EXTREME PERCEPTION AND ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE

EXTREME PERCEPTION AND ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE Many animals also have extreme perception. Forensic dogs are three times as good as any X-ray machine at sniffing out contraband, drugs, or explosives, and their overall success rate on tests is 90 percent. The fact that a dog can smell things a person can't doesn't make him a genius; it just makes him a dog. Humans can see things dogs can't, but that doesn't make us smarter. But when you look at the jobs some dogs have invented for them ­selves using their advanced perceptual abilities, you're moving into the realm of true cognition, which is solving a problem under novel conditions.The seizure alert dogs are an example of an animal using advanced perceptual abilities to solve a problem no dog was born knowing how to solve. Seizure alert dogs are dogs who, their owners say, can predict a seizure before it starts. There's still controversy over whether you can train dog to predict seizures, and so far peo ­ple haven't had a lot of luck t rying. But there are a number of dogs who have figured it out on their own. These dogs were trained as seizure-response dogs, meaning they can help a person once a seizure has begun.The dog might be trained to lie on top of the person so he doesn't hurt himself, or bring the person his medicine or the telephone. Those are all standard helpful behaviors any dog can be trained to perform. But some of these dogs have gone from responding to seizures to perceiving signs of a seizure ahead of time. No one knows how they do this,because the signs are invisible to people. No human being can look at someone who's about to have a seizure and see (or hear, smell, or feel) what's coming. Yet one study found that 10 percent of owners said their seizure response dogs had turned into seizure alert dogs.The New York Times published a terrific article about a woman named Connie Standley, in Florida, who has two huge Bouvier des Flandres dogs who predict her seizures about thirty minutes ahead of ti me. When they sense Ms. Standley is heading into a seizure they'll do things like pull on her clothes, bark at her, or drag on her hand to get her to someplace safe so she won't get hurt whenthe seizure begins. Ms. Standley says they predict about 80 percent of her seizures Ms. Standley'S dogs apparently were trained as seizure alert dogs before they came to her, but there aren't many dogs in that category.Most of the seizure alert dogs were trained to respond to seizures, not predict seizures. The seizure alert dogs remind me of Clever Hans. Hans was the world-famous German horse in the early 1900s whose owner, Wilhelm von Osten, thought he could count. Herr von Osten could ask the horse questions like, â€Å"What's seven and five? † and Hans would tap out the number 12 with his hoof. Hans could even tap out answers to questions like, â€Å"If the eighth day of the month comes on Tuesday, what is the date for the following Friday? † .He could answer mathe ­ matical questions posed to him by complete strangers, too. Eventually a psychologist named Oskar Pfungst managed to show that Hans wasn't really counting. Instead, Hans was observing sub ­ tle, unconscious cues the humans had no idea they were giving of He'd start tapping his foot when he could see it was time to start tapping; then he'd stop tapping his foot when he saw it was time to stop tapping. His questioners were making tiny, move ­ ments only Hans could see. The movements were so tiny the humans making themcouldn't even feel them. Dr.Pfungst couldn't see the movements, either, and he was look ­ ing for them. He finally solved the case by putting Hans's question ­ers out of view and having them ask Hans questions they didn't know the answers to themselves. It turned out Hans could answer questions only when the person asking the question was in plain view and already knew the answer. If either condition was missing, his performance fell apart. Psychologists often use the Clev er Hans story to show that humans who believe animals are intelligent are deluding themselves. But that's not the obvious conclusion as far as I'm concerned.No one has ever been able to train a horse to do what Hans did. Hans trained himself. Is the ability to read a member of a different species as well as Hans was reading human beings really a sign that he was just a â€Å"dumb animal† who'd been classically conditioned to stamp his hoof? I think there'smore to it than that. What makes Hans similar to the seizure alert dogs is that both Hans and the dogs acquired their skills without human help. As I mentioned, to my knowledge, so far no one's figured out how to take a â€Å"raw† dog and teach it how to predict seizures.About the best a trainer can do is reward the dogs for helping when a person is having a seizure and then leave it up to the dog to star identifYing signs that predict the onset of a seizure on his own. That approach hasn't been hugely successful, but some dogs do it. I think those dogs are showing superior intelligence the same way a human who can do something few other people can do shows superior intelli ­gence. What makes the actions of the seizure alert dogs, and probably of Hans, too, a sign of high intelligence–or high talent-is the fact that they didn't have to do what they did.It's one thing for a dog to start recognizing the signs that a seizure coming; you might chalk that up to unique aspects of canine hearing, smell, or vision, like the fact that a dog can hear a dog whistle while a human can't. But it's another thing for a dog to start to recognize the signs of an impend ­ing seizure and then decide to do something about it. That's what intelligence is in humans; intelligence is people using their built-in perceptual and cognitive skills to achieve useful and sometimes remarkable goals.

