubs and partying, they grew up too fast in Hollywood and in the public spotlight. Disney has made billions off of these child actors and have created many opportunities for them to build their fame and fortune (Armstrong). But is Disney taking these children, shaping them into what they want the stars to be, and then when they are too old and Disney no longer needs them are they throwing these actors out to fend for themselves when they do not really know anything different than Disney? Society expects these children who have had to grow up too quickly in the environment that they were placed in and have not had proper childhoods to be perfect and to not make any mistakes when realistically we should be encouraging them to make mistakes and learn from them. Our society has expectations that are too high for these children and are too high even for adults to meet. We need to put less pressure on these Disney child actors to be perfect and to encourage them to be kids and to have fun. The pressure that they have on them from Disney to be successful, make a lot of money, and to conform to what Disney wants them to be combined with societies expectations for them to be good role models and to always make the right decision is too much pressure for these children to handle. So they turn to drugs and alcohol so that they are no longer expected to be the perfect person. The child actors are sometimes overlooked in the argument of television, but they have also been affected.

Changes in the Field of Civil Engineering Essay

Changes in the Field of Civil Engineering - Essay Example The aim of this report is to explore the changes that are occurring in the rhetorical practices in the field of civil engineering. Globalization, the computer evolution, population demand, scientific advancements as well as the growing concern for environmental and security in the field of material science, biotechnology, and nanotechnology are the key drivers of the changes. As the changes continue to emerge, students need to adapt, adjust and conform to the changes by acquiring more knowledge about the field that they otherwise would in the past. The adjustments need not only to be in the traditional sciences and math, but also to encompass emerging domains in engineering and science and knowledge in crucial areas such as leadership, communication, marketing, business management, and practical processes. In addition, students must be able to learn how to come up with innovative designs that are required for maintaining and enhancing the competitive advantage with respect to other n ations, and be able to prepare adequately to accomplish emerging professional challenges. Therefore, there is an urgent need to expand and improve civil engineering education (CEE), including professional innovators such as civil engineers with skills and knowledge required to develop novel designs, which can be patented. Over the past six decades, the United States has witnessed a significant reduction in the number of credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. In fact, at present, America’s average hours stands at about 125 credit hours only. (Arciszewski and Russell 5). This is a huge reduction considering the fact that just decade ago, the U.S. average credit hours for a bachelor’s degree in engineering took an average of 135 hours. This emerging trend is, particularly driven by state funded universities, which are increasingly heeding to political pressure to reduce the cost incurred in undergraduate education, as well as to ensure that civil engineering students graduate in four years. It is also unfortunate that even private universities are increasingly adopting this trend in a bid to remain competitive. Presently, civil engineering education in the country is struggling with the blatant contradiction between the national, state, and local level needs, according to Arciszewski and Russell (5). The aim of this report is to explore the changes that are occurring in the rhetorical practices in the field of civil engineering. The field of civil engineering has undergone many changes over the years. This has seen most paradigms being replaced by the emerging concepts. As earlier stated, the changes that have occurred in the field of civil engineering are attributed mainly to the rapid technological advancements and globalization being witnessed in different parts of the world today. This has necessitated students to adjust in their learning in order to keep pace with the changing needs of the world in the field of civil engineering. According to Arciszewski and Russell, the engineering system evolution is driven by objective evolutionary techniques, known as patterns of evolution (8). They argue that this pattern applies to all engineering fields, including CEE and practice. Many studies that dates back to the 1940s found nine patterns of evolution in the field of engineering. However, the S-curve pattern is the most relevant in CEE. According to the S-curve pattern, engineering systems have undergone transformations following an S-curve pattern, when the relationship between time and specific characteristics of an engineering system are both taken into consideration. This implies that each engineering system has a life cycle that once completed give rise to another system based on different assumptions or different paradigm, as shown in figure 1. For example, when we consider airplanes, we realize that there are separate S-curves for propeller-driven airplanes, jet planes, and turbo-prope ller planes. In this regard, we end up with a family

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Interactive Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interactive Marketing - Essay Example He emphasized that the then unthinkable systems will emerge in the future as just in time interactive marketing systems with features that shall fulfill all the dimensions of interactivity defined by him. Coviello and Milley et al. (2001. pp22-23) argue that the interactive marketing is the "new" type of marketing and all the rest methods are "traditional" types of marketing. The forms of interactive marketing presented by the researchers are business to consumer, inter-personnel commercial, fully interactive collaboration, network, and business to business. Brodie and Winklhofer (2007. pp3-4) presented the new marketing strategy called e-Marketing penetration that is carried out through four methodologies - Database Marketing (using database tools to target customers in a segment or micro-segment), Transactional Marketing (traditional marketing but through electronic means), Interactive Marketing (electronic interactions between employees and customers) and Network Marketing (develo ping relationships with customers & firms within an on-line network).

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Question - Essay Example The approach that will be adopted by this lawyer would be of a proactive nature and he would consistently keep a check on the activities and measures of the other industrial competitors and narrate the same dealings to the company’s top heads. Moreover, this lawyer will help solve the different legal issues which the organization might run into from time to time and also facilitate avenues for better understanding between the company and its publics (usually the stakeholders). (Commons, 1923) Since keeping a check of the law regimes is the duty of any organization that works under a certain law of the land, this organization would be helped a great deal by the efforts undertaken by the lawyer and his role would be increased with each passing day. Thus it is in the best interests of the business unit operating in a foreign country to hire the best lawyer and adopt an approach of goodwill with the legislative

Monday, August 26, 2019

Defining African Religion and Insiders and Outsiders Essay

Defining African Religion and Insiders and Outsiders - Essay Example African theology is highly felt in present day America due to the presence of the African Americans. Most of the religions are an affirmation of the existence of natural law. Natural laws are sets of unwritten laws that place emphasis on morals and obedience. The cultural practices are passed on from one generation to another. Africans practiced their religions before the interference from the white colonialists. At this time, there was no knowledge of factors such as the Holy Trinity or the Bible. Religious practices are geared toward having prosperity, peace and happiness in the community. Each type of religion has a different set of rules that should be followed to the T. lack of commitment to the religion displays disregard for the community. People who are caught committing an offence face a number of punishments which range from minor punishments to cases of exile (Magesa, 1997). Jacob Olupona offers an alternative view of the practice of African religion in most of the African communities. The writer takes a different outlook towards the practices of different communities. The book thus gets its inspiration from countries like South Africa and Nigeria. Despite the difference of locations, the two countries have some common similarities. Some of the similarities are seen in the use of proverbs. Africans value the opinion of the elder members of the society. Most of the proverbs are created by the ancestors and passed on to the offspring’s. The use of proverbs has thus been incorporated into the religions. They act as a way of guidance in that they have moral codes of behavior. The book mentions the importance of rituals in the African community as a whole. Rituals are reserved for several occasions and celebrations in the community. Each celebration has a special ritual which acts as a symbolic example. In the case of religion, Africans dedicate an immense number of rituals to worship.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Uncompleted crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Uncompleted crime - Essay Example Article 105 of the Penal Law of New York contains the conspiracy of crime. There are various elements of conspiracy of crime in the historical statute of New York. First, the must be an agreement of persons in a contract to perform unlawful or illegal action. A conspiracy of crime is valid if different parties agree to carry out unlawful action. For example, in Mulcahy v R (1868) case, there was an evident of presence of an agreement between different persons. If the agreement is not present, the conspiracy of crime is invalid, and no conviction occur on the conspiracy. For example, in R v Thomson (1966), the charge failed due to lack of agreement between people to undertake unlawful action. Secondly, for the conspiracy case to be valid, the prosecution must give a clear evidence of the intention of various parties to join in the agreement for the purpose of carrying out a criminal activity. A case on conspiracy of crime can only be valid if there are clear intentions of parties involved either. Therefore, the conspiracy incorporates criminal liability according to the person’s intention. In the current Penal law, there are four main elements of conspiracy. To begin with, the actus Reus of conspiracy is present when an agreement by parties to carry out unlawful action is made. This means that, even if the planned action of the involved parties does not occur, parties are liable for committing conspiracy of crime (Gupta, 2013). The main purpose of their agreement must be clearly identified during the jurisdiction of the cases. The prosecution must highlight the main purpose of the agreement. If the purpose of the agreement is harmful to the public or cause fraud, the valid charge can be provided in the court of laws. In addition, conspiracy can also happen when there is unlawful purpose of the agreement, but the means applied in action is illegal (Harding, 1982). The overt act is greatly necessary in charging the conspiracy of crime. For

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The L-World as A Good Character-driven Drama Essay

The L-World as A Good Character-driven Drama - Essay Example The L-Word fits extremely well into this genre as it focuses on a very organic unveiling of personality and conflict. It is a high quality drama within this genre, as it features a well-written script with complex characters and original content. The scripts of the L-Word are extremely well-written. It is vital for character-driven dramas to be well written as dialogue is a focus of character-driven drama. Dialogue must be natural, realistic and fit organically into the characters established personality for character-driven dramas to succeed. The script of the L-Word achieves this through the naturalism of its dialogue and the way in which each characters lines fit well into their personality. For example in season 5 episode 7 â€Å"Longing†, the character of Alice is angry with Jenny for stealing her idea for a screen play. In justifying this, Jenny likens herself to Monet by pretending to hear him speak. Alice replies â€Å"That’s so funny because I hear him as well ...so weird...what’s that? He says don’t ever compare yourself to him.† This is a very appropriate and believable response for the character of Alice as she is portrayed as very witty and quirky. In the character of Bette the viewer is presented with an extremely strong, intelligent and highly educated woman and her dialogue is a constant reflection of this throughout each series as she debates and engages in discussions in a very wordy, articulate and well-informed manner. Character complexity is another area which is of fundamental importance to character-driven dramas. As people are naturally quite complex creatures, this must be echoed in character-driven dramas as they aim to reflect the complexities of existence. To have one-dimensional, straightforward characters would be detrimental in this genre as it would lose its appeal and indeed its integrity. Complexity is portrayed through every character of the L-Word but none more so than the characters of Bette and Jenny. Bette is a highly educated and confident professional who is deeply in love with her partner and together they are in a committed long term relationship. Despite this, Bette is constantly tempted by adulterous behavior. When she is presented with opportunities to cheat on her partner, she is severely conflicted about doing so and goes to great lengths to avoid temptation. The fact that she is so happy with her partner and they have serious relationship problems, conveys the complexi ties of Bettes character as there is no motivation for her to be disloyal. Another complex character is that of Jenny, a highly introspective, creative and sensitive character who goes through several drastic psychological transformations throughout each season of the show. In season 1, Jenny is a painfully shy, awkward and very kind girl. By the end of the final season, she is portrayed as cruel, arrogant, self-indulgent and unpredictable. In this way, the complexities of her character are realised through her many personality evolutions. Originality is an important factor of any TV show. If a show does not present something new or different, then the same material is simply regurgitated again and again which leads to poor quality of writing and content. By offering something fresh, be it in content, treatment or

Friday, August 23, 2019

Managing and controlling Ethics programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Managing and controlling Ethics programs - Essay Example However, any approach aims at enhancing moral responsibility of the employees (Brown, M, 2010, p.1). Notably, an ethics program entails a code of ethics, an audit system, organizational culture, and a mode of communication, ethical training, and a reporting mechanism (Ferrell, O.C., Fraedrich, J & Ferrell, L., 2012, p.241-246). An effective ethics program creates a competitive advantage, enhances performance, increases profits, and ensures the attainment of the business goals. Ethically, the ethics program reduces misconduct, improves decision-making, and improves ethical awareness. Most specifically, an effective business ethics program should be formal to engage the operations, marketing, human resource, and all the other units of a business. However, it is clear that to design and implement an effective ethics program, a lot of management and control is necessary. Indeed, since businesses have different scope and have different goals, any business adopts ethic programs that are re asonable and effective to specific businesses. As such, it is the manadate of the management to ensure the design and implementation of an effective ethics program. In managing and controlling an effective business ethics program, the organization must have the relevant resources. Most specifically, the organization must have qualified and ethical leaders and managers. This will guarantee quality, professionalism, and effective design, management, implementation, and control of all ethical practices in the organization. The organization must also have a business environment that fosters ethical behaviour in the organization. The management has the mandate to ensure that the business environment is ethical friendly and they should not compromise ethical culture in an organization. Additionally, the mangers should establish an organizational culture that fosters commitment to ethical conduct and compliance to the law. Indeed,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Scientific Management †Frederick Taylor Essay Example for Free

Scientific Management – Frederick Taylor Essay Abstract Frederic Taylor was one of the pioneers of management theory. His work was a product of the Industrial Revolution and the strict societal views and class structures of that day. Although scientific management is often criticized today, its key principles are still applicable in many areas of work and life. Scientific Management- Fredrick Taylor Employee management techniques and procedures are central to the effectiveness of a business. Every business must find a way to complete the tasks necessary for it to provide its goods and services to the marketplace. Because a business is unable to act unless all of its employees, from interns to the chief executive officer, act as a single team to achieve the goals the business has established, it is essential for a business to determine how it can affect these employees to have them produce the results the business needs. Today many management techniques and theories tend to center on the personality or character of employees and how best to affect people based on their psychology or personalities. For example, some theories center on the motivations that can drive a person to take action, others on how persons react to different management styles. Management theories today recognize that employees are a key part of a company and that management theories are not just about controlling employees. Management theories must consider how to motivate and encourage workers to perform their jobs. Management theories, however, must also consider the value of employees and that employees have different personalities and goals. There also is an understanding that there cannot be one management theory that works on all employees equally, on all types of businesses, or for all managers all of the time. The differences in setting, work, employer, manager, and employee must all be considered today. The most effective management theories of today are not meant to apply to all situations. Their developers understand that different situations and people require different  methods and techniques because today society understands that all people have individual needs and offer different potential. At the time of the industrial revolution, however, there was a belief that laborers and managers were different classes of people. The thought was that people should be treated differently based on their social status. Management techniques were not concerned with â€Å"who† an employe e was. Instead, management techniques were more concerned with assuring managers had order and control over employees, similar to the way a parent has over a child. While the goal was the same as it is today, to achieve company goals, the belief was that labor had no role to play other than to follow orders. There was no thought or expectation that a laborer could have any knowledge or character that the employer may benefit from. At that time it was the role of management to train or convert a person into what the company needed. When management though of employee or labor training, what it thought about was not training that would benefit the person the employee was. Instead, training was thought to be geared to improving the production of the employee for the benefit of the employee (Berdayes). The management style that was developed in this society, which remains one whose principles are still relevant today, was â€Å"Scientific Management†. It was a style geared to determining the best methods management could require employees to follow so that work was done most efficiently and productively (Berdayes). In fact, Taylor once indicated that managers/employer had to understand that: It is only when we fully realize that our duty, as well as our opportunity, lies in systematically cooperating to train and to make this competent man, instead of in hunting for a man whom someone else has trained, that we shall be on the road to national efficiency. This statement clearly indicates the view that any man could be trained to simply follow a procedure and that would lead to great results. However, to fully understand scientific management it is important to understand the mind of the man from whom it originated: Frederick Winslow Taylor (Roper). Frederick Winslow Taylor was a member of the middle or upper middle classes of his time (Guru). He was born in 1856 into a family of Quakers, who believed in â€Å"plain living,† (Guru). His father was an attorney and Taylor graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey (Guru). As can be expected, based on this resume, Taylor was a part of management. In fact, while he worked his way through school, his jobs were those of a skilled worker, not a laborer (Guru). He worked in a metal products factory as a machinist where he eventually became a foreman (Guru). Then, he was promoted into the role of a research director and â€Å"finally achieved the position of chief engineer.† (Guru). The fact that Taylor was born into a family headed by an attorney and his ability to attend college, even though he worked, seems to attest to the fact that he was from the higher classes of the time. Student loans and programs by the government were not available at the time to assure that students could afford an education if their families were unable to pay for them. Taylor’s jobs, although he worked as a machinist for years, also indicate that he was never a laborer on an assembly line or a member of that class of workers that was lowest in the society of the time. Taylor’s views, therefore, can be seen to more closely aligned to those of managers and employers than to labor. A person’s view point is greatly shaped by their upbringing and life experiences. Taylor’s life is almost empty of any contact with, or connection to, an average laborer. Taylor’s father was very successful as an attorney. Taylor spent his early teen years in private schoo ls in France and Germany (Stearns). He then attended the famous Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and was set to attend Harvard University Law School (Stearns). Society at the time of Taylor’s life was very different from the democratic and accepting society of today. Those who lived in Taylor’s circles did not associate or interact with those in the lower classes (Stearns). People were expected to be born in a certain class and die in that class. People obtained the education expected for their class members to have, they worked in jobs their class was expected to obtain, and they were presumed to have intelligence, feelings, and thoughts which their â€Å"class† was stereotyped as having (Stearns). Taylor is often perceived as looking â€Å"down† on the lower classes and the laborers of his day (Schachter). This was the era of the Industrial Revolution, where people were being looked at by employers and those who were building the American industrial complex, as machines (Stearns). Just as a motor’s part can be replaced, employers thought of employees are interchangeable parts of the machinery of the assembly line (Stearns). Indeed, there are several  documented instances where Taylor speaks of workers as lacking in intelligence or being lazy in their work (Schachter). In particular, there is one instance in which he observes a German bricklayer doing his job and describes him as lazy and unintelligent due to the way he performs his work (Schachter). However, in reality this â€Å"simple† man, was not only working full time as a bricklayer, but had also managed to purchase a parcel of land and was in the process of building his own home, on which he would work after his normal twelve hour day was over (Schachter). This was the stereotypical view of laborers, that they had no purpose, role, or life, nor could they benefit society in any other way than as labor, or a part of the â€Å"industrial machine†. In fact, it is this view of so much of humanity as being nothing more than parts of a large industrial machine that people such as Max Weber began to look at the way in which society was devaluing humanity (SJSUIE). It is interesting, however, that while Weber’s management theories were meant to humanize production, in the areas of sociology, his theory of management was one that also can be seen as evolving out of a fixed view of class and social structure. Weber’s â€Å"ideal bureaucracy† formulated a system of management in which a firm hierarchy was put in place (SJSUIE). Through this system all involved were to firmly know and understand their responsibilities and duties (SJSUIE). Another system of â€Å"rules† for the new industrial complexes that were developing came from Henri Fayol (Holmblad). Fayol’s work went beyond that of Weber to provide more guidance for management as to their roles (Holmblad). Fayol established the five principle roles of management at this time: to forecast and plan; to organize; to command; to coordinate; and to control (Holmblad). Both of Weber’s and Fayol’s theories are interesting concerned only with the structure of management or the role of those in management (Holmblad). The viewpoint taken by both of these theories is that the important part of management is the managers and labor merely has to follow their managers’ orders. This is perfectly in li ne with the view taken of labor at the time period. It is in this society that the theory of scientific management developed. Taylor was convinced that efficiency and productivity could be obtained through the use of study of motion and the use of that work to develop efficient production methods (Wrege). As Taylor argued, the techniques of science, so respected in society, could be applied to labor  (Salvendy). This would permit the discovery of the most productive means of building a product or completing a process in the production of that product (Salvendy). Taylor believed people needed to be observed to understand the movements involved in their work (Salvendy; Wrege). These individual movements then could be further broken down to help identify the procedures necessary to accomplish them (Salvendy). In the end, Taylor would develop a production method, similar to the way machines are now designed, that would produce the most units in the least amount of time (Berdayes; Guru). Workers were instructed on exactly how to accomplish a task and were not to deviate from the procedures designed by Taylor ( Salvendy). Taylor’s scientific management was a great success during Taylor’s lifetime (Schacter). Because the term â€Å"scientific† was associated with the work, and as Taylor devised human body diagrams to â€Å"prove† how its movements were the most efficient, the theory gained great respect and generated great debate (Berdayes). One commentator argued that scientific management was a process in which â€Å"the person’s activity is thereby reduced to repeating a fractional operation at the tempo of the machine. At the extreme of this approach the person is simply subsumed as one more mechanized component of production with precisely specifiable fuel, cooling, and other operational requirements,† (Berdayes). Throughout the study the laborer in scientific management was reduced to a laboratory animal that was observed in its environment and after the study was reduced to a machine part in how they were required to work. The method was not loved by all or praised by all, regardless of its success. Interestingly, however, unlike Weber or Fayol, Taylor f ocused his improvements for the industrial complex at the level of the labor pool, not that of management. His theory appealed to management because it provided clear cut order and direction for workers, but it was based on the need to have workers follow a certain order. This too meant the theory worked on a principle of hierarchy, in which management controlled, but at least Taylor saw that labor also played a role in production. It has been said that Taylor’s methods were driven only for the benefit of management, but Taylor did not feel this way (Schachter). There is some evidence that Taylor’s deep devotion to labor studies and motions to find the most efficient work process may have been a way to help keep management from taking advantage of workers (Schachter). During the industrial revolution  managers would pay many laborers by the piece, say at a rate of $0.02 per nut or bolt produced (Schachter). Often, to earn more, workers would quickly develop faster means of production (Schachter). When that happened, however, management would then change the piece rate they paid because, they told their workers, their fast rate of production meant the work was too simple and should not be so highly paid (Schachter). Taylor may have wanted to keep management honest and felt that by developing a clear work process management could not harm labor for efficiency improvements (Schachter). If this view point is correct, then Taylor’s scientific management may have been a way to help labor (Schacter). He may have believed that through scientific management labor would have a proven way to show management that they were acting as best as they could, hence avoiding any arbitrary actions by managers (Schacter). Taylor’s insistence on the use of written instructions, training, and incentive payments to workers can also be said to signify his belief in the fact that scientific management was a benefit to both employees and management (Guru). Unfortunately, however, that is not how Taylor’s work is remembered today, even though his work is still a part of current management studies (Wagner). Even as the Twentieth Century dawned people were disdainful of Taylor’s scientific management (Roper). The theory was believed to be too dehumanizing (Roper). However, scientific management’s worker efficiency and work processes were still valued, but th ere was a demand for theories that also involved human relations (Roper). For the first time consideration was given to humans who worked at all levels in a company or firm. Workers were looked at as â€Å"sentient† beings, not just as â€Å"tools† who were part of an industrial machine. Finally, it seems, management and workers were viewed as mutual participants in work and the managerial process. This was the main problem with scientific management, and the reason for its disfavor as the Twentieth Century continued (Roper). Society also changed and labor itself placed demand on management and wanted to participate in how their work was to be structured and performed (Roper). In fact, scientific management was once so looked down upon that it was considered a form of slavery (Roper). Detractors argued that management was supposed to be more concerned with the humanity of the people who were being managed than with management needs or desires to â€Å"slave drive† people into production (Roper). Some argued that it  would be better t o motivate and encourage workers to product through the establishment of more humanitarian wages, working conditions, work hours, and job security (Roper). This is one of the times when there were a great number of people convinced of the need for a communist revolution and it was often workers, who suffered the worst working and living conditions society had to offer, even through the First World War, that championed such movements (Roper). The theory of scientific management, as society developed, has been strongly disfavored (Wagner). As society moved away from the conditions that existed during the industrial revolution and left behind the strict beliefs in social class and a person’s proper place in society, the belief that labor had to be â€Å"instructed† into how to perform each minute step of their jobs was seen as insulting (Roper). The view that the lowest level employee would not understand how best to accomplish a task, and that, indeed, there was only â€Å"one best way† to perform a task, was discredited (Roper). However, parts of scientific management are still recognized for the work Taylor completed in the principle of efficiency (Taylor). Seen as a social philosophy, instead of a management theory, scientific management does have application, at the personal level, to everyone who needs to complete a task, from a baker to a zoologist (Roper). Scientific management can be viewed as an early introduction of the principle of efficiency in labor and society. The idea that through thought and observation a person could perform regular tasks faster and more easily remains a very important part of work and life in our busy world. References Berdayes, V. (2002). Traditional Management Theory as Panoptic Discourse: Language and the Constitution of Somatic Flows. Culture and Organization, Vol. 8(1), pp. 35–49. Guros on Managing People. (NA). Fredrick Winslow Taylor: (1856-1915). Kerns, D. (2008). History of Management Theory. San Jose State University Industrial Engineering, SJSU ISE. 250. Retrieved September 23, 2008, from http://www.kernsanalysis.com/sjsu/ise250/history.doc Holmblad, K. (2008). Some effects of Fayolism. International Studies of Management Organization, Spring 2008, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 30 – 49. Roper, M. (2001). Masculinity and the Biographical Meanings of Management Theory: Lyndall Urwick and the Making of Scientific Management in Inter-war Britain. Gender, Work and Organization, Vol. 8, No. 2, April 2001. Salvendy, G. (2004). Classification of Human Motions. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Science, March–April 2004, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 169–178. Schachter, H. L. (1989). Frederick Taylor and the Public Administration Community: A Reevaluation. (Albany: State University of New York Press). Stearns, P.N. (2007). The Industrial Revolution in World History, Third Edition. New York: Westview Press). Wagner, T.S. (2007). An Institutional Economic Reconstruction of Scientific Management: on the Lost Theoretical Logic of Taylorism. Emerald Management Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 105 – 118. Wrege, C.D. (2008). F.W. Taylors Lecture on Management, June 4, 1907: an Introduction. Journal of Management History, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 209 – 213.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Master of Suspense Essay Example for Free

Master of Suspense Essay Alfred Hitchcock has been called the Master of Suspense, considering Psycho state how effectively he achieves the element of suspense in this film. Alfred Hitchcock is known as the master of suspense. After the shocking triumph of his 1960 masterpiece Psycho, there was much demand for the classic stalk and slash horror film. The real question is: What is Suspense? The dictionary definition of suspense is:- 1. The condition of being insecure or uncertain 2. (i) Mental uncertainty (ii) anxiety 3. Excitement felt at the approach of a climax Collins English Dictionary Suspense can be shown in many ways. Music can psychologically affect the way we think of this. The pitch and line frequency of music affects the way that our brain thinks about certain situations. For Example: If you were watching a horror film, such as, Psycho you would be more afraid if the background music was a high pitch shrieking sound rather than if it was a calm pleasant tune. We associate different sounds with different moods. A piece of music played in a minor key is considered sad, compared to the same piece played in a major key which would then be considered happy. Hitchcock selected high pitch, shrieking music, which is mostly played in minor keys. This promotes the audience to become terrified as the shrieking symbolizes screaming. By choosing such dramatic and emotional music Alfred Hitchcock has created a gripping and beguiling film. Hitchcocks film Psycho is about a young girl called Marion who steals $40,000 in hope to pay off her boyfriends debts. She stays the night in The Bates Motel and is brutally murdered by an anonymous killer. The story line quickly changes from a thriller about Marion stealing the money to a stalk and slash horror film. Marions disappearance is investigated by private detective Arbogast who is murdered later on in the film by what looks like an old woman. Marions sister then sneaks into the house to investigate. She snoops round the rooms until she comes across the fruit cellar where she finds Norman Batess mothers corpse which had been down there for at least a decade. Norman Bates turns out to have a spilt personality of which he plays both himself and his mother. He is then locked in a mental institution. The shower scene is probably the key scene in Hitchcocks movie. This is the point were the movie starts to divide itself into two separate story lines. Hitchcocks moral beliefs are reflected in his films. At the beginning of the film, Marion is seen in white underwear, which symbolizes purity and innocence. During the shower scene this is changed to black underwear, which means to the audience that she has committed a crime and will be punished. In truth, Janet Leigh should not have been wearing a brassiere. I can see nothing immoral about that scene and I get no special kick out of it. But the scene would have been more interesting if the girls bare breasts had been rubbing against the mans chest. Alfred Hitchcock 1962 This quotation shows that there are huge moral differences between today and back in 1962 and it tells us that censorship at the time was very strict and were not able to have blur effects to conceal any unwanted images. Alfred Hitchcock used 70 different camera set-ups for 45 seconds of footage. These sharp and short images create an effect to which the audience doesnt know what theyre going to see next. This effect creates an enormous amount of suspense for the audience. The shrieking music yet again adds to the feeling of suspense that is created during the scene. Throughout the scene the killers face remains carefully concealed thus increasing fear and suspense as the true nature of the scene is left in the audiences imagination. During the footage each cut of the knife seems to coincide with cut in the film. The effect of this on the audience is intriguing. It draws the audience into the film thus creating a visual effect on the viewers mind. Hitchcocks intention for the shower scene was to suggest and not to show. During the stabbing incident you never actually see the victim (Marion) being stabbed. You assume that she is being stabbed due to the movement of the knife and the blood dripping in the bath and the stabbing sound, which is actually a knife being stabbed into a melon. and not an actual bare breast or plunging knife is to be found in the final cut, just illusion through montage. The Hitchcock Collection Hitchcock used thousands of different camera shots. In Arbogasts murder he used a High Angle shot when the killer approached Arbogast and murdered him; this stopped the audience seeing the killers face, making the scene more exciting and intriguing. When Arbogast is walking up the hill towards the house, the background music continuously goes up an octave each one or two steps he takes up the hill. This effect simulates walking. You could listen to the film and not watch it and still know that there was a ascending camera shot.. Hitchcock had to make the house and the surroundings look disturbing in order to convince the audience that the film and the overall setting is disturbing. The weather coincides with the setting and the mood of the act. Each time when something grim or bad was about to happen, it would either rain or a storm could be heard in the background. This builds tension into the audience The architectural contrast between the vertical house and the horizontal motel makes a pleasing sight to the eye. It adds to the eeriness of the house and shows how disturbing the house is compared to a basic structure such as the motel. I chose that house and motel because I realized that if I had taken an ordinary low bungalow the effect wouldnt have been the same. I felt that type of architecture would help the atmosphere of the yarn.

Early childhood care and education

Early childhood care and education The purpose of this essay is to first of all analyse the historical and political underpinning of social injustice of early childhood education. Then, I will define cultural identity and demonstrate awareness of the ways in which childrens cultural identities impact in both their access to early care and education and any benefits they may gain from it. Then I will examine my own practice in order to address inequalities there and finally critically evaluate a wide range of research related to this topic. Early childhood care and education has apparently been based on an important topic such as social justice. It has mainly focused on children from poorer backgrounds, and been directed by two theories right from the beginning. The first is that the home is the main environment for care and education of children to occur, this is provided by the parents, siblings, relatives and family friends. The second option is an early years environment where children are taught through forming positive relations and learning experiences which will help them to be good and law abiding members of their society. Nevertheless, because the perception of the poor was that they were not just coping with poverty; they were also thought of as been deprived of their social and cultural aspects of their lives. This instigated the provision of nurseries outside the homes with the view of providing quality care for the children (Bloch, 1987). According to Cater and Goodwin (1994) there are three paradigms which have to be considered when exploring the social, economic and political history of early childhood care and education? These are the inferiority paradigm; the deficit or cultural deprived paradigm; and cultural difference paradigm. The inferiority paradigm is based on speculation that a certain race is genetically and biologically inferior to the white race. The culturally deprived paradigm is composed of racial, cultural, linguistic and socioeconomically diverse people to a white middle-class. The cultural difference paradigm is based on the influence of cultural differences on the lives, experiences and identities of diverse groups in ways that make them very special. All three paradigms have contributed to the preparation and running of the early years curriculum and early childhood policies. The inferiority paradigm was evident in the 18th and 19th century when the curriculum focused on spiritual salvation and moral development during Sunday schools, infant and primary schools where the poor and deprived children attended (Bloch, 1987; Nourot, 2005). This was to mould and shape the children to be law abiding citizens as those in charge of the institutions felt the mothers were failing them in their nurturing. Church missionaries funded crà ¨ches to assist the influx of immigrants from mostly Africa. In addition, Tyack (1974) informs us that these early years settings were run by rich white business men who held a view of certain morals so they used Christianity to glorify the study of values of dead rural traditions. The 1960s saw the war on poverty as a sign of the culturally deprived paradigm. This was because sociologists put forward a suggestion that it was in the best interest of the child to gain experiences at school as the home environment was not conducive. They therefore proposed that educators should create experiences in schools that would counter the effects of deprivation Cater Goodwin, 1994, p. 298). The cultural difference paradigm was picked up on by scientists in the early to mid 20th century. They raised issues to the fact that being of colour does not mean one is mad, but they are aware of the importance of their beliefs that clearly defines their culture. Multicultural education and the means of teaching cultural awareness are examples of cultural difference paradigm. The two actions did awaken practitioners in the field of childcare with regards to the awful treatment the children of colour have endured and that by accepting and bringing together their culture into the curriculum can improve and benefit them in their learning and achieving success (Carter Goodwin, 1994). Consequently, these paradigms have influenced development and how services are offered to children today. Needless to say in the 21st century the effect of childcare though is child- centred, there is still interest on the disadvantaged who need policies to improve their lives, hence the Green Paper Every Child Matters (DfEE, 2003b). This is to ensure every child reaches their full potential by being safe, enjoy and achieve, economical well being, make a positive contribution and being healthy. Furthermore, the introduction of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and Special Educational Needs and Disability Act ( DfEE, 2001) which deals with identification assessment and provision in the early years education settings all of which are expected to have regard to the Code of Practice. Another policy which has swept the UK by storm has been from the influence of Reggio Emilia from Italy and Te Whariki from New Zealand which has had some influence on the Early Years Foundation Stage. More so the Te Whariki as it also a government led initiative intended to work with children of diverse groups. Its take on holistic view of the child and empowerment of the child and family and the fact that the family is at the heart of the well-being of the child has captured the mind of the UK government as they seek ways of improving childcare and education in Britain. Britain is and has always been a multicultural society, which is evident as before it became United Kingdom. The history of slavery confirms that Africans were in Britain before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon (Fryer, 1984). India was also associated with Britain over 10,000 years (Visram, 1986). Due to mass immigration from many parts of the world children come from diverse backgrounds into nurseries and schools. It is therefore very important that practitioners first of all learn to respect these children and then teach them to respect each other irrespective of disability, gender, skin colour, religion and beliefs or economic background. It is crucial that practitioners see children as part of society because they are vulnerable and need adults to care for them, value and protect them. This can be addressed when early years practitioners work in partnership with parents. The research of Siraj-Blatchford (1996) for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) believe in schools having close contacts with parents. In my previous school, we made home visits before the children start in order to meet with the parents of the prospective child and the rest of the family. This is an opportunity to chat informally and gather information about the child, likes and dislikes in terms of food and things they like to do or not, as well as any medical concerns, dietary requirement and many more. It is also an opportunity to learn about the childs culture and language used at home and to make an initial assessment of what they are capable of. Above all this is the time when the practitioners and parents or carers establish mutual trust and identify any infringing barriers which can upset the childs development. Even though the nursery has an open-door policy for the parents to visit whenever without prior arrangements, if they take the initiative unannounced the teacher in charge gets cross which instantly creates a barrier and it goes against the policy. According to research children learn about their feelings from the way people treat them. If children are treated with love and respect, they gain a positive feeling about themselves and like to please the adults in their environment and work hard to be successful. However, if on the contrary they are treated poorly or know the adults in their environment do not appreciate their presence, they will feel down and have low self esteem and not make any attempt of striving to achieve anything in their lifes but see themselves as failures. This is in relation to my presentation regarding is my setting inclusive of children with social emotional and behaviour difficulties. Before children start nursery or school they have developed a culture in their homes where customs and traditions have been part of their lives so as practitioners we have a duty to know of the various cultures they come from. What is culture? It is about attitudes and values underpinning patterns of tradition and custom which determines everyday aspects of life, such as: role of men and women, bringing up children, language, how we eat, wash and care, furnish homes, religion, dance, music, art, literature, festivals and attitude to death and dying (Griffin, 2008). As culture is of great importance to the children and their families, we can unconsciously or without thinking create problems for the child through ignorance of the exact details regarding maybe their religion and other aspects of their culture. Therefore, we as early years educators have to be aware of the legislations and guidance which set out the framework of our responsibilities. An example is the Race relation Act of 1976 which is aimed to protect people from being discriminated against. Next, is the Childrens Act 1989 and Care Standard 2000 which set out for the registration and inspection of early years provision. The Equality Act 2006 made it illegal to discriminate in providing services based on the ground of religion. Subsequently, the Childcare Act 2006 requires an effective implementation of policies on equal opportunities and how a nursery is advocating diversity and differences. Children have basic human rights which according to Maslows hierarchy of needs are food, water, shelter, love and care, safety and protection. Because children have not got a voice they need other forms of protection as they are vulnerable and unable to ensure those who care for them take the responsibility to keep them safe. Notably the UN Convention specifies the rights of the child with regard to childcare and education that, children have the right to be with their family or those who care best for them, to provide enough food and clean water for their needs, adequate standard of living, health care, to play, kept safe, special care and training, not used as cheap workers or soldiers and to have a right to free education. In order for children to learn and develop well the provision has to adhere to standard 18 of the Guidance to the Standards for the award of Early Years Professionals Status (EYPS) which states that; EYPs commitment is to having strategies in place to meet the needs of all children, advocating for and upholding their rights and actively promoting equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. These are key to improving outcomes for children. In support of children to have admission to a quality provision there has to be equality of opportunity policy in place which will outline the admission criteria. This means opening up the right of entry for every child and their family so that they can make a full contribution in the educational settings. It is therefore important for practitioners and early years workers in every establishment to work according to the principles of equality and inclusive practice; these should be at the focal point of every setting. Seeing that early years workers are responsible for ensuring equal opportunities within their educational settings, it is very important that we support the children in our care to have the need to feel they belong in the nursery, as it is often the first establishment the child joins. Subsequently it is fundamental that the families are made to feel welcomed and to experience a sense of belonging. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) say, All families are important and should be welcomed and valued in all settings. In practice this is evident on entering the main entrance of the school I work at, there are displays of welcome posters in all the languages spoken by the children who attend. There is always a member of staff to greet the children and their parents on arrival; this gives them an opportunity to discuss any concerns or a share interest of their child. Equally during registration the children are encouraged to respond to their names in their first language. Furthermore, the school encourages parents of children in the upper years to befriend the newly arrived through the organization of coffee mornings or after school activities. This is organized by the EAL (English as an additional language) teacher. Due to the diverse and multicultural society we find ourselves in it is important that we all learn to appreciate, understand and respect the different cultures and religions these children and their families bring to the school or nurseries. We need to reflect on the various cultures and a multilingual approach in the environment the children are in. A typical example is that of my school where there are displays on the walls in the hall of flags of the various countries where these children come from. Similarly each child in the school has painted their portrait along the corridor which depicts the diverse nature of children who attend the school of their uniqueness and individuality. Each day of the week has a specific music played as the children enter the class to associate it with which day it is. On every Monday the music played is Disney, Tuesdays is Caribbean, Wednesdays is Classical, Thursdays is Asian and Fridays is African music. Also in the home corner of the nursery are dressing up clothes from different cultures, variety of food from different countries as well as pots and pans, chop sticks, wok, calabash and many more artefacts of other cultures. Children who are Bilingual are supported through the use of Makaton, Pecs and picture time tables, object of reference and use of key words from their first language by staff. The nursery has cookery sessions once every week where by the children are introduced to food from around the world. During the month of the Chinese New Year the children visit the Chinese supermarket to purchase the cooking ingredients required to prepare a stir-fry, which is a type of dish from the Chinese community. In the shop the children get to experience all the different vegetables and fruits that come from China. The school supports the various cultures in the school through celebration of festivals. During the festival seasons the school and nursery participate fully by engaging the children in various projects. Two years ago when we had some children from the Chinese origin in the school, we put on a show of a dragon parade around the school grounds. There was a build up to this occasion as the children made and decorated the dragon. Parents were invited into the school to tell stories about the celebration of the Chinese New Year and support the children with art and craf t, and read a story in Chinese during assembly. Last year all Waddon schools celebrated black history together, with each school choosing an activity to plan and execute. The representatives of my school chose to prepare food with the children to give them the experience of some African dishes. Some of the schools did art and crafts, whilst the others engaged in African dancing. A member of staff read an African folk story to the children during assembly. I was selected along with a colleague as are both from Ghana, to organise the cookery session. It was great fun as the children engaged in the activities with excitement. This took place in the hall because there were more children to accommodate. Nearly half the group were from either from Africa or the Caribbean or of mixed heritage, they felt confident to discuss the dishes which they were familiar with, with their peers. I feel this type of initiative brings everybody in the community together and broadens the childrens horizons as the activity involves hands on. However I fe el that a similar activity should be provided for the other cultures so that the children do not perceive that one culture is more superior to the other. Although the nursery I work at is part of the school, it for children with special educational needs, their abilities vary from physically able to wheel chair users. The children are taught to value each other and those more able bodied are challenged with responsibilities to support the wheel chair users. All the children have access to the same activities however there are differentiated to accommodate the needs of every individual child. During physical education, children who are not mobile will be assisted in floor activities such as bouncing on a ball or gently rocked in a fabric or receive exercise prescribed by Occupational Therapists. According to the Early Years Foundation Stage, Every child is a unique individual with their own characteristics and temperament this relates to a particular child who was expelled from a day nursery he attended prior to coming to us. He was deemed challenging, a danger to himself and his peers. When the other members in my nursery read his report and made a home visit they built up misconceptions that he would be a challenge from the behaviour they saw. However, after making close observation of him I realized what he needed desperately was lots of emotional support. This could be because there was problem at home as well as been told off by practitioners who did not see his needs but just thought he was a liability, not forgetting their attitude toward him may have made him feel insecure and that the only way he knows how to get attention was to be on his worse behaviour. The nursery worked with him to gain back his confidence and self esteem through listening to him, acknowledging his needs and making sense of his gestures and providing him with the right support he needed. In a matter of weeks this child had gained self esteem and now imitating the role of the teacher caring for his less mobile peers. He is now a competent signer as can now make his needs known through that instead of exhibiting negative behaviours. Language is a powerful tool, in order for practitioners to use a language which will rid us of discrimination and prejudices we have to turn to the work of theorists to assists us to reflect on our practices. The work of social justice enables us examine the way we use language and that of our colleagues to bring about fairness in our settings. This will require equal treatment and devotion on the part of every practitioner as well as to be able to reflective on incidences which otherwise could have being tackled better. How would you feel when you have a strong feeling of someone not liking you and whisper remarks to their colleagues about you or make unconscious gesture? Dont we have an ethical obligation to these children? Or think for a moment how they feel? As practitioners we must always strive to show dedication in our roles by promoting social change in using language of fairness and respect then we will be providing a safe environment for the children in our care. Notably Fe nnimore (2005) brings to our attention that language is undoubtedly a very powerful instrument for social justice which is at the hands of every early childhood practitioners. The placement where I am doing my work placement has nearly half the class of black African and Caribbean origin; however the employed staffs do not reflect the community. This does not matter if they are working with the children to reach their full potential. Even though all the children seem to cope, I have noticed the children of colour were missing out on a role model. This is evident as when I am there, some of the children of colour come to me and request to play with me most of the time. Furthermore, I have realized the books and puzzles do not reflect the community either. This is a big surprise as the manager has children of mixed race which should give her incentive to providing the nursery with a wide range of books and wide range of resources. Alternatively, I am impressed with other aspects such as the stock of African drums which was supplied to the nursery through a form of grant. However, to my dismay the staff will not join in play with the children, even though each and everyone have been trained to use the drum. Similarly, I feel that some of the employees are not devoted to the roles as they spend most of their time chatting amongs t themselves. The only interaction I have witnessed is during focus activity, when they have to tick boxes to evident an accomplishment. I do not feel they treat their jobs seriously; instead they treat the nursery as a social environment. According to Vygotsky children learn with the support of an adult or an older child who foster the development of knowledge and ability to interact which will benefits the child. Nevertheless children in the nursery are left on their own to explore by themselves. The only contact these children receive is during activity sessions which are very brief. I have also discovered that these children are not encouraged to take risks during play as they are quickly stopped by the staff. The EYFS on the other hand says that children should be given opportunities to take risks and make mistakes. In order to provide a successful inclusion of children, there has to be an intervention which will take on board the holistic needs of children as well as working in partnership with parents and multi-agencies. Most importantly there has to be adequate training given to the staff, the ratio of children and practitioners has to be considered carefully, enough provision of necessary resources and equipments, but above all everyone willing to commit fully in their roles and to work as a member of a team. Inclusion is possible if we all discard prejudice and embrace everybody irrespective of who they are. Research from the UEA and NCB (2007) and Edward et al (2006) have provided evidence to support that Childrens Trust Pathfinders and Childrens Fund interventions have produced better inclusion of young people with disabilities through fun and safe places to interact, resulting in increased sense of community among the children and young people as well as improved access to schools, mainly for refugee and asylum seeking children and a reduction in children taken into care. The other strategy which is early intervention means when problems are detected in its earlier stage, it is dealt with promptly. This can be related to the child who was expelled because the staff did not work hard in finding what issue he had which made him behave the way he did. But once identified he is one of the loveliest children I have known. In conclusion I have explored the history of multiculturalism in Britain and the research paradigms that have underpinned early childhood education. Equally I have explored practices in my previous employment as to how policies are affecting the settings or not.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Martha Stewart: The Goddess of Greed Essays -- Exploratory Essays Rese

Everywhere you look, there she is. Martha Stewart has invaded every avenue of domesticity. Her "radiant presence... seems to be infinite, like that of the Almighty, or of Starbucks" (Lippert & Ferguson: 26*) The outposts of her "omnimedia empire" are quite fortified (Africannet page). Reigning over a vast technical spectrum, her multi-million, multi-media kingdom includes a magazine with a circulation of 1.2 million, a syndicated column, and a TV show with audience of 5.3 million, but she does not have an official web site (Lippert & Ferguson: 26). There are numerous webpages that fans and foes have dedicated to her.   Martha Stewart is energizing the homemaking marketplace. The home is a key part of the American Dream, Her ideas of housekeeping depart from the long-standing tradition of frugality, where practicality was paramount. She mentions Helen and Scott Nearing's The Good Life in an essay in Martha Stewart's Living April edition. While she enjoys foraging for 'nature's hidden treasures,' she does not share the Nearing's core values. Their idea of getting back to nature is to live lightly-- few things, low energy consumption. Hers is highly technical, wasteful and showy. "Make due with less" is not Martha's motto, it's "Just have more." Perfectionism is integral to her image. Having her audiences attempt the impossible ideal of perfection which she claims gets them hooked (if it's easy for Martha, it can be easy for you, too). Most people never realize the staffing that is involved for a layout in her magazine, Martha Stewart Living, or the production hours that go into a few minute long segment on her Lifetime cable show. The photo layouts in her magazine regularly have both a director an... ...ecome more profuse. To proselytize the population must be one of the things she thinks about during the mere four hours she allows for sleep each night. Sources Cited Hoge, Sharon King. "The Place Settings of Kilimanjaro." Forbes (Oct, 23) 1995: 39-40*. Kasindorf, Jeanie Russell. "Martha, Inc." Working Woman June 1995: 26-31*. Leyner, Mark. "Martha Stewart." Esquire Aug. 1995: 52. Lippert, Barbara. "Power Hausfrau vs. Working Woman." Working Woman Dec. 1992: 98. Lippert, Barbara and Sarah Ferguson. "Our Martha, Ourselves." New York (May 15) 1995: 26-35*. Money, Joe. "Little Ms. Perfekt." Boating, March 1995: 30. Speidel, Maria et. al. "The Best Revenge." People Weekly (Oct. 2) 1995: 100-110*. --"*" Indicates an article was obtained through online services, exact pagination is not available (estimates were made).

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Sexual Expression of Women in Thomas Hardys Writing Essay

The Sexual Expression of Women in Thomas Hardy's Writing The nineteenth-century woman was defined by her adherence to submission and resistance to sexuality. She was portrayed by most writers as a naive, accepting figure with strong concerns about living up to the prescribed societal ideals for a respectable woman. The women in Jane Austen's novels offer a clear representation of the nineteenth-century woman. Austen refuses these women any sexual expression and focuses more upon their concern with marriage and society. Thomas Hardy resists Austen's socially accepted depiction of the female with his radically independent heroines. Hardy redefines the role of women in his novels, focusing on sexuality. By emphasizing the physical aspect of femininity in his unorthodox representation of the sexual female, Hardy threatens the Victorian model of women. Sexuality is evident in Far From The Madding Crowd when Bathsheba unknowingly admits her passion to Sergeant Troy. "If you can only fight half as winningly as you can talk, you are able to make a pleasure of a bayonet wound!" Baths...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Reflection Paper on Living in the Land of Promise Article

Have you ever wondered what true happiness is? Or what is living in a Promised Land like? Or just wondering how can a priest live a happy life if they are to give up on a lot of things? Or have you ever wondered of your purpose on life? On why we are all here on Earth? I believe, each and every one of us, is living in this world with a purpose. It may be a great or a simple one but we are all called by God to fulfill certain tasks. And as we fulfill whatever that task is, we should always be ready to face all sorts of challenges along the way. Just like in the old days before Jesus walks on the surface of the Earth. There were a lot of people called by God to fulfill some mission, because He was preparing a promise for all humanity. Some mission He believes to be so important to accomplish to achieve a life of Eternity with Him. And these people who fulfilled all the tasks were all written in the history to have contributed a great deal in the realization of God’s greatest plan. A plan so important that we have now a chance to experience and that is to be able to live in the Promised Land. A land filled with happiness. I could just imagine all the obstacles or painful experiences the people of the past like Abraham, Jacob and Moses had to undergo in order to pave the way for us to enjoy the so called Promise Land. Sacrifices that ordinary people may deem impossible to surpassed. Just take for instance, the great test given to Abraham when he was asked by God to sacrifice the life of his beloved son Isaac, it was a huge test he was able to pass because of his obedience to the Lord. And since these people were given some tasks by our Lord that they greatly tried to accomplish, we can now be assured that as long as we follow ... ...ication or connection with the Lord is another key to live a happy life. A life guided by the Holy Spirit, is always a life of happiness. Surely, problems here in there will come your way yet once you are constantly in-touched with the Lord, you will be assured of the best possible way to handle problems. Happiness is an elusive dream for some, that is because a life without God is never fulfilled, and a life-filled with superficial happiness is not considered happy also. This is because this type of happiness, I think is fleeting. Things may not happen the way you like it, but the greater plan of God will always prevail. And this we should always keep in mind, we should always be an example to others by the way we live. Just like the famous saying, as we live our lives, we should always be a blessing to others, and that alone is a big purpose in life to live by.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Kfc’s Explosive Growth in China Essay

Kentucky fried Chicken (KFC) has achieved another milestone in delivery. The explosive growth in Asian region most particularly in their current trends in China that KFC fried chicken, burger and fries is gaining its way to superstardom. In China, Yum! Brands is opening a KFC store every day. But this is not the KFC you know in America. A recent case study written by professor David Bell and Agribusiness Program director Mary Shelman reveals how the chicken giant adapted its famous fast-food formula for the local market. Key concepts include: – In China, KFC’s strategy was to be part of the local community, not be seen as a foreign presence. (Su, 2011) – China division chairman and CEO Sam Su combined the best ideas from the US fast-food model and adapted them to serve the needs of the Chinese consumer. – Only a small number of menu items would be familiar to Western visitors—the Chinese KFC offerings include fried dough sticks, egg tarts, and foods tailored to the tastes of specific regions within the country. – To counter concerns about fast food and obesity, Su offered a healthier menu and supports exercise and youth events. The traditional strategy is the involvement of their culture has largely influence the family ties to consider their food. According to Bell (2011) one key issue the case examines is â€Å"how to implement the rollout of a fast-food chain involving so many stores across such a vast—and regionally different—country.† (Stravish, 2011) When their customers walked into their restaurant they see Chinese customer service. Chinese food and Chinese employees welcome customers and that’s why it becomes easy for them to initiate interaction. Su’s strategy was that KFC â€Å"would not be seen as a foreign presence but as part of the local community â€Å"There is no room for ego,† (Su, 2011) â€Å"China doesn’t have the same culture of individualism that is present in the United States.† (Su, 2011) Along with being smart, driven and great entrepreneur, Su hired the right people. For Su, this meant employees who read and spoke the language , who understood the restaurant business and Chinese consumer, and also experience on doing business in the Western way. Trained labor is a very valuable asset even in a land of 1.3 billion-plus people. (Stravish, 2011) The large conflicting crowd should have one idea about the taste and preference as much as possible they have outperformed the number one fast food chain, which is McDonald. Sam Su also consider diversification of food items so that they can cater to a wider customer range especially those  people who are healthy conscious about their body, they offer fat free food and vegetables menu to their customers that attract and re-invent even more heterogeneous customer demand. The wide variety of choices can help the customers to make healthy options and balance diet, their strategy also involve presenting their choices. They have also practice sponsorship and promotion about healthy living in 2010 that has become another successful endeavor on their part that various exercises has been promoted inside the stores and customers are free to join, they have gathered at least 260,000 customer participants in 438 key cities. Their promotion has been very successful that makes their store even more popular. (Starvish, 2011) KFC and China has become a Yum Republic. It is certain that globalization not only helps KFC profits, but it’s international, which benefits China and the consumers. Additionally some of their popular food sisters company includes Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver and A&W All American Food. I believe globalization happens to be great for the country and the overall market economy because it promotes prosperity to participating countries. All that we need to do is educate people on multiculturalism and diversity within the work place, as well as the sensitivity of culture within participating countries. Opportunity costs, trade terms, balance trades, comparative advantages, changes in consumption and production, and how much cheaper it is to purchase than to produce are some benefits to globalization. The greater interdependence that globalization is causing means an increasingly freer flow of goods, services, money, people, and idea across national borders. (Wild&Wild, 6th ed, pg 6) Su has done a great job on hiring employees that know the language, understand the business and Chinese customers, and also having experience on doing business the Western way. Because of technological changes, continuous development and research, the market economy remains to be dynamic. Reference: Starvish. (2011). KFC’s Explosive Growth in China. HBS Cases. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6704.html Wild&Wild. International business: the challenges of globalization/ John J. Wild, Kenneth L. Wild- 6th ed.

Friday, August 16, 2019

In Defense of Pit Bulls

Kylie Colyer In Defense of Pit bulls Pit bulls are among the most misunderstood and maligned (badmouthed) breed of dogs. Over the years, the media has been portraying them in a negative light. This kind of portrayal has largely been due to the misconceptions and myths associated with pit bulls. Prior to this negative depiction of pit bulls, they were considered the â€Å"perfect nanny dog† by children (Holland). They were seen as friendly in nature, stable, loyal as well as non-aggressive to children and adults. However, this has since changed, especially after 1990s when the media inappropriately started portraying pit bulls as bloodthirsty monsters that are more dangerous and harmful compared to other dog breeds (Coile). As a result of this false portrayal, parents and children have become increasingly afraid of them. They recoil in horror upon spotting one of them. Some pull their children closer with the intention of protecting them from what they assume are prowling werewolves (Lam). As this paper will demonstrate, this should not be the case. It will argue in defense of pit bulls by showing that they are still the loyal, stable, non-aggressive and friendly breeds of dog. Those against pit bulls and portraying them in bad light argue that they have features that make them inherently dangerous and vicious. For example, some people state that pit bull breeds have locking jaws. They also say that they are overly aggressive towards human beings. It is also their view that pit bulls are dangerous to adopt, especially if one has no known history and parentage from a shelter or rescue is not known (Dickey). There is also a widespread myth that pit bulls are preferred by people with irresponsible breeding habits; effectively stating that pit bulls attract the most irresponsible and worst form of dog owners (Marrs). All these perceptions and myths have only served to bad-mouth pit bulls and to make them unattractive to the majority of people in our society. They have also led to high rates of abandonment, torture and abuse of this breed of dogs compared to any other breeds (Landau). The negative portrayal of pit bulls is also as a result of some people using them as fighting dogs. They gained this bad reputation as early as 1066 AD during the England's Norman Conquest when they would be used as â€Å"bullenbeissers†, a term which means â€Å"bull biter† (Coile). During this time, they were trained to latch onto the nose of bulls and also how not to let go of an animal until it is subdued. The use of pit bulls was considered as the only way through which human beings would regain control after bulls have become agitated. Following the ban of bull-baiting in the 19th century, the popularity of dog fighting increased, especially among those who were involved in the quasi-illegal activities and underground businesses in the United Kingdom (Landau). The British immigrants to the United States brought this game into the country, and they too utilized pit bulls for this purpose. It is for this reason that pit bulls have continued bad reputation over the years. However, what is rarely mentioned is the fact that they were used as fighting dogs due to their extreme loyalty to their human owners (Lam). While the perceptions and myths above about pit bulls may appear to be valid, facts and scientific evidence provide otherwise. According to a study conducted by the American Veterinary Medicine Association, there is no evidence showing that pit bulls are disproportionately dangerous (Holland). It has also been established that this breed of dog does not have locking jaws; they do not have special enzymes or mechanism allowing them to lock jaws. A comparison of their skulls to that of other breeds of dogs shows that they share general bone structure and have similar characteristics. It is their determination that when biting down on something and not easily releasing makes them appear like they have locking jaws (Coile). The misconception that pit bulls are inherently vicious can also be refuted using facts. It should first be noted that this myth is a stereotype that is simply aimed at the entire breed (Landau). When evaluated on own merit rather than the breed, one can easily find out that a pit bull is truly a good dog that is inherently friendly to humans and other dogs. The argument that pit bulls are aggressive towards humans and other dogs is unfounded (Marrs). Perhaps the way pit bulls are raised or trained make them an aggressive breed.The myths and misconceptions associated with pit bulls have created an impression that their adoption is dangerous, especially if they have unknown parentage and history. This myth is inappropriate because it fails to acknowledge that, just like humans, each dog ought to be judged by their own behavior and personality (Marrs). It also fails to recognize that pit bulls that are portraying negative behaviors and personalities are not doing so because of their nature but because of other factors. These factors include having been horribly neglected and abused in the past or having been forced to fight (Landau). Pit bulls that have been rescued and raised properly tend to show proper temperament and behavior towards human beings. This explanation helps to address the other false portrayal about pit bulls that adopting a pit bull puppy is better than an adult one. Regardless of whether someone adopts a puppy or an adult one, the most important thing is how one treats a pit bull. One should nurture it in such a manner that enables it to develop desirable and positive traits (Dickey). From the above discussion, it is evident that pit bulls are loyal, stable, non-aggressive and friendly breeds of dogs. As has been noted, the myths and misconceptions that have been kept alive over the years regarding pit bulls and which have portrayed them in bad light are unfounded. There is no scientific evidence to show that those myths are actually natural to pit bulls. In fact, some of the reasons why pit bulls gained bad reputation such as being used as fighting dogs are anchored on their positive trait of being loyal to human owners. Therefore, these are the traits that should be portrayed and not some myths about them, It is also clear that humans have a role in making sure that pit bulls are being treated like other breeds of dogs so that they develop traits and personalities that are desirable and which can help them to sustain their loyal, stable, non-aggressive and friendly nature. Works CitedCoile, D C. Pit Bulls for Dummies. New York, NY: Hungry Minds, 2011.Dickey, Bronwen. Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon. NY: A.A. Knopf, 2016.Holland, Joshua. In Defense of the Pit Bull.† 02 May, 2013, Salon TV. https://www.salon.com/2013/02/05/in_defense_of_the_pitbull_partner/ Accessed 23 Mar, 2018.Lam, Stephanie. Pit Bulls. Hauppage, N.Y: Barron's, 2012. Landau, Elaine. Pit Bulls Are the Best!Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co, 2011.Marrs, Megan. â€Å"In Defense of Pit Bulls: Monsters or Misunderstood [Infographic].† 2018, Lifehack. ; https://www.lifehack.org/302240/defense-pit-bulls-monsters-misunderstood-infographic; Accessed 23 Mar, 2018.