Education For Life Essay

Education For LifeThe basic purpose of a liberal arts education is to liberate the human being to exercise his or her potential to the fullest. Liberal arts plays an important role in developing individuals and the world. When students attend liberal art colleges, they will understand the essence of humanity and will learn to shape and develop personal values. For a person to develop, he needs to understand the essence of humanity. When you attend college, your view on the meaning of life changes. You live for your minds and spirits and not just for the security of material wealth (Urbanek). You start to do things related to your work as this is your interest. This will make you care less about material wealth and you will focus more on the benefit of the world than the benefit of yourself. Liberal arts means arts of freedom. People learn about things that interest them. This makes the experience of learning better. Students will recognize the value of material things for what they are (Urbanek). They will start challenging tasks of design where they would learn how to translate ideas into actions. They will get to know the depth, flexibility and openness of their thinking and will also be able to recognize the importance of their thinking. Taking these ideas into consideration, I can say that liberal arts teaches people global responsibility, social awareness and self development, which is the essence of humanity. Thus, when the essence of humanity is known, then only a person will be able to acquire personal values. The value of liberal arts was appreciated by the students in older times but contemporary students do not share the same sentiment. In 1900, 70 percent of college students in US attended liberal arts colleges but today fewer that 5 percent do. The idea has taken hold by educators that todays youth are more materialistic, less idealistic and more self interested than their predecessors (Richard). In 1997, Yankelovitch survey focused on high school students and their parents, found that 85 percent of the high school students and 74 percent of their parents stated that the goal of college is to get a practical education and to secure a job. Furthermore, only 14 percent of the students and 27percent of their parents were even familiar with what a liberal art education is. Todays students tend to be career oriented, impatient and focused in material rewards (Kahn). People do not know that liberal arts can offer a clearer understanding that work embodies the values of courage, honour and responsibility. Liberal art colleges expose you to a variety of academic disciplines and an excellent background for future work. The education gives you the ability to adapt to a changing environment, communicate effectively, think critically and solve complex problems, which can prove very useful in everyday lives. As you acquire personal values throughout your college years, it is important to learn how to shape these values. I believe that the central purpose of liberal arts education is to shape the values of people. The impact of liberal arts education on student value change is conclusive in determining whether higher education is effective in achieving this central purpose. According to a survey conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles, 8 out of 10 academics said they were spiritual, and 64 percent called themselves religious. More than half of the faculty members said that it was important to enhance undergraduates’ self-understanding and to develop their moral character and values. I think liberal arts is a great way to teach people their spiritual and moral responsibilities towards the community and world itself. Humanitarian values are defined by acceptance of value equivalency between ones own loyalties and those of all other individuals and groups, as well as respecting the rights of others to freely express similar claims and loyalties without infringement (Hollway). Values serve as guiding principles in the life of a person or other social entity and thus, it is important for people to learn how to shape these values. Values are described as serving the interests of some social entity, motivating action, giving direction, and having emotional intensity (Hollway). Therefore, these values are needed for the development of individuals. When individuals possess these values, they will be able to use them in their society. Employers around the world are looking for people who possess these values and have the ability to use them. Hence, liberal arts students will satisfy these employers. These students will also find opportunities to learn more as their primary goal is not material wealth. This will help countries to better their economy. These values will benefit the students themselves as well as the world. Once a person understands the essence of humanity and learns to shape and develop values, he will be able to make changes to the world. Liberal arts students have the skills to become valuable community members. They make decisions, solve problems and communicate the solutions to others. Liberal arts prepares these students to be successful throughout their life. WORKS CITEDUrbanek, Jennifer. The EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Kahn, Beverly. Co-opting The Market Place. Journal of Higher Education: p. 19. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Richard, M. The Practical Path, Too, Can Be High-Minded. Chronicle of Higher Education: p. 11. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Hollway, Michael. A Comparison of the Impact of 2 Liberal Arts. Journal of General Education: p. 237. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007.

Komatsu Case Study Essay

1. How was Komatsu able to evolve from a $169 million company with low-quality products to become a real challenge to Caterpillar by the early 1980s? How would you evaluate Mr. Kawai’s performance? The long-term vision of â€Å"catch up and surpass CAT† opened up different product offerings and the extension of the Komatsu market. Initiating Total Quality Control (TQC) helped to develop a strategy to acquire and develop advanced technology. Project A also sought to raise the quality to match CAT’s levels, which marked the beginning of the Plan Do Check Act (PDAC) cycle. Kawai’s performance and policies to make Komatsu internationally competitive in cost and quality leads me to think he did a great job in his role. The company was growing in sales and increasing quality and cost, actually making CAT nervous about competing with Komatsu. 2. Why did performance deteriorate so rapidly in the mid-1980s? What grade would you give to Mr. Nogawa’s term as CEO? 1982 marked the beginning of an era of falling demand, worldwide price wars, a rapid appreciating yen, and heightened trade frictions throughout the industry. Nogawa also focused more on cost cutting and aggressive sales tactics than he did on internationalization or the stagnating construction industry. I don’t think Nogawa was a great CEO because he ignored focusing on improving the company and instead tried to cut too man costs risking quality and holding the business back during his term as CEO. 3. How appropriately did Mr. Tanaka deal with the problems he inherited? What is your evaluation of his brief tenure as CEO? I believe Tanaka dealt with the issues pretty well with a good strategy to get away from overall growth and focusing on profits. Although his strategy was well planned, Tanaka lacked the leadership that would have made him more successful. He did well in terms of profit, but failed to compete on market share against CAT, as had been the norm of his predecessors. 4. How effectively did Mr. Katada take charge? How would you assess his new vision for the company? His new strategy? His new cultural and behavioral objectives? What grade would you give him for his performance? Katada effectively took charge and was able to return to good performance and connect his strategy with his management style. Katada’s new vision for the company, including new company goals and culture, affected the entire company but because of his long-term commitment with Komatsu, employees were accepting and trusting of the changes he made. Katada changed with the times and the industry, putting Komatsu back into competition with CAT. Katada focused on active participation with all employees instead of a top-down directive approach. Employees, at all levels, were encouraged to bring ideas to management and be actively involved in the vision, path, and overall success of the company.

Computer Systems Essay

Explain the function of the system unit components and how they communicate Central processing unit – The Central Processing Unit (CPU) carries out the actual processing of data. The data it processes is gathered via the system bus, from the main memory. The CPU then sends back the results to main memory via the system bus. The CPU also controls and times the operations of the other key components. CPU’s use in their operation: Fetch, decode, execute, and writeback. BIOS – The BIOS is a built-in software that decides what a computer can do without having access to a hard drive or CD/DVD. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to control the keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of other miscellaneous functions. Motherboard – The motherboard is a printed circuit board (PCB) that houses and controls the components that are in charge of processing data. A motherboard provides the electrical circuit connections, these circuits are used by other components of the system to communicate. The central processing unit and other subsystems such as real time clock, and various peripheral interfaces are also located on the motherboard. This is motherboard doesn’t use active heat sinks on its bridges instead it uses a complex passive heat sink. Power Supply – A power supply unit (PSU) is the component that supplies power to a computer. In a PC the power supply is the metal box usually found in a corner of the case. The power supply has many various power leads all for different things such as: * 20+4pin power connector o Powers the motherboard, depending on what motherboard you have it will either require a 20pin or a 24pin connector. * 4+4pin ATX 12V Connector o Powers the CPU, depending on what motherboard you have it will either require a 4pin or a 8pin connector * 6pin PCI-E VGA card Connectors o Power modern graphics cards, depending on the graphics card it will either require 1 or 2 6pin connectors. * SATA Connectors o Used for most internal components such as SATA hard drives and SATA optical drives. * 4pin peripheral Molex Connectors o Molex connectors are used for fans, lights and various other internal components. * Floppy connectors o Used to connect floppy disk drives. Heat Sink & Fan – A heat sink is specifically designed to reduce the temperature of an electronic device by releasing the heat into the surrounding air (case fans would then push out this hot air while pulling in cool air). All modern CPUs need a heat sink and most heat sinks require a fan. A heat sink without a fan is called a passive heat sink; a heat sink with a fan is called an active heat sink. Heat sinks are generally made of an aluminium alloy. This picture shows various heat sinks used for devices like the CPU, graphics card, bridges on a motherboard and much more. Depending on how hot a device gets an extra fan may be required, the CPU, graphics card and motherboard all tend to use active heat sinks. Hard Disk Drive – The hard disk drive is non volatile memory storage that uses a mechanism to read and write data on a hard disk. Every modern computer contains one or more hard disks. The purpose of the hard disk drives is that they give computers the ability to remember things when the power goes out. A typical modern desktop machine will have a hard disk with a capacity of between 250GB and 1TB. Data is stored onto the disk in the form of files. The master (typically C:) is the primary drive, which the computer uses to boot up, the slave (D:) is usually used for extra storage and buck ups. Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) – Floppy drive, hard drive and the CD-ROM drive are all connect to the computer through an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface. An IDE interface is a standard way for a storage device to connect to a computer. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) – Is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives. SATA speeds are far greater than IDE and the size difference means they are easier to manage and don’t restrict air flow, so most modern computers tend to use SATA over IDE. The size difference between IDE (left) and SATA (right). Describe the purpose, features and functions of two different operating systems. Windows 7 Features Feature Description Useful? #1 Snap Snap lets you drag one window to the left and one to the right, allowing you to see two windows side by side. Very much, I think this feature alone makes Windows 7 stand above the rest. #2 Taskbar A remake of the old taskbar that introduced some new features such as pinning, this allows you to pin a application to the taskbar (similar to Mac dock) Again this is a very useful feature, you can pin as many applications to the taskbar as you wish. #3 Thumbnail Previews Exactly what it sounds like, thumbnail previews allow you to preview a window that is minimised or behind another window, it is also the new way to group similar windows. This feature is helpful if you have multiple similar windows open however if you just have one or two windows open its not so great #4 Jump List Jump list lets you access your recently used files, depending on the application you can see your most played music (media player) or recently opened documents. Handy for some applications although not a key feature in my opinion. #5 Aero peek This feature allows you to make all open windows transparent this lets you view your desktop without minimising all your windows. This is another feature I love, I tend to save quite a lot of downloads to my desktop and being able to flick back and forth without minimising is great. #1 Snap #2 Taskbar #3 Thumbnail Previews #4 Jump List #5 Aero Peek Undertake routine maintenance tasks in relation to a PC. I will show you how to carry out several forms of maintenance, software, hardware and file management. Software maintenance To demonstrate software maintenance I’m going to update my antivirus. To start the process you first need to load up your antivirus (I’m using NOD32). Once the main antivirus window is open I need to navigate to the update option. Fortunately my antivirus does not need updating as my current virus signature database is up to date . This is what happens when it’s not up to date, after a speedy download it will take me to the previous page and let me know if it’s up to date. Hardware maintenance. To demonstrate hardware maintenance I’m going to find and use a printer that is connected to a separate computer on my network. How I installed the printer on the other machine. Installation was simple and fast, all I needed to do was connect the printer to the computer via USB and plug in the power lead. After turning on the printer I turned on the computer, then I installed the drivers and relevant software from the CD. After a quick reboot I printed a test page and it worked fine. Finding the network printer. To start the process I went to Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers > Add a printer. Decide what type of printer you are trying to find, because the printer i intend to use runs through another computer i need to select Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer. Hit Next and allow it to search, once the results are displayed select the printer you wish to use. You should get a quick window showing you its being connected. You should get a window telling you everything was successful. Followed by the option to print a test page. File management. To demonstrate file management I’m going to show a simple way to manage your files. Sometimes folders and files get in the wrong place and things start to get lost and missing files get accidently deleted. Make sure you delete useless and old files to free up hard disk space, do this by selecting the document and hitting delete or right clicking the file and selecting delete. After creating relevant folders and deleting unnecessary files the folder looks much more organised and manageable. Disk Cleanup Disk Cleanup is a maintenance utility bundled in with Microsoft Windows, its purpose is to free up disk space on the computer’s hard drive. Disk Cleanup first searches your hard drives for files that are no longer being used it then deletes these unnecessary files. As well as cleaning unused files Disk cleanup can also compress files that haven’t been used for a long period of time, this helps make space but if you wish to access files that have been compressed at a later data the loading times can be Disk Cleanup looks in various categories to target these files. * Downloaded Program files * Compression of old files * Temporary Internet files * Recycle Bin * Offline files * Removal of unused applications or optional Windows components * Setup Log files * Temporary Windows file These aren’t the only locations Disk Cleanup looks for files, some options only appear with certain computer configurations. There are also options to remove unused windows components to help free disk space. Quick example of how it works To start Disk Cleanup go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools When the program launches it will begin analyzing how much space it will be able to free. The next step is selecting what you wish to clean, be careful you don’t delete things you need, saved passwords for internet website ect. The View Files button allows you to see the files that will be cleaned. After selecting what to clean you then run the programs, the progress bar shows you how long till its done. Antivirus Every computer that connects to the internet needs an antivirus program, an antivirus program is used to detect, prevent and remove computer viruses, Trojans horses, worms and in some cases spyware, adware and other malicious software. There are various strategies for detecting threats the most common is signature-based detection, this involves using a library of already known threats and searching for these patterns in executable code. Unfortunately some threats are too new to be in this library; in cases like this the antivirus attempts to compare code in its library with new threats. Quick example of how it works This depends on where you install your antivirus but they can be launched by going to Start > Programs > [Antivirus manufactures name] > [Antivirus program]. For this example ill be using my colleges antivirus, Sophos. When you launch the antivirus it will have several options, the first thing you need to do is to update the program, and it’s no good searching for viruses if you’re using and out of date database. After updating you need to scan for potential threats. The scan progress window will give you a rough idea of when it will finish as well as what’s being scanned and what infections have been found. After the scan is completed you should get some form of summary, this will tell you the amount of items scanned, infected items and items that have been place in quarantine. By quarantining threats it ensures your computer stays completely safe, some items are misread and are actually not harmful so quarantining these allows the user to tell the antivirus that they are safe before they get deleted. Available utility software Utility software allows a user to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain their computer and should ned be confused with application software, this type of software allows us to create text documents, listen to music, browse the internet and much more. Utility Description Disk Defragmenters Locates files that are broken over different locations then moves the fragments to the same location to increase efficiency. Disk Cleaners This disk utility is designed to free up disk space and a computer’s hard drive. It does this by searching and analysing the hard drive for files that are no longer of any use, it then removes the unnecessary files. Backup This involves making copies of important data so that these additional copies can be used to restore the original if it were lost or damaged. CLI and GUI CLI allows you to interact with a computer by typing commands in the text only interface. GUI is another way you can interact with a computer, instead of using a text interface it has a graphical interface that consists of icons. Registry Cleaners This utility was designed to remove registry entries that are no longer in use and are unwanted. Antivirus That is used to prevent and remove malware, including Worms, Trojan horses and computer viruses.

Rousseau's Social Contract and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty Essay - 1

Rousseau's Social Contract and John Stuart Mill's On Liberty - Essay Example Mills differs with Rousseau regarding the fundamental basis of freedom, by arguing that individual rights grant man freedom, and by extension makes the society free. On his part, Rousseau argues that individual rights make an individual a slave of oneself, by making him obey his self-desire (Rousseau, 56). This way, there is no accumulation of private property, which ends up creating insecurity, considering that an individual holds more at the expense of others, who are in turn compelled to take away what the individual is not using (Rousseau, 22). Rousseau also argues that it is through the submission of individual rights, that order is created in the society since the submission of individual interest for the sake of upholding general interests of all ends-up creating a legitimate society. Rousseau, therefore, concludes that an individual’s duty to the society supersedes all the other interests, including the interests of oneself. Therefore, liberty is beneficial when it is operating in the realm of the whole society, as opposed to when it is operating within the zoning of an individual right since it ends-up making the individual a slave of himself (Rousseau, 36). On his side, Mill observes that liberty is beneficial, since it enables the creation of a healthy society, with good citizenship and absolute freedom for mankind (Mill, 16). Even though he agrees with Rousseau that the liberty of man need to be regulated, he differs with him, in arguing that individuality should not be suppressed and exchanged with the duty to community, since individuality is the basis of retaining the basic rights of individuals, which in turn prevents an individual from being dominated over by the tyranny of the majority (Mill, 22). Therefore, individuals should be allowed to pursue their desired ends without any interference, barriers or obstacles from either the society or the government, since it is this pursuit of individual’s desired ends that creates happines s to the individuals, and thus leads to a productive and civilized society.     

Answer to Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer to - Assignment Example Blood related measurements included hemoglobin A1c concentration, HDL, LDL, fibrinogen, and triglyceride levels. Demographic data, diet information, and medical history were also obtained at baseline. The researchers used factor analysis models to determine the extent of the alcohol-CVD relationship through the evaluation of intermediate variables. The results show a J-shaped relationship between alcohol and CVD events. They also found that the reduced risk of CVD found in moderate drinkers is mostly explained by the effect of alcohol on intermediate health factors such as lipids, metabolism, inflammatory agents, and blood pressure. Appropriately, the authors suggest that these findings will need to be tested across populations in order to clarify the mechanisms involved in the relationship model. The quality of this research is strengthened through the large sample size included for analysis. It would have been an improvement to offer a breakdown of the results based on the obtained demographic data, though the task may have over-complicated the results. Overall this research presents worthy information that should prove

Consumer Behaviour in Action Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Behaviour in Action - Coursework Example Need recognition results from imbalance between actual and desired states as a result of a stimulus that motivates the individual to make buying decision (Lamb et al. 2011). Stimulus may be internal such as hunger or external such as an advert. Need may arise if current product malfunctions, runs out or discovery of a more superior product. This prompts the buyer to start the decision process by gathering necessary information. However, if a product is available which satisfies the need, there is no need for information search. Information may be internal or external and depends on whether the buyer is highly involved with the product or not. The level of involvement depends on previous experience, interest, perceived risk, and situation (Lamb et al. 2011). Routine purchases and low-cost goods are low-involvement; therefore, do not require a lot of information. The buyer may even skip searching for information and make purchases. If buyer has previous product experience but is unfamiliar with current brand, he/she may search for little information hence low-involvement. However, if perceived risk is high, the buyer is highly involved thus extensive information is sought (Blythe, 2008). For example, a routine product like hotdog does not require more information while an expensive car or home is a high-involvement product requiring more information. Information can be from: personal sources like family, co-workers, friends; commercial such as advertising, salespeople, displays; public such as newspaper, TV, consumer organisations or experiential such as using the product. Information sought regards price, quality, compatibility, capability, among other attributes. Once buyer gets information, he/she carries out evaluation to determine the right choice among alternatives.

Constitutional Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Constitutional - Research Paper Example However, it is observed that the Fourth Amendment has been a victim of different controversies and is regarded as an issue by the US Constitution making authorities and a few other elements. To address this issue, this paper aims to provide a clear explanation and solution. Moreover, to evidence and balance the theory, different federal statues and pending cases on the issue will also be discussed and highlighted. The paper will also discuss reasons for the growing controversies behind the chosen topic followed by a Social Policy and its implementation. Contextual Background to the Issue: The US citizens who have been a victim of the ‘freedom vs. security’ debate has suffered a lot. It has been possible because of the Fourth Amendment that the people can find themselves safe and that they will never be violated. Their security in the US society was assured and protected by this law in the US constitution (Gonzales, 2007). Background (Fourth Amendment): Due to the increas e in the Injunctions of Assistance and general warrants in the late 17th century many elements; citizens, authorities, and groups strongly objected the process and as a consequence the Fourth Amendment was written and compiled. ... 4th Amendment: â€Å"the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized†. It was before and without this law, that people felt insecure and did not have any assertion or right over property, security, or privacy. Incidents have been noticed in which Army Marshals and other officers have entered the homes and have taken different evidences which can be used for trial in the court or to help make an arrest (Fradin, 2007). However, a number of controversies have been noticed in the past few years, 4th amendment remains one of the strongest amendment from citizen point of view. The 4th Amendment was never appreciated by the FBI and other agencies working for the security of the State. The law had been bre ached in the Bush era and it is being violated again in the present era of President Obama. The Obama administration requested their supporters in the Congress to pass a legislation that will allow the federal agents to continue their search and march without any barrier and through the 4th Amendment. This is to ensure that they get all the private information of all the citizens residing in their country (Smith, 2010). The 4th Amendment which ensures the individual’s right to be left alone and with their security and privacy is again at stake by the Federal agents in the country. The officers want to make the system more easy and through for them so that they can gather digital information. It was witnessed and revealed in the past when the Bush government was exposed that they had been

Bit coin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bit coin - Essay Example As Boardman, Sondomir and Sondak (38) argues, the primary aim of Nakamoto was to create a form of online currency in order to circumvent payment processing technicalities which online traders were facing. Specifically, the entry of the transactions on the ledger or mining processes had become difficult if not impossible to such users. Apart from the mining, digital currency can be a form of exchange of currency, goods, and services. Through Bitcoins, users can make purchases of goods, send, and receive the money via electronic means for a small fee and with the help of wallet application on an Internet-enabled gadget. The virtual currency as a system of payment for commodities purchased online has undergone rapid growth, and businesspersons have an advantage to enjoy the use of the currency owing to its lower than the 3 percent typically charged for loading and or use of credit cards. Nonetheless, many governments from around the world have been hesitant to welcome the use of the currency within their respective jurisdictions, with some warning their citizens against the use of the service due to its lack of consumer safeguards. Bitcoins are vulnerable to theft and chargeback defaults. As Boardman, Sondomir and Sondak (12-29) have indicated, the use of the currency for commercial purposes is still minimal and largely preferred by speculators. This alone has added to the lots of worries and its volatility, hence the fear of the bubble effect. Bitcoin speculators have contributed to the bubble effect theory explaining the unpredictable future of the currency. This is especially true considering that speculators who top the list of Bitcoin users argue that with $200 in one’s virtual account now, the value of the money will increase to $600 or $1,000, since they will find people who are willing to buy it at that higher price. The buying of the currency in hope that the value would increase is a serious flaw in the thinking

Social roles and relationship in old age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social roles and relationship in old age - Essay Example For instance, how women can easily adapt to change and manage adversities at old age since in their entire life, they are committed to plenty and more diverse roles than men (Hudson 153). There are four segments in this episode; the first segment discusses how older adults have a wide range of role options, which are available in the contemporary society. The segment uses illustrations from a number of older adults to highlight this. The second segment explains the methods researchers use to study these social roles. According to this episode, the researchers first observe, then interview the recipient, and finally conduct a survey. The topics of the third segment consist of role change and role stability over a life span. Examples of roles that a number of older adults share in their lives are role development, role continuity, role loss and role gain. Information on elaborated roles for older adults in the future is presented in the final segment of the video. Examples of these expanded roles are new roles in diplomacy, grandparenthood, politics, community service and

Personality Assessment Instruments Essay Example for Free

Personality Assessment Instruments Essay Personality Assessment instruments are comprised of theories and techniques to measure an individual’s personality traits. The traditional psychoanalytical theories provide a framework for understanding negative behavior as well as concepts that predict future behavioral outcomes. Because of the possibility of predictive personality traits, career counselors and organizations have used personality assessment instruments to screen possible employers for qualification. In addition, personality assessment instrument have also been used to detect disordered personalities or other unresolved issues that cause negative behavior patterns in an individual. In this paper I will discuss three Personality Assessment Instruments widely used in measuring an individual’s personality; Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, Rorschach Inkblot Test and self help books. I will discuss the validity, comprehensiveness, applicability and cultural utility of these personality assessments in also examine the strengths and weaknesses of why some work and some do not. The strength and weaknesses of each personality assessment instrument is key in understanding which instrument is â€Å"appropriate† to use. Myer-Briggs Type Indicator Largely based on Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality, The Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was created by Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myer, during WWII to evaluate personality types to know where to place women entering the industrial workforce. The MBTI would assess women for jobs they were best qualified for. Seeing how successful the MBTI was in placing women in the workforce, today it is still used as an assessment instrument by career counselors and organizations for team building (McCaulley, 2000). The MBTI is a self-report, forced-choice questionnaire. The letters represent the respective personality types which have 16 unique possible outcomes. The test has about 100 questions with only two choices to pick from. MBTI divides an individual’s personality into four areas (McCaulley, 2000); 1. Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I) . Sensing (S) or intuition (N) 3. Thinking (T) or feeling (F) 4. Judging (J) or perceiving (P) This scale is an important factor in determining the dominant, auxiliary, tertiary and inferior behaviors of the individual (McCaulley, 2000). Each individual is measured by the four-letter type formula. Each group of letters reveals the dominant function of the individual and followed by the auxiliary. Each of the 16 combination of letters explains the person’s personality and what area they best function in. Rorschach Inkblot Test Hermann Rorschach, Swiss psychiatrist, created ill-defined designs on paper using ink. After much trial and error, Rorschach settled on 10 inkblot cards used to show to patients and illicit a response. It was determined that different patients in a particular psychiatric group gave different responses. The test was created to understand the mind of an individual. During the assessment, the patient is shown a card and is expected to explain the thoughts that come to mind when analyzing the card (Cervone, 2010). The test-giver waits to see the type of response that comes from the patient. And the question of how the patient responds or perceives the inkblot determines the type of personality the patient may have. If the patient’s response matches the inkblot structure’s intended meaning, then the patient’s thoughts are geared towards their reality. If the patient’s response does not correspond with the inkblot then the patient is perceived to have a dysfunctional personality. Self-Help Books Widely popular, Self-help books are a great way for a person to understand psychological disorders and possible treatments. There are a variety of books written by scholars and psychologist who have done extensive work in their area of expertise. Many people who are skeptical about going to therapy choose self-help books as a way to self-administer treatment (Redding et. al, 2008). The problem people face when relying on these books for help is that there is no discussion to make sure that the person understands what they are reading. Also, the books cannot assess the person to see if they can help the person like the MBTI and Rorschach Inkblot do. There is no way to measure if the specific book can help the person. Personality Assessments: from Theory to Practice In this next section I will examine the validity, comprehensiveness, applicability and cultural utility. Throughout my research I have discovered that some critics have argued that each of these personality assessment instruments have weaknesses that do not support what it claims to produce. Others critics have shown the strengths’ in these widely used personality assessment to be applied in various cultures that have shown consistent scoring. Validity One of the most widely used personality assessment instruments is self-help books. They are easily accessible by most people seeking to resolve psychological issues. However, it is difficult to say if what the writer proposes to be a solution works effectively for the reader (Redding et. al. , 2008). The problem with the validity of self-help books is that not all are written by professional psychologist. Often people are faced with serious psychological disorders that they wish to resolve on their own as opposed to therapy (Redding et. l, 2008). Another issue with self-help books is that they do not test people to see if they have applied the information coming from the book to the area in their life where they face challenges nor can it pinpoint the exact disorder a person is dealing with. I would have to say that the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator holds the most validity out of the three personality assessment instruments and is the most favored. The MBTI has been tested and based on the 16 different possible personality types most people have fallen under one of the combinations. The MBTI follows the theory of personality traits by Carl Jung. Jung’s theory distinguishes two dichotomous pairs of cognitive behavior: extraversion and introversion (McCaulley, 2008). The MBTI has been shown to be successful in determining an individual’s personality that fits a specific career or in organizing groups for team building. On the other hand, when a person has been assessed using the Rorschach inkblot test, disordered personality can be revealed thru extensive testing. The validity of the Rorschach inkblot test as but argued that there is a bias in the testing because Hermann Rorschach’s training was in psychoanalytical theories. Another problem that arises with the Rorschach in examining its validity is the scoring of the test. Many of the scorers give a higher score to the test taker if their response matches those of previous scorers (Sendin, 2010). Comprehensiveness Self-help books focus on an areas in an individual’s life such as alcohol addictions, Attention Deficit Disorder, How to deal with a Break-Up. And while the books can be informative the theory behind the solution must be examined. Most self-help books are written in the opinion of the author writing the book. Some of these opinions may not be in accord with the reader’s background so it is difficult to say if the reader is able to comprehend what the author is conveying (Redding et. al, 2008). It also depends only what the reader is looking for. If the reader is open to alternative solutions as opposed to traditional one then the book will help but because a person is not tested on the self-help books they are reading it is hard to determine how comprehensive the book is. MBTI has 16 possible personality types that this world-wide instrument uses to address issues faced by individuals, groups and family counseling that are challenged with communication, career planning, learning and life -long development (McCaulley, 2000). When assessing an individual’s personality not only is this helpful in career counseling but also when determining why individuals or family members are having communication problems. Applicability Self-help books can be easy to understand. Some of the methods are broken down in simple steps that anyone can apply. However, if one wants to assess the type of personality that can handle a certain job the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator is more appropriate to use. This assessment instrument has been used by career counselors and employers to match individuals to specific studies or industries (McCaulley, 2008). I would not recommend using the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator when assessing an individual’s personality for disorders. The Rorschach Inkblot has been a successful instrument in examining the mind of a person (Cervone, 2010). However, the Rorschach inkblot was constructed according to Hermann Rorschach’s training in psychoanalytical theory. Cultural Utility Each culture is made of its own belief system and traditions. What applies in one culture may not necessarily apply in another. Some assessments can be used in most cultures and give the same results across the board. However, not all cultures will accept the theories behind the assessment. The issues that I have noticed in researching the MBTI and Rorschach Inkblot test is that in applying to different cultures there has been challenges faced by psychologist. For one, psychologists have not had extensive training in cultural diversity. Nor have they had training in language. Most ethnic low income groups have had poor health service in which there has been a misdiagnosis due to language barrier (Dana, 2000). Also to consider are groups who come from another country and have different views on the mental health system. For example, in administering the MBTI and Rorschach Inkblot test to Russian Jews challenges are faced because of their cultural belief. Russian Jews are highly suspicious of mental health professionals and find it difficult to believe that community health agencies do not have ties to the government (Dana, 200). As a result, they deny any mental health issues. The fear that exists with Russian Jews is because of the way they saw the Soviet Government force people to commit to a mental health institute (Dana, 2000). Consequently, self help books have been successful in reaching a mass audience because books have been published in various languages. Conclusion As you can see Personality Assessment Instruments have been very useful in helping to examine an individual’s personality for career choices, in team building and examining a disorder. However, specialist have has revealed their weaknesses and show that these instruments cannot be applied in any situation without further investigation. Each personality assessment instrument is unique with it’s own characters. In order to be able to better serve the mental health industry only a particular assessment can be used for a specific analysis.

Weaknesses Of The Eurozone Economics Essay

Weaknesses Of The Eurozone Economics Essay Robert Mundell described the Bretton Woods System as Hamlet without the Prince due to the lack of a unified currency in the form of a monetary union expressed as Bancor or Unitas. Given the experience of EMU, does this analysis still hold theoretically and/or empirically? Discuss. Introduction of EMU In 1999, the European Central Bank (ECB) launched the single currency (euro) together with the foundation of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The EMU is based on the existence of the euro as a common currency. The ECB supervises the implementation of a common monetary policy. At the beginning of 2002, euro replaced the national currencies of 12 member countries for all transactions. Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom joined European Union (EU) but did not join the euro. In 2004, there were ten new member countries joined the EU, five of them joined the euro. The prior monetary unions are unsuccessful as they rested on the value of metals (i.e. gold or silver). The money printed should be determined by the silver of gold stored, therefore the Metallism monetary system is a stable system since silver and gold are scarce resources. The EMU rests on the euro or chartalism, as fiat money which is issued by a central national bank. The credit level of the issuing body is important to determine the value and stability of the fiat money. The stability of the country in terms of economic and political will in turn determine the credit level. However, when the treasury is unable to finance the deficit, fiat monies can become unstable due to the temptation of the inflationary tax or seigniorage. In order to achieve and sustain the stability, the EMU needs an economic union and a monetary union. Economic union is achieved by complying with the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). The goal of SGP is to maintain fiscal stability through implementation of specific fiscal requirements among member states of EMU. The strength of the Eurozone rests completely on the credibility of the requirements set when the EMU was being implemented and the ECB was established. However, if member states are not respect or follow the set requirements, the credibility level of Eurozone will be affected and as a result negatively affect the euro. Mundells Theories The original idea of a common currency in Europe was derived from the theory of Robert Mundell on the areas of optimal currency. In his paper A plan for a European Currency in 1973, Mundell clarified the gains of European countries if they adopt a common currency. The works of Mundell have been classified into two categories by Ronald McKinnon (2004). Mundell I In 1961, Mundell published his paper entitled A Theory of Optimal Currency Areas which is rooted in Keynesian ideas. The theory of Optimum Currency Areas (OCAs) studies how countries with a monetary union and common currency adjust, if these countries are affected by asymmetric economic shocks. Mundell point out that adjustments are based on whether wages are rigid, labour mobility is limited, income transfers are difficult, and differences exist in the labour market and growth rates. Mundell claimed that when countries are in a monetary union and use a common currency, they cannot absorb asymmetric shocks properly unless, among other circumstances, labour mobility is unlimited. Mundell II In Mundells article Uncommon arguments for common currencies which published in 1973, an alternative theory is illustrated. Mundell emphasised the common currency assures an automatic and equal sharing of the risk of the fluctuation, a common currency has advantages in overcoming economic shocks. Mundell II argues that it is easier for member countries to stay inside a monetary union than outside it since the private insurance would assist against asymmetric shocks. More specifically, it will be easier for member countries to borrow in the capital markets of the monetary union when hitting by a negative shock, as a result it will be easier for member countries to smooth consumption. In addition, the exchange rate would be a source in arising asymmetric disturbances; especially capital mobility of financial market is very high. The criticism of Mundell II becomes more obvious in terms of political context. If financial markets in a monetary union provide insurance to reduce asymmetric shocks, the need to integrate national budgets for political means becomes weaker. Hence the motive to form a political union is even weaker. However, the Mundell II point out that if there is no budgetary union, it would be optimistic to say that private financial markets would provide insurance against asymmetric shocks. The financial markets will only provide insurance to those who possess high assets stock in the financial markets. Since wealth is not equally distributed, the private provision of insurance will overwhelmingly support the wealthy and keep the poor relatively uninsured. In addition, the Mundell II theory ignored the possibility that countries may involve in a position of a bad equilibrium. If there are not adequate instruments to lead the economy out of the bad equilibrium, countries would get caught in the bad equilibrium after a negative shock. It is a major problem for the future of EMU if there is no adequate instrument in a monetary union. This is reinforced by the fact that different member countries of EMU continue to work in different directions due to the absence of a political union. Weaknesses of the Eurozone In the last ten years, the euro has demonstrated that there are many efficiency gains by adopting a common currency (i.e. reduced transaction costs of exchanging currencies, eliminated exchange rate uncertainty, and increased transparency in prices), particularly if the currency becomes not only an international currency but also a global currency. However, maintaining various standards requires difficult adjustments and constant surveillance of every single member state in Eurozone. As the economic crisis has hit the world, certain Eurozone Member States Greece, Portugal and Spain are being seriously affected. The Greek tragedy is making the EU realize that highly indebted countries can put the EMU at risk and that measures must be taken without delay. Institutional Weakness Article 102.a of the Maastricht Treaty establishes that member states and the community should conduct their economic policies with a view to contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Community. In order to guide Article 102.a, Article 103 highlights that the correct implementation of economic policies is a matter of common, stating that Member States [are to] coordinate them within the Council, in accordance with the provisions of Article 102a. Article 103 also highlights that it is important to avoid excessive deficits of each government. There is an obvious institutional weakness in terms of monetary policies. The Maastricht Treaty had defined the objectives of the ECB which is price stability. ECB has defined an inflation rate below 2% as the objective of price stability. In addition, in terms of unemployment, the rest of society is not convinced and will not easily accept the attempt of the ECB to release itself from any responsibility for unemployment. However, t he delegation of the responsibility of unemployment to the governments of each member country creates a political problem. The purposes of SGP contain that member countries should avoid excessive debt and deficits and each member country should maintain fiscal stability. There are two important two Council Regulations in SGP (i.e. Regulations 1466/97 and 1467/97). These two regulations require member countries of the EU must comply with to help contribute to the overall climate of stability and financial prudence underpinning the success of the EMU. The Council Regulation 1466/97 set out the details of stability programs (i.e. submission and monitoring regulations) and convergence programs. The ultimate purpose of the multilateral surveillance by the Council is to prevent, at an early stage, the occurrence of excessive general government deficits and to promote the surveillance and coordination of economic policies. The purpose of regulation 1467/97 is to clarify the excessive deficit procedure to deter excessive government deficits (European Navigator 1997, 2). However, the SGP is not sustainable due to the lack of accountability of the EU commission. Hence, the national governments are bound to win when conflict arises. The problem will exist as long as national governments continue to possess the sovereignty over spending and taxation. Political integration De Grauwe (2006) acknowledged that the EMU is a remarkable accomplishment, but the absence of a political union is a major weakness in the Eurozone governance. Grauwes view is consistent with the findings of Nitsch on the political integration. He conclude that political integration is not rapidly followed by economic integration (Nitsch and Wolf 1). Grauwe point out in his article that national governments holding most economic policies decision creates asymmetric shocks. The asymmetric shocks truly affect the sustainability of the monetary union. For example, member countries of the Eurozone have different competitive positions due to the uncoordinated policies of each member country in relation to national wage. Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain were in constant financial and economic turmoil before the adoption of the euro. The turmoil situation disappeared due to the economic booming of the past years. These five countries have barely met the requirements of monetary and economic stability and are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the stability. For the past years, these countries are not only suffering from excessive deficits and debts, but also economic unbalances (i.e. excessive current account deficits). The current account positions are becoming worse due to, among other reasons, their extremely uncompetitive trade position. As a consequence, they are beginning to blame the euro. The problem that these countries are facing originates from the fact that monetary union amplifies fiscal imbalances. Opting for devaluation of a competitive currency is not an option and the only other alternative stems from forcing differentials of bond yield reduced. In 2005 there were almost no yield differentials between the German Bund and the yields of those countries with excessive current-account deficits. In 2009, however, yield spreads has increased government default risks measured by a sudden increase in the demand for credit default swaps. Hence, the current economic crisis has demonstrated that currency risk is replaced by default risk in a monetary union. There are two reasons for this situation: 1) the sovereign debt of each member country is issued under the control of each Ministry of Finance, 2) there is no European Ministry of Finance. The Germans has proposed the creation of a European Monetary Fund, the French league has proposed the creation of a European Debt Agency which required that the Lisbon Treaty were amended or that a new treaty were negotiated. Many people blamed this situation due to the lack of a common bond market which would help to put all members together. Some people reject the suggestion based on the fact that a common bond market would lower borrowing costs for weaker countries and increase costs for stronger countries such as Germany. In addition, the common bond market would obtain the budget rights from each governments which would not be able to make national budgets by themselves. Exit clause For years some countries have not respect or followed the requirements listed in the Maastricht Treaty and are now facing extremely difficult economic situations. It is obvious in the current crisis that there is no political homogeneity among member countries from a political point of view. As a result, each member country has implemented its own particular economic model and how to conduct its own economic model. In addition, Greece, Spain, and Portugal do not truly realise that their economic models are embedded in a globalised economy and these countries need to implement a set of painful structural reforms to keep them competitive. From the economic point of view, the countries in trouble have two major common reasons. The reasons are the lack of respect for the requirements and the lack of appropriate implementation of the structural reforms required under an economic recession. Currently there are debates on what should or should not be done with these countries. However, there are not room to manoeuvre this situation under the current legal framework. Expulsion of these countries from the Eurozone is not a good choice as it would definitely hurt the image of the EU and its member countries. Many scholars, economists propose that voluntary withdrawal from only the Eurozone while staying in the EU to would be the most beneficial option. The legal framework the Treaty of Lisbon, does not provide the necessary methods to deal with problems of withdrawal, expulsion from Eurozone nor any other similar problem that might arrive soon. First, the Treaty of Lisbon has the no-bailout clause to prevent a budgetary problem in one country spilling over the EU as a whole. The no-bailout clause prohibits member countries from rescuing other countries or from accepting the debts of other countries. However, the Article 122 of Lisbon Treaty states that any member country seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control can receive financial assistance from other members. The question is whether a member countrys current debt crisis could qualify as an exceptional occurrence and not a man-made issue. This clause was inserted to strengthen unity and commitment of Eurozone. But the reality is that some countries are possessing extremely high level debts and defici ts far exceeding the requirements. Therefore, there are not many methods for to assist these financial troubled countries under the current circumstances. The Articles 4(2), 118, and 123(4) explicitly indicates that the process for adoption of the Euro is irreversible. Participation of the EMU becomes a legal obligation due to the irrevocability of the agreement and the monetary union process. Thus, the exit option of leaving EMU while staying in the EU is impossible. The exit option is only allowed to exit the EU and EMU altogether. In addition, there is no clear mechanism by which members could expel a fellow country. The expulsion could only be possible if the treaty were amended and provided that all member countries respond favourably to this amendment. Conclusion The EU and the Eurozone are suffering not only a financial crisis, but also a totally lack of appropriate structural reforms. The proper functioning of the EMU depends on the compliance with requirement provided in monetary and fiscal policies. Some member countries need to adopt urgently a number of structural reforms to promote economic growth of its own country and to stable euro as part of the EMU. Most importantly, the EMU should take this crisis as an opportunity to create a restructuring mechanism to strengthen and reform the economic, political foundations of the euro project.

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills Effectiveness of Play Therapy in enhancing Social skills in Intellectually Disabled Children by Azka Tauqeer Asjad Abstract The present study was targeted to measure the effectiveness of play therapy in enhancing social skills in pre-diagnosed intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level. The research was comprised of ten intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level of ages 5-15 from Army Special Education Academy Rawalpindi. Social skills were considered as dependent variable, whereas play therapy as independent variable in this study. The method of this research was quasi, pretest-posttest type with an experimental and control group. Social Skills Checklist (Heather Thomas, 2013) was administered in pretest and posttest. It was hypothesized that play therapy on experimental group will be effective as it will produce significant positive results in enhancing social skills as compared to the control group. The analysis included paired sample t-test and findings were presented in tabulated form. The current study will help in understanding the use of play therapy to facilitate children with intellectual disability and it will bridge the gap between the mental health needs of exceptional children and the available services. Play therapy is a therapeutic process between the client and the therapist where the therapist uses play as a therapeutic intervention for solving the child’s emotional and social difficulties and for incorporating required skills and appropriate behavior (Association for Play Therapy). Play therapy acts as a mode of communication between the therapist and the child. This method is based on the assumption that play is a way of children making contact with their environment. Play therapy is to children what counseling and psychotherapy is to adults. Young children express themselves comfortably through play when they cannot through meaningful conversation. Therefore, play is an indirect way for therapists to understand and alter children’s perceptions, cognitions, and behaviors. Intellectual disability stands for impairments in overall mental abilities which affects adaptive functioning skills of three multiple domains or areas that arise during the passage of children’s development. Limitations should be present in comparison to other peoples of the same age, gender, and social-cultural upbringing. These individuals show difficulties perceiving and assimilating new informa ­tion, learning new things quickly and completely, applying knowledge and skills to solve new problems, thinking imaginatively and flexibly, and responding swiftly and correctly. The criteria identify three domains of adaptive function ­ing i.e. conceptual, social, and practical. Individuals with intellectual disability should show impair ­ment in at least one domain. The first one is conceptual domain that includes skills in language, reading, writing, mathematics, reasoning, knowledge and the ability to learn and remember information and skills. The second domain is social skills which includes interpersonal communication skills, empathy rules following, social adjustment, understanding others, making and maintaining friends. The last domain is Practical skills and it includes activities of daily living skills including personal care safety, home activities, school/work skills recreational activities and using money. (DSM V) In the case of children with intellectual disability, thorough training is required to integrate appropriate social behavior. If the intellectually disabled children are provided the opportunity to socialize with others during childhood, they will achieve social competency. Therefore training should be started very early (NIMH, 1990). Social development is multidimensional processes through which children gain competencies and the required social behavior that enable them to function in a social environment appropriately, in a way that is favorable to their welfare and to that of others as well. Social skills have been described in various terms. Eisenberg and Harris (1984) have defined it as developmentally related abilities that lead towards achieving the optimal level of social competence. According to Charon (1986), social skills are a composition of skills that enables us to interact, socialize and develop relationships with others. They are comprised of both verbal and non-verb al types of communication. According to American Psychological School Association (2012), schools are a source of enhancing and developing social skills. According to them, social skills stand for the acceptable set of behavior and etiquettes to behave and interact in the society and to refrain from the negative behaviors unacceptable in the community as a byproduct of these positive influences and interactions. If there are services provided in school environment where concern is focused by the counselor on the social skills and interpersonal development of the students, it can also boost the academic performance (McClelland, Morrison, Holmes, 2000). If the children achieved meaningful and positive interpersonal relationships in the elementary years i.e. 6-12 ages; they will have the ability to face the challenges of adolescence and perform much better in their social and academic lives (Feldman, 2014). Wlkinson and Carter (1982), author of the Social Skills Training Manual; included social behaviors which are: greeting behaviors such as hand shaking; smiling; hugging; saying: â€Å"Hi†; in communicating with others, maintaining eye contact and be at a reasonable distance. Inappropriate social behavior of intellectually disabled children may be due to their incorrect perception about their social environment and situations. They may be facing difficulties in understanding and identifying social relationships, misguiding others feelings and inability to understand the required social rules conformity. They may also be unable to understand different manners and ways of communicating with peers, adults and family (Kronick, 1983). Children express themselves freely in play therapy because it is a condition which does not lead to any serious consequences although it is fun and joyful. It helps the child in forgetting the frightening world and it provides a safe environment where risk can be taken and there can be no rules or social conformity and the child is independent from the real world (Skynner Cleese 1983:298). Play is not any artificial environment created by the therapist or experimenter; instead it is child’s natural world where they could be free from obstacles of daily life charades. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states that play is an undeniable right for every child in 1989. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a white paper to commemorate the significance of play for the healthy growth and development of the children (Ginsberg, 2007). Play therapy provides a safe, nurturing and comfortable environment where children play out what they have experienced, their reactions and feelings about those experiences, what they need in their lives, and how they feel about themselves. Play is also use to teach new skills to the client. Therefore it is a complete therapeutic process. Play therapy is the most effective way as it makes the child feel safer. It is a place which is completely safe, a place where the child is accepted as the person he is. It is an active process where the child is allowed to be creative, make mistakes and be himself. Play is a mode of embracing new information and making it part of their personalities. Social Skills and Play Therapy Social skills stand for the ways which the child could in order to relate with others, to make new friends, to express their needs. It makes the child understand his boundaries, others feelings and needs and he learn cooperation. For the social skills to be developed completely, the child has to understand and be familiar with multiple actions and behaviors and be aware about the consequences. As stated by Landreth (2001), all children can gain positive behaviors and influences by engaging in a controlled play therapy where they are given the chance to exercise their social skills. Group play therapy could also benefit the child in refining new skills, accepting their social self and their peers, identifying their social capabilities and in achieving self-control (Landreth et al., 2005). Counseling provided at elementary level in the school setting help children in learning of new skills as well as in becoming aware and responsive of their customs, values and priorities (Gladding, 2011). Working along a small group who are experiencing the same difficulties enhance the abilities of students to work out their social, psychological and emotional challenges (Campbell Bowman, 1993). Functional skills are important for the intellectual disabled children to learn in the educational process as unlike to normal children who could adopt the required behaviors and skills through observation of their environment and daily experience. The curriculum of intellectually disabled children is planned by keeping in the view the importance of teaching daily life skills. Even the basic things such as putting nuts and bolts together are practiced by the children. The intellectual disabled children require direct training in specific activities and tasks lo learn generalization and to perform the tasks more regularly and easily (Narayan Kutty, 1998). Teaching the age appropriate social skills helps the child in acquiring the skills compulsory for living independently in the social community. The program for teaching such skills differs from the regular academic curriculum and it maximizes the self-esteem, independence and competence in daily life of the children (Heward, 2006). It is stated that a small group intervention can contribute positively in the process of developing social skills (Kayler Sherman, 2009). Group interventions provide the opportunity to develop and sustain relationships as well as enhance the personal characteristics that could influence accomplishment. It is a multidimensional, effective and efficient method of teaching new behaviors and skills (Akos Milsom, 2007). Theories of Intellectual Disability The intellectual disabled also progress through the same cognitive developmental stages defined by Piaget as their peers (Zigler, 1969). The only difference is that their cognitive stages develop much slower and their cognitive abilities cannot be compared with a non-disabled individual. An intellectual disabled individual cannot reach the mature level of cognitive functioning at any point. According to the various studies, intellectual disabled individuals will perform poor on cognitive tasks as compared to the control group of same mental age level. It was known was â€Å"mental-age lag† phenomena (Spitz, 1982). According to developmental theorists, children suffering from intellectual disability also experience the similar information restructuring as explained by Piaget, but their process is much slower as compared to the normal children. According to Anderson, Children with intellectual disability have slower speed of processing and this is the reason that they could understand information in chunks as compared to information in whole. The individuals with intellectual disability, whether they are children or adult, they will face deficits in intellectual abilities and knowledge processing in comparison to the individuals with same mental age. It means that intellectual disability has an enduring and lasting effect which cannot be reversed. The consequences of intellectual disability may differ from person to person as different abilities level present in people without any such difficulty. Approximately 90% of the intellectual disabled are at mild level and they only differ from normal population as they are much slower in learning new set of skills and information. Rest of the 10% will have complications in daily functioning and social skills (Gallagher et al., 2000). If they are diagnosed in early years and a proper individual educational plan is formulated according to their specific needs; they can become a supportive and contributing member of the society. Children with intellectual disability have the capability to learn things in the same 12 learning techniques as other normal children do, but due to their labeling and exclusion from normal education, they are often failed to see as learners. This is the lead reason which cause low literacy level in intellectual disabled population. The researcher conducted a meta-analysis of the researches on intellectual disability and learning in special education and only one of the research results pointed out that special education proved useful for children with intellectual disabilities. In the other researches, learning at home and normal institutions also seemed to benefit the intellectual disabled (Jackson, 1994).

Fashion in the 60s Essay -- essays research papers

Fashion in the 60's The 60's were a time of change and challenge. They brought hippies, space age, folk music, and the Beatles. Women's skirts got shorter, men's hair got longer, and everyone talked about love. The 60's was characterized by the feeling that a break with the past had been achieved. Clothes, furniture, and products all looked newer, brighter, and more fun. The swinging 60's were at their height. Women's hemlines were very short. Fashion in the 60's tended to encourage exhibitionism. Miniskirts, bold colors, and see through dresses were all geared to showing off women's bodies, and on rare occasion men's bodies. Gaudy accessories such as perspex rings and earrings and fold chain belts. For women, there were long flowing skirts in intricate cotton prints. For both sexes, Indian Kafthans, headbands, "love beads", bell and bell - bottomed hipsters were the big thing. Hipsters were unisex trousers that rested on the hips rather than the waist. A wide belt with a heavy buckle was added. The light weight ski-pants of the 50's gradually gave way to flares, bell bottoms, and loon pants, bright colors, novel materials, chunky rings, and sports cars were all part of the 60's look. In the early 60's, the teenagers world was suddenly hit by the rock- n- roll of phenomenon of the Beatles. Teens idoled rock stars and let their hair grow long and wore bright, wild colored clothes. Leather offered great opportunities for self - expression. The clothes were i...

Critical Analysis of the Story The Sky is Gray by Ernest Gaines Essay

Critical Analysis of the Story The Sky is Gray by Ernest Gaines The title of the story â€Å"The Sky is Gray† by Ernest Gaines is ironic. It suggests at first the bleak mood of the story but also hints at hope in the future. Just as the clouds clear after a storm, James finds out on his trip to Bayonne that the stormy clouds that are his life are parting to let some sunshine through. Throughout the whole story, a very bleak mood is portrayed. The setting contributes to this gloominess. For example, the weather is awful. James, seeing how cold it was, said, â€Å"I seen the smoke coming out o’ the cow’s nose.† Later he says, â€Å"The sleet keep falling. Falling like rain now- plenty, plenty.† Once James turns up his collar to protect himself from the very windy conditions that also exist throughout the story. Another sign of the story’s gloominess is the fact that many of its scenes are without color. For example, the road in this story is very gray: â€Å"It’s a long old road, and far’s you can see you don’t see nothing but gravel,† as James put it. James also lets it be known that â€Å"the sky is gray† and that there isn’t much grass. Even the clothing that they wear is very dull-colored! James’ mother is â€Å"wearing that black coat and that black hat.† The story takes place during a war, which contributes to the overall gloomy setting of the story. â€Å"I wonder when us go’n see him again†¦Look like he ain’t ever coming home,† James laments, showing that his father went into the war and most likely is dead. The father’s absence leaves his family without adequate food, money, or manpower. The family’s poverty (which is partially due to the father’s absence) makes their future seem hopeless. The family lives in a poor, rural area, which was typical of black persons of their time. The family is crowded into a small, shabby home, so they must share rooms and beds. The family’s clothes are quite shabby too, for when James sees a mannequin in a store with new brown shoes, he looks at his own old shoes and thinks, â€Å"You wait till Summer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The family does not even have enough money for some of life’s other necessities, such as food and medical care. For example, they eat bread and syrup every day for breakfast; and as James’ younger brother, Ty, said, â€Å"I’m getting tired of this old syrup. I want me some bacon sometime.† Beans are another bland food that J... ...le also recognizes James and his mother’s dignity. The woman lets James take her trash to the corner in exchange for the food (â€Å"Ernest [her husband] has a bad cold and can’t go out there.†). However, when James lifts the cans, he can feel that they are empty. When James and his mom are leaving, she asks the old lady if she sells salt meat (seeing that the old woman’s house is also a store). The old lady does, and Mama asks for two bits worth. The old woman knows that this isn’t much, so she tries to give mama more than her money’s worth. Mama notices this, so the old lady, trying to restore mama’s pride, eventually gives her the correct amount of salt meat for her money. Throughout the story, James begins to pass his mother’s tests for being a man of the household. For example, James doesn’t show the pain of his toothache, trying to appear strong for his family. He’s also learning to hide his fear, which shows in the â€Å"bird event.† The biggest test of all perhaps is when James learns that dignity (â€Å"you’re not a bum, you’re a man†) is more important than the chill wind. The reader is left hoping with James that soon the sun may finally peak through the clouds in his life.

Aims and objectives Essay

This paper provides a context for this special edition. It highlights the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also makes the point that there is a policy agenda that provides workable solutions. Results An overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world, highlighting considerable variations, with Africa and South East Asia having the lowest average ratios. The paper argues that the ‘shortage’ of nurses is not necessarily a shortage of individuals with nursing qualifications, it is a shortage of nurses willing to work in the present conditions. The causes of shortages are multi-faceted, and there is no single global measure of their extent and nature, there is growing evidence of the impact of relatively low staffing levels on health care delivery and outcomes. The main causes of nursing shortages are highlighted: inadequate workforce planning and allocation mechanisms, resource constrained undersupply of new staff, poor recruitment, retention and ‘return’ policies, and ineffective use of available nursing resources through inappropriate skill mix and utilisation, poor incentive structures and inadequate career support. Conclusions What now faces policy makers in Japan, Europe and other developed countries is a policy agenda with a core of common themes. First, themes related to addressing supply side issues: getting, keeping and keeping in touch with relatively scarce nurses. Second, themes related to dealing with demand side challenges. The paper concludes that the main challenge for policy makers is to develop a co-ordinated package of policies that provide a long term and sustainable solution. Relevance to clinical practice This paper highlights the impact that nursing shortages has on clinical practice and in health service delivery. It outlines scope for addressing shortage problems and therefore for providing a more positive staffing environment in which clinical practice can be delivered. Keywords: nurses, nursing, workforce issues, workforce planning Go to: Introduction The world has entered a critical period for human resources for health. The scarcity of qualified health personnel, including nurses, is being highlighted as one of the biggest obstacles to achieving health system effectiveness. In January 2004, the High Level Forum on the Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reported, ‘There is a human resources crisis in health, which must be urgently addressed’ (High Level Forum on the Health MDGs, 2004, p. 4). Later in the same year, the Joint Learning Initiative reported that ‘There is a massive global shortage of health workers’ (Joint Learning Initiative 2004; executive summary, p. 3). In 2006, the World Health Organisation devoted the whole of the World Health Report to the negative impact that human resources shortages was having on global health care (WHO 2006). Against this backdrop of growing concern about shortages of health personnel, this paper focuses on one of the most critical components of the workforce: nurses. As such, it provides a context for the other papers in this special edition of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. These other papers focus in detail on specific nurse workforce issues and priorities facing policy makers and researchers in Australia, Canada, Japan, the USA and elsewhere. They emphasise the need to develop a better understanding of the specific dynamics in organisational and country level nursing labour markets if policy makers are to be well informed about the judgements they must make about what will be effective policy solutions for the nursing workforce. This paper provides a broader perspective, highlighting the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also making the point that there are many common challenges and a policy agenda that points to workable solutions. Go to: Nursing and the global health workforce challenge WHO has estimated there to be a total of 59 ·2 million fulltime paid health workers worldwide in 2006, of which about two thirds were health service providers, with the remaining third being composed of health management and support workers (WHO 2006). WHO also calculated a threshold in workforce density below which consistent coverage of essential interventions, including those necessary to meet the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was very unlikely. Based on these estimates, it reported that there were 57 countries with critical shortages equivalent to a global deficit of 2 ·4 million doctors, nurses and midwives. The proportional shortfalls were greatest in sub-Saharan Africa, although numerical deficits were very large in South-East Asia because of its population size (WHO 2006, p. 12). WHO also highlighted that shortages often coexist in a country with large numbers of unemployed health professionals: ‘Poverty, imperfect private labour markets, lack of public funds, bureaucratic red tape and political interference produce this paradox of shortages in the midst of underutilized talent’ (WHO 2006, p. xviii). WHO concluded that the shortage crisis has the potential to deepen in the coming years. It noted that demand for service providers will escalate markedly in all countries – rich and poor: ‘Richer countries face a future of low fertility and large populations of elderly people, which will cause a shift towards chronic and degenerative diseases with high care demands. Technological advances and income growth will require a more specialised workforce even as needs for basic care increase because of families’ declining capacity or willingness to care for their elderly members. Without massively increasing training of workers in this and other wealthy countries, these growing gaps will exert even greater pressure on the outflow of health workers from poorer regions’ (WHO 2006, p. xix). Nurses are the main professional component of the ‘front line’ staff in most health systems, and their contribution is recognised as essential to meeting development goals and delivering safe and effective care. One difficulty in making an accurate global estimate of numbers of nurses is the definition of  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœnurse’. Different international agencies, at different times, have developed different definitions, some related to educational level, some to years of training. The primary focus of this paper is on registered nurses, but this focus is hampered by the absence of a clear definition for some data sources, and the overall lack of a single universal definition of ‘nurse’. To give one indication of the size of the nursing workforce world wide, the International Council of Nurses reports 129 national nurses’ associations representing 13 million nurses worldwide (ICN 2007). This section of the paper provides an overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world. The data must be used with caution. The country level data collated by WHO which is reported in this paper may in some countries include midwives under the broad category of nurses; for some, it is also likely that the data may include auxiliary and unlicensed personnel. There can also be varying interpretations relating to the calculation of the number of nurses – some countries may report working nurses, others may report all nurses that are eligible to practice; some may report ‘headcount’, others may report full time equivalents. The analysis presented below should therefore be taken as illustrative of a broad pattern of regional variations, rather than an accurate representation of each country. Current initiatives by international organisations such as WHO, ILO and OECD to agree to standard definitions and improve the collection of count ry level HRH data should improve the current unsatisfactory situation.

American Women

Human sexuality can be seen as the way human beings experience their sexuality and express it. This results from their individual awareness as indicated by their biological sex and how they respond to erotic experiences. Human sexuality has however appeared as a thorny issue with many societies either ignoring to talk about it or shying away of the whole topic of sexuality. Due to the negative impacts that have resulted from this behavior, governments have come up with policies that are aimed at addressing human sexuality related problems.The increase in the number of HIV/AIDS victims in the world has triggered the discussion amount human sexuality. Research indicates that women are mo vulnerable to contracting venereal diseases including HIV/AIDS. Efforts to minimize the spread of the diseases have not actually succeeded as expected. The most neglected groups of people in matters of human sexuality in America includes single women and women in cohabiting relationships. The fear to c ontract to avoid unexpected pregnancies has led to masturbation with others engaging in homosexuality.This paper examines single motherhood, cohabitation, STD’s, masturbation and sexual preferences among American women. According to a research carried out by Lindberg L. D and Singh S, single American women exceed eighteen million in number. Statistics further reveal that in the age bracket of women between 19 and 45 are single. Ninety percent of these single ladies â€Å"are sexually experienced†. Shockingly, 22 percent of the single women and 2 percent of the married engage in sex with more than one partners.Over 50% of single American women get pregnant unintentionally. For those single women, getting health insurance is more difficulty for them as compared to the married. This indicates that single American women greatly indulge in sex. Despite all these findings â€Å"reproductive health care needs† of American women has not been upgraded to cater for the in creased needs. Furthermore, the American society lacks appropriate counseling services. The government effort to discourage single women to abstain and wait until the time they get married has proved to be futile.It has therefore been realized that proper policies to address the issue are yet to be put in place. Single women have been ignored in matters of sexual behaviors and the needs for quality reproductive health care. As a result these single women are at risk of contracting STD’s and AIDS, having unplanned pregnancies and births (Knox & Schacht 2009, pg. 279). Impermanence of marriage has made cohabiting to be one of the marriage alternatives. Research indicates that over nine percent of those women cohabiting have more than one sex partners.This is very shocking because the same women who are cohabiting rarely get health insurance in America. They are however better of as compared to the single women since in terms of accessibility to important services. This is howev er a short term alternative since soon or later, the cohabiting couples will separate and once again lead a single life. It is therefore important to note that cohabiting American women become single at different periods of their life.Increase in the number of single women has led to rise in cohabitation. This has been triggered by impermanence of unions that include marriage and cohabitation. Kail and Cavanaugh 2008, pg. 408 argue out that cohabitation has increased over ten times over the last 30 years. Statistics show that in 1970, only 523,000 people cohabited as compared to the year 2000 when a whooping five and a half million American were reported to cohabit. Most of them cohabited to facilitate sexual convenience and at the same time sharing expenses.Such couples have no intention of establishing a long lasting relationship and their goal is not marrying. The others engage in cohabitation to try whether marriage can work for them. The other group of cohabitors purely uses co habitation as a substitute to marriage. This has been highly reported in older women and men as compared to the other two previously mentioned which are highly practiced by young adults (Kail and Cavanaugh 2008, pg. 408). One of the major problems affecting women in America is the issue of STD’s including HIV.Women reproductive health has been given adequate attention in America however single women have been side looked. The danger of ignoring reproductive health services to single women has been reflected by the increase in the number of unplanned births and sexually transmitted diseases that include HIV. This is because their sexual relationships are unstable. According to O'Leary and Jemmott 1995, pg. 14, most of the women who live to the south of United States contract HIV through heterosexual transmission. This has been high among minority groups.In a report printed in the Jet magazine April 2008, pg, 53 indicated that over 50% of African American teenage women were suf fering from a sexually transmitted disease as compared to the white and teenage girls of Mexican origin with less than 20% of them who have at least one STD. The report indicated that there was poor communication between the teenage girls and the other members of the society on sexuality issues. Education on STDs was identified as one of the best methods of reversing the trend of STD infection.Early testing was also said to reduce the risk of spreading these diseases. Research indicates that most of the American women underestimate the risk for contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. This was confirmed by the research carried out by American medical women’s association in 1994 which indicated that 73% of all American women aged between 16 and 60 years strongly believe that they are safe from sexually transmitted diseases. This research further indicated that 67% of American women have no idea of other STDs apart from AIDS.33% of them have no idea about AIDS. Over 67% of the total engages in unsafe sex and less than 33% of them believe monogamy can reduce the risk of spreading HIV/AIDS ( O'Leary & Jemmott 1995, pg. 14). Greenberg, Bruess, and Conklin 2010, pg 475-477 found out that 40% of American women masturbate. This includes 45% of American married women. This was found to be directly proportional to the practice of vaginal sex, oral sex and anal sex among American women implying that those women who widely engage in virginal sex, oral sex and anal sex are great funs of masturbation.Wingood and DiClemente 2002, pg. 55 identified two main reasons why women masturbate. In their research, 63% of American women admitted that masturbation was a way of relieving sexual tension while 42% did it to acquire physical pleasure (Wingood and DiClemente pg. 55). Researchers have confirmed that masturbation does not cause any disease, infertility or dysfunction and this has encouraged many people to practice it as an alternative to sex. This practi ce has been influenced by a change in American culture in which sex was believed to be for procreation only, not for pleasure.Majority of then engage in sex for pleasure and whenever a partner is not readily available, women prefer to masturbate. This has led to a drastic increase in the demand for abortion among American women. It is a clear indication that sex is not only for procreation but largely for pleasure. This practice is mostly common among those people who are not deeply entrenched in religious practices as most of American religions view masturbation as unreligious practice. Though masturbation has not been associated with major physical problems many women have been reported to suffer from Psychological problems as a result of masturbation.Littleton & Engebretson 2002, pg. 339 pointed out that the media has largely influenced American women on the way they view their sexuality. This has been directly translated to their mode of dressing and their use of grooming produc ts. Sexual preference among American women can be viewed in three perspectives; sexual identity, sexual behaviors and sexual desires. Peplau and Garnets, 2002, pg. 333 are of the opinion that American women have a high erotic plasticity. In their argument, they pointed out that women have diverse forms of attraction with each other.They also noted that women sexual preference is highly affected by culture and social forces. This is because social identities and social institutions are provided and shaped by the society. All newly introduced practices may be accepted or rejected and either way, the women are mostly affected. Homosexuality was not exposed in American society. This has however changed with more women and men coming in the open to declare their sexual orientation as either being lesbians or homosexuals.Majority of American women are heterosexuals however â€Å"statistics indicate that heterosexual women face greater danger than heterosexual men in casual sex†. St atistics indicate that the number of lesbians in America is on the rise and this has raised many questions in regard to gay and lesbian marriages. Religious groups especially the majority Christian groups in America have expressed their concern about this trend however research indicates that homosexuality is slowly being accepted in American society. With the rise in the number of lesbians, bisexuality is also spreading its roots in America.Sexual preference has however faced a great challenge due to the increase in sexual dysfunction among American women. It is very important to realize that Sexual dysfunction is posing a great threat to sexuality has been highly reported among American women. The main causes have been cited as; depression, long term stress, negative attitude towards pregnancy especially for single women, increased demand to be a new mother, problems associated with women’s negative body image, culture and religious inclination and emotional distress. Other causes include physical conditions and hormonal causes.Conclusion Single mothers should be involved in policy formulations and implementation especially on matters that involve human sexuality. Neglecting them will create a gap that will impact negatively on their lives and the lives of entire American society. Cohabiting couples should be educated on the dangers of engaging in such relationship. This trend , if not checked may destroy the family which is the basic social institution. Sexual preferences should not be used to justify discrimination especially when it comes to heath care services and health care insurance covers.Masturbation should not only be viewed in terms of how safe it is. The focus should be directed to its negative psychological effects. Since most women issues have been ignore and the issue of human sexuality has been ignore for a long time, a thorough research should be conducted to establish the impact of single motherhood and cohabitation on sexual prefere nces. Scientific and psychological evidence concerning masturbation should be established in order to establish whether masturbation can be used to fight HIV/AIDS without negatively affecting the those who practice it.References Jet magazine; Apr 2008; Why African-American Teenage Girls Are Infected With STDs At higher rates 14 – Page 53, Vol. 113, Johnson Publishing Company Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin. (2010). Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality Jones & Bartlett Learning Knox, D. , Schacht, C. (2009). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family. Cengage Learning Littleton, L. Y. , Engebretson, J. (2002). Maternal, neonatal, and women's health nursing. Cengage LearningNEW YORK MAGAZINE. What are the risks to heterosexuals? 23 Mar 1987, Vol. 20, No. 12 New York Media, LLC. O'Leary, A. , Jemmott, L. S. , (1995). Women at risk: issues in the primary prevention of AIDS Springer Peplau,L. A. , Garnets, L. D. (2002). Wome n's Sexualities: New Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender. Wiley-Blackwell Robert V. Kail, John C. Cavanaugh. (2008). Human Development: A Life-Span View. Cengage Learning Wingood, G. M. , DiClemente, R. J. , (2002). Handbook of women's sexual and reproductive health. Springer

Beowulf – Defining God

BEOWULF: Defining God The epic poem of Beowulf is truly one-of-a-kind. What other old world poem can lay claim to withholding its own pagan roots and references while being transcribed by a Christian poet? Like other poems of the ‘old world', Beowulf's story has its beginnings in oral tradition. Around 850 AD the stories were culminated and written down in the Anglo-Saxon language of the time by a Christian poet. The poet doesn't let the fact that they were Christian severely affect the poem either. That does not mean that his opinions are kept quiet. There are plenty of references to the Christian God throughout the entire poem. It makes you wonder exactly how many different ways can someone refer to â€Å"Almighty God†[1314]. And let us not forget the ubiquitous Bible lesson; â€Å"And from Cain there sprang misbegotten spirits, among them Grendel, the banished and accursed†[1265-1266]. But our poet does not loose sight that these people are pagans with this reference; â€Å"†¦ s he advanced, hurrying to address the Prince of Ingwins†[1318-1319]. Ingwins are the friends/worshipers of the god Ing; in other words the Danes of this poem. Being pagan, they are also unaware of the origins of the ‘misbegotten' as noted when Hrothgar says: â€Å"They are fatherless creatures, and their whole ancestry is hidden in a past of demons and ghosts† [1355-1356]. Give credit where credit is due, the poet remained true to both religions without compensati ng for the other; â€Å"praise God†1398. OK, which one?

Gender Roles in America Essay

The distinction between the roles of men and women in America is a modern societal dichotomy. What were once the black and white duties of the 1950’s had paled into various shades of grey by the 21st century. The Ozzie and Harriet roles of the 1950’s and early 1960’s were challenged, redefined and sometimes ignored through the decades that followed. Women were demanding and being granted the opportunity to advance professional careers, explore alternative lifestyles, or forego the classic marriage family and be a single parent. In other cases the parenting roles were completely reversed as pointed out by Glenn Sacks in his essay Stay-at-Home Dads (277). During the 1950’s, traditional American society expected women to marry young, have children and support their husband’s career. There was a sort of stigma associated with the 30 year old spinster addressed with the title Miss. This position was reinforced with the social media of the time. Books like Dr. Spock’s, Babies and Child Care argued that women working outside the home actually risked their children’s mental and emotional health! The primary social media of the time, television and movies, also promoted the division of roles with actresses like Doris Day, Harriet Nelson and Barbara Billingsley playing the supportive wife and caring mother; while the likes of Ozzie Nelson, Hugh Beaumont and Cary Grant were the successful dominating male with the last word in all subjects. Men were expected to be a successful all knowing and authoritative figure, working the classic nine to five job. Those who did not fit this mold were considered by society as unmanly, lazy, failures, or just plain no-good. The only acceptable exception to this model of the male persona was the dashing consummate bachelor portrayed by actors such as John Wayne, William Shatner, and Sean Connery. Women had no such exception. The unmarried female of the time was usually portrayed as Gidget (Sandra Dee), Jeannie (Barbara Eden), Sister Bertrille (Sally Fields) or That Girl’s Anne Marie (Marlo Thomas). Over the course of the next few decades women made dramatic strides towards social equality. Bras were burned, the pill brought on sexual freedom and the no-fault clause in divorce helped free women from the repressive shackles placed on them by the male dominated societal norm. Slowly and somewhat grudgingly, society responded to the female pressures by accepting more and more crossover roles by both women and men. The social differences between he roles of men and women began to blur as less value was placed on the traditional and both sexes began to appear in the workplace in what had previously been opposite gender roles. Areas like engineering, construction and manufacturing saw a permanent influx of women; jobs held temporarily by females during the war years of 1941 to 1945. Concurrently, men began to gravitate towards roles as nurses, teachers, and homemakers. In spite of all the work towards equality and sameism (a word I coined to describe the merging of the gender roles) men are still primarily locked into the role of provider and modern women are painted into a corner; expected to do all the female things and most of the male things while still being athletic, sexy, willing, attractive and smart. According to author Steven Hinshaw, â€Å"Our teenage girls are baffled, distressed, and overwhelmed (by) a set of impossible, contradictory expectations† (301), a situation he terms as a triple bind. Conversely young men are now expected to be seen as strong, brave, successful, sensitive, insightful, supportive and totally accepting of the woman’s new role while still knowing when to open doors and pay for the movie tickets. As we now enter the second decade of the 21st Century, there is no shortage of women doing men’s jobs or vice-versa. The blending of traditional male-female roles has become the norm and the old-style well defined roles of breadwinner and housewife are all but extinct. There is however, a growing trend of the liberated woman moving back into the traditional role of homemaker as they age and decide that they have missed something and now wish to express their maternal feelings. Thus, although modern society fosters the acceptance of more gender neutral roles through education, training and non-discrimination laws it also emphasizes the traditional roles as the desired outcome. So we find ourselves faced with the blurry gray dichotomy of how to meet the politically correct demands of society and still meet the individual needs of the members of that society.