Gender Issues Related to Intersection Theory Essay

The society we are living in strives to attain equality in all aspects. These include the people’s race, class, and gender. It is evident that most places in the world today would want equal treatment for everyone, no matter what color of skin you have, no matter what class you were brought up into, and no matter what your gender is. There still are obvious distinctions between people, but it is not much of a concern in today’s society. This is what most of us aims for, despite the obstacles getting in the way. Despite all the efforts towards breaking the barriers of inequality, it still remains a big problem for our society, as it is difficult to do away with the things that people have been accustomed to. The most prevalent of all are gender related issues, the superiority complex between men and women, who get to boss around and who get to follow. These gender related issues can be traced back in the early years of the world’s history, as it was the men who were deemed to be superior to women. They were the ones which held great positions in the society, while women were treated as an ornament or something material. Later studies in the interaction of people in the society came up with the concept of an â€Å"intersection theory. † The intersection theory is a concept which relates a person’s race, socioeconomic status, and gender to their personal constructs and perceptions of reality. There was a growing call for the consideration of various interactions and interrelations among the people’s races, classes and their gender. Aggregations between women or men are not enough to be able to describe an individual’s position in a society he or she belongs to. Those who advocate this intersection theory aimed to devise new research strategies wherein they could effectively incorporate all three dimensions of stratification (race, class, gender) simultaneously in just a single frame of analysis. According to an article, gender class, race, and culture are the essential or the core components of a person’s identity formation, and are interlocking categories of experience that affects various aspects of human life. This is from the article The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Class: An Overview and Guide to Teaching. According to this, throughout a person’s life, the factors which continually shape an individual’s image of himself and his place in the world are essentially the identity constructs of gender, race, class and culture. This article attempts to explore various multiple and dynamic intersections of one’s gender with race, culture, and class in the aspect of psychosocial identity formation. This is in order to reduce or minimize the risk from homogenizing or the polarization of the society’s understandings of these various characteristics. The goal was to be able to promote a dialogue among various helping professionals when it comes to the role of these simultaneous intersections, including its effect on the lives of clients, as well as address their problems, and to mainly empower them as individuals. This is much better than focusing on one aspect of identity only. In an article by Susanna George, she discusses about the intersectional approach which has been used for quite some time already, but is not duly recognized by many regarding concerns about gender, race, and class. The article Why Intersectionality Works talks more in terms of the positive consequences brought about by these identities. When it comes to the context of gender, George discusses that women continued to ponder on how gender affected their lives. But women are not the only ones involved with gender or sexism. Men as well, are driven towards an orientation towards success, competition, and the need to be in control because they are gendered beings, and were greatly influenced by these rigid and sexist discourses about how men should be and should not be. A series of seminars entitled Theorizing Race, Gender, and Class: A New Paradigm for Social Research, discussed how the society is slowly adapting towards the things being taught to a group of diverse audience. This is spearheaded by Dr. Bart Landry, wherein he talks about the emerging paradigm of Intersection Theory and Analysis. Through this, people are able to understand more about what is being taught, since their race, ethnicity, and gender are put into consideration. The problems regarding writing and teaching are being scrutinized so that the concern regarding the intersection of racial, ethnic, sexual, as well as the national origin diversities are being met and properly addressed. An article by the group, PeaceWomen: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom tackled about various relationships among women’s gender identity constructs, in line with the economic justice. The article Statement on Global Economy: Gender, Class and Racism hypothesized on various relationships regarding gender self-definition, as well as female identity development statuses and between gender self-acceptance and female identity development statuses. They also integrated feminist analysis of economic issues at a global level, where they intersected various elements of information that affects economy on the largest scale. Some of these hypothesis were supported and strengthened, including the finding which positively correlates gender self definition and self acceptance to ethnic identity. In David Levering Lewis Beyond Exclusivity: Writing Race, Class, Gender into U. S. History, the author discussed how scholars heavily relied on various images of race, class, and gender being viewed as â€Å"intersecting and interlocking† types of oppression and disempowerment mainly on women. This clearly defined how various feminists were able to come up with premises stating that race, class, and gender are social structural locations. These structural locations are the ones responsible for shaping up various perspectives. They also stated that there is no individual who is all-oppressed or all-oppressing, and that the meanings of race, class and gender are usually localized. These three all depend on and mutually constitute each other. In an article by Karen Hardee, there is a discussion on how gender, access and quality of care in reproductive services varied from different places. The factors include social categories of gender, sexuality, class and ethnicity including their relation to various subjectivities has attracted several theoretical attentions. The article The Intersection of Gender, Access, and Quality of Care in Reproductive Services: Examples from Kenya, India, and Guatemala, showed how the authors considered how these identities of class, gender and sexuality interrelate in practice. They achieved this b drawing and pondering on an empirical study of several women in the wine industry which they have undertaken, as well as the selection of some contemporary works which could be considered as links to multiple social categories. Conclusion Gender issues can be viewed from various perspectives. It could be from the point of view of the oppressed or from the vantage point of the oppressor. But looking closely at these issues, we could see that it is somewhat related to matters of equal importance. This includes concerns like race, class, or ethnicity, and no matter how one looks at it, there is truly a relationship between different identities. Because of this, it is important not to tackle one issue alone, instead take them as a whole, in order to better understand the matter. Gender issues are indeed, matters which should not be taken lightly. Quality of Sources: http://www. cofc. edu/~winfield/socy354/intersections. html This source is not biased because it demonstrated how intersection theory can be applied in various empirical studies through a series of testing. It is also from an educational institution which is why the information can be verified through an inquiry. http://www. isiswomen. org/wia/wiawcar/intersectionality. htm This source is biased because the author injected her own opinion regarding the concept of intersection of gender with other identities. This information is from a feminist organization, so the bias is clearly towards women. www. bsos. umd. edu/socy/People/Faculty/Syllabi/socy682_blandry. pdf This source is somewhat biased, as the author gave his perspective on the topic, injecting personal accounts and opinions in her discussions. But the credibility is still there, and it aims to educate people through a series of seminars. http://www. peacewomen. org/resources/Racial_Discrimination/csw2001race. html This source is somewhat biased, as it discussed various issues on gender and the global economy while addressing on the concerns of women empowerment. This information is also from a feminist organization so the bias would be towards women. silverdialogues. fas. nyu. edu/docs/CP/301/leveringlewis. pdf This source is biased as it offered the authors own perspective regarding the concepts of social inequality, including the various intersections of class, age, gender, ethnicity, and race. The content however, is credible, as it is supported by concrete information from other sources presented by the author. www. prb. org/pdf05/IntersectionOfGender. pdf The source is not biased and is credible because it illustrates various situations on the intersection of gender with other identities in the context of different countries. It is descriptive without the author injecting her personal views on the topic. http://www. classism. org/home_intersection. html The source is biased because it seeks to persuade people regarding the various identities, so its bias would be those who are negatively affected by this matter. http://gateway. nlm. nih. gov/MeetingAbstracts/102262300. html The source is not biased and is credible because it conducted a series of tests in order to arrive at a certain conclusion, without the author injecting personal opinion about the research and how it should turn out.http://he-cda. wiley. com/WileyCDA/HigherEdTitle/productCd-0787976636. html The source is biased because the article is highly opinionated, where arguments from the author are mainly her own perspective. www. courts. state. pa. us/Index/Supreme/BiasCmte/FinalReport. ch14. pdf The article is not biased, as it was able to arrive at a conclusion by means of a series of test regarding a certain concern. References: 2002. The Intersection of Racial and Gender Bias. www. courts. state. pa. us/Index/Supreme/BiasCmte/FinalReport.ch14. pdf. February 4, 2008. Classism. org. 2007. Intersections: Race, Class & Gender. http://www. classism. org/home_intersection. html. February 4, 2008. Susanna George. 2001. Why Intersectionality Works. http://www. isiswomen. org/wia/wiawcar/intersectionality. htm. February 4, 2008. Karen Hardee. 2005. The Intersection of Gender, Access, and Quality of Care in Reproductive Services: Examples from Kenya, India, and Guatemala. www. prb. org/pdf05/IntersectionOfGender. pdf. February 4, 2008. Bart Landry. 2003. Theorizing Race, Gender, and Class: A New Paradigm for Social Research. www. bsos. umd. edu/socy/People/Faculty/Syllabi/socy682_blandry. pdf. February 4, 2008. David Levering Lewis. 2001. Beyond Exclusivity: Writing Race, Class, Gender Into U. S. History. silverdialogues. fas. nyu. edu/docs/CP/301/leveringlewis. pdf. February 4, 2008 PeaceWomen. org. 2001. Statement on Global Economy: Gender, Class and Racism. http://www. peacewomen. org/resources/Racial_Discrimination/csw2001race. html. February 4, 2008. L. Roberts. 2003. The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Adolescent Dating Relationships: An Exploratory Study of Intimate Violence and HIV Risk. http://gateway. nlm. nih. gov/MeetingAbstracts/102262300. html. February 4, 2008. Amy J. Schulz. 2005. Gender, Race, Class and Health: Intersectional Approaches. http://he-cda. wiley. com/WileyCDA/HigherEdTitle/productCd-0787976636. html. February 4, 2008. The Institute for Teaching and Research on Women. 2006. The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Class: An Overview and Guide to Teaching. http://www. cofc. edu/~winfield/socy354/intersections. html. February 4, 2008.

Analysis of Humaneness of Hebrew Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Humaneness of Hebrew Law - Essay Example The society at the time was divided of the noble and commoners. Hebrew law was so mindful of life that if a kidnapping took place but with the intention of selling to caravan traders, this was a capital crime. Another offense that carried the same weight was striking a fellow man and killing him. However, there were exceptions to the laws, it the person that was stroke did not die but woke up after a day or two, punishment would be in the form of financial compensation. Notably, there is a difference between the Hebrew law and biblical laws. While the Hebrew law permitted taking life for an act of house invasion, the Bible does not give leeway. The writers of Deuteronomy emphasized in Moses’ teaching to the Hebrews. It was to govern them upon entering Canaan. Deuteronomy reflects the new challenges faced by the Hebrew in entering Canaan and the law was pivoted along fairness in judgment. The people were expected to appoint judges in all the towns according to the tribes present, and that no one was to pervert justice. In the time, seventh century B.C, a single witness was not enough for an accused person to be found guilty. At least two was needed for righteousness to be achieved. If a brother gave false witness against another and this was found out, it would be done to him what he intended for the other. Treatment of slaves was fair in that, a slave who escapes from his master for oppression was not to be returned to him. The Hebrew law was to govern the Hebrews in the period after coming from Egypt and before entering Canaan. It was the legislation of Moses as depicted in Exodus. The writers of Deuteronomy intended that it be used to achieve justice and righteousness upon entering Canaan. It was a reform program that was linked to the laws of Moses, and the central theme was to attain justice for every party in a conflict. Written as though it was the last speech of Moses, Deuteronomy reflects the new problems

Identify both a federal and state (any state) legislative action that Essay

Identify both a federal and state (any state) legislative action that was created in response to the problems of domestic abuse - Essay Example Under the VAWA, all Federal domestic violence crimes are considered to be felonies and as such punishable with imprisonment based on the injury caused. Violation of the Gun Control Act also includes - possessing a firearm and/or ammunition after conviction of a qualifying misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(9) The punishment meted out for this crime is a prison term which ranges from 5years to life imprisonment depending on the extent of injury caused by the defendant. The legislative process includes lodging a complaint, followed by an enquiry and investigation. The court of law summons the respective parties and after thoroughly examining the details of the case, passes its judgment. The judgment also includes the prison term and fines if any to be fulfilled by the abusive party. The Federal law also lends protection and support to the victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence has a bad effect on society and so the Federal Government has taken ste ps to curb and prevent it by funding nation-wide programs related to integration and migration. References Action Plan of the Federal Government www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/responses/GERMANYweb Federal domestic Violence Laws www.justice.gov/usao/gan/documents/federallaws

Exam Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exam Questions - Essay Example This results in a reduction per unit output and an increase in their average rate of operation. Such mergers can be extremely beneficial to companies who can benefit from the future advantage of multiple manufacturers are supported by a singular center. This can prove to be quite cost effective in the long term. 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the friendly versus hostile approaches to a corporate takeover? Hostile takeovers are sometimes preferred because it allows the takeover firm to, essentially, ambush the target company, giving them no time to react, preempt, or interfere with such a takeover. It forces the hands of the target company giving them little beneficial choice in attempting to impede the takeover. Friendly takeovers are only really beneficial when the takeover company wants to maintain much of the staff and management and prevent any interference in productivity. A friendly takeover comes with a warning and can encourage more cooperation; however that is not always the case. Sometimes, the foreknowledge of the takeover can lead to the target company, raising the value of its stocks and granting greater opportunity to impede the process if they so wish. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but it’s the opportunity that the element of surprise offers that makes hostile takeovers so common. 3. What are the four basic types of business level strategies that companies commonly pursue, and how are they different? The four basic types of business level strategies that companies commonly pursue are. 1. Price or Cost leadership: Cost leadership developing a firm with the lowest cost of operation within their industry and aims to increase scale of production. Price leadership refers to a business that may be the one with the lower cost to produce but not necessarily selling its products and services at the lowest cost. 2. Product differentiation: Is a company that works to make its products so very different in its appearance and packaging in order to set it apart from the its competitors. This can be lucrative for a business as the consumers perceive the unique appearance as a sign of a superior product. 3. Focus or niche strategies: Refers to a firm or company that specifies its products to a specific demographic or group that is not necessarily the majority of consumers. Essentially it is an opportunity to become a mainstay within that product industry. 4. Hybrid Strategies: This, simply, refers to firms that option to combine the different styles and incorporate elements of each. In other words it focuses on efficient cost effective production, works to make their product unique amongst its competitors, and seeks out its own appropriate niche to guarantee greater profit. 4. Identify at least three criteria that might be used to select a manufacturing firm as a potential acquisition candidate. A financial services firm? A high technology firm? (Answer these questions in 110 words or less) Any given busin ess must be wise in choosing the manufacturing, financial, and high technology firms that they employ for their business. There are some very important criteria that they will consider when making the selection of each. When seeking a financial servicing firm they may

Usability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Usability - Essay Example This will test whether the audience really comprehends the key steps of limestone cave formations in this national park. Also, experts in display designing can view the display and make an audit as to whether the display complies with the market demand. In this case, the display is intended to attract tourists to the said caves. It should therefore be intriguing, interesting and detailed. The perfect usability test of designing and utilizing a patio, the leads or (instructions) should be precise, brief and straightforward so that the homeowners can comprehend and handle the tasks themselves with ease. The instructions should expound on how concrete slabs or tiles are blended to come up with a smooth courtyard. It should also incorporate aesthetic beauty which will encourage the users to construct more patios. The instructions should be captivating and legible. In this case, manuals containing the instructions can be submitted to the owners then after they read through, they can be assessed as to whether they understood them by having them describe the steps they can as well be asked to design the patio without referring to the

How does changing the ways in which we connect to others offer us new, Essay - 1

How does changing the ways in which we connect to others offer us new, positive possibilities How does it affect us negatively - Essay Example The development of new technologies has been providing all the more new ways of communication and connection between people. The distances are becoming faster and easier to overcome; contacts are easier to establish; new acquaintances and connections surround us everywhere, 24/7. Nowadays, technologies offer the mankind a thousand options and opportunities – for work, shopping, entertainment and communication. One doesn’t need travel to another part of the country or even the world to see and talk to his/her relatives as it is now possible to call them on the phone, e-mail them or write on Facebook. Keeping in touch with friends is also much easier via social networking technologies, and prompt professional communications are guaranteed as cellphones, faxes and computers are always at your fingertips. In general, technology has been playing a significant role in our lives recently, and its importance continues to increase. Growing popularity of the World Wide Web make u s more and more addicted to the new ways of communication and connecting to people. In fact, our entire social life is now dominated by technological means of communication, which produces a complex and dubious effect on us. However, the contour of things used to be different even a century or two ago: Adam Gopnik states that the key to the changes in our overall lifestyle and social behavior lies in invention of telegrams and trains (Gopnik). Yearning to reduce distances and draw closer together, people have invented technologies that have taken roots in the world’s developed communities so firmly that they might have a devastating effect. So what are those multifaceted impacts the new ways of connection between people have? Talking of the positive effects of globalization and growth of technological means’ of communication role, one should focus foremost on professional and personal relationships that

Is Ham correct that connection between science and naturalism is Thesis

Is Ham correct that connection between science and naturalism is arbitrary - Thesis Example Nye supports science by citing evolution theory to prove that creationism or naturalism is not connected to science. Scientists based their evidence on evolution theory that explains the origin of flora and fauna. Nye also confirms the arbitrary connection between science and naturalism when he says in the debate that creationism should not be offered in school alongside the scientific theory coursework. While Nye argues that the scientific theory is false, Ham arguments are based on religious beliefs that have been captured in the book of Genesis. Additionally, Ham’s interpretation about the creationism in Genesis shows that the earth was created 6,000 years ago through supernatural powers. On the other hand, Nye describes the earth that was formed 4.5 billion years ago by using proof such as homologies, fossil, and distribution of time and space. The disparities in Earth’s age brought forward by Ham and Nye confirms further that the link between naturalism and science is a random occurrence (Etchells). Scientific theories are essential because they are used to explain the historical origin of the phenomena under study. The criteria debunk myths when they provide consistent results to the public. Scientific theory is used in creating awareness through education about the essence of science as a whole. Students use the theories as point of reference when they are given scientific-based prompts. Additionally, scientific theories promote lessons of intelligence and research. Observations that are made are based on theories brought forward by ancient scientists. There would be limited knowledge about natural phenomena if there were no existing theories such as evolution. Ham makes his remarks by quoting importance of science and creationism in school. He reveals that researchers such as Stuart Burgess have embraced both science and creationism as separate entities. However, the professor uses scientific

The Ego, The Superego and The Id Essay Example for Free

The Ego, The Superego and The Id Essay The structure of the personality in psychoanalytic theory is threefold. Freud divided it into the id, the ego and the superego. Only the ego is visible, or on the surface one may say, while the id and the superego remain hidden, below the surface of what we show of our personalities to others, but each has its own effects on the personality nonetheless. This essay seeks to explore these three layers of personality and how they work with one another. In Freuds structural hypothesis, the id is generally recognised as the psychic representative of the drives. (Berger 1995 p.106) The id represents biological forces and is always present in the personality. The id is governed by the pleasure principle, or notion of hedonism (seeking of pleasure). Early in the development of his theory Freud saw sexual energy, or the libido or the life instinct, as the only source of energy for the id. It was this notion that gave rise to the popular conception that psychoanalysis is all about sex. Read more: Superego examples essay After the carnage of World War I, however, Freud felt it necessary to add another instinct, or source of energy to the id. So, he proposed Thanatos, the death instinct. Thanatos accounts for the instinctual violent urges of humankind. Obviously the rest of the personality would have somehow to deal with these two instincts. It is interesting to note how Hollywood has capitalised on the id; box office success is highly correlated with movies that stress sex, violence, or both. We can come nearer to the id with images, and call it chaos, a cauldron of  seething excitement. We suppose that it is somewhere in direct contact  with somatic processes, takes over from their instinctual needs and gives  them mental representation. These instincts fill it with energy, but it has  no organisation and no unified will, only an impulsion to obtain satisfaction  for the instinctual needs, in accordance with the pleasure principle. (Hinsie Campbell, 1970 cited in Berger 1995 p. 106) The id is a source of energy and should not be retained too much, but at the same time we must contain it, otherwise its force and desire for pleasure shall dominate our lives, inhibiting our life progress; our lives would be dominated by impulses. The id knows no values, no good or evil, no morality. The quantitative factor, which is so closely bound up with the pleasure principle, dominates all its processes. We view the id as containing instinctual cathexes seeking discharge. According to Freud, the id constitutes the total psychic apparatus of the newborn; the psychic later splits into three parts adding an ego and superego. Although this view that the psyche is all id at birth has been criticised, what is generally held is that the id precedes the development of the ego and the superego. The ego is thought to start functioning early in life, around the age of five or six months old and is concerned with the environment. This is because the ego is involved in making sure that the id secures its gratifications. (Berger 1995 p.106) After researching the ego, I, as I think many, found its concepts much more complicated than the id. I will try to simplify the central ideas of the ego, as often it helps to make a more precise and understandable picture in ones own mind. A primary function of the ego is to mediate between the id and the superego, trying to keep them in balance. The ego is the part of the psychic apparatus which is the mediator between the person and reality, (Hinsie Campbell 1970 cited in Berger 1995 p.107) not only this but it functions to perceive and adapt to reality. Tasks of the ego include such things as perception, motor control and the use of the reality principle. The ego seeks to influence the id and its tendencies by the external world. It also tries to substitute the reality principle for the pleasure principle, which rules unrestrictedly in the id. Ego represents the common sense and reason whilst the id contains passion. The functional importance of the ego to the id is well captured in an analogy used by Joan Riviere (1962), where it is like a man on horse back, who has to hold in check the superior strength of the horse, with the difference being that the rider tries to do so with his own strength, whilst the ego uses borrowed forces. The ego is in the habit of transforming the ids will into action as if it were its own. (Rieviere 1962 p.15) Speaking broadly, perceptions may have the same significance for the ego as instincts have for the id. At the same time the ego is subject to the influence of the instincts too. As shown by Freud in Civilisation and its discontents there are two classes of instincts; one is the sexual instincts known as Eros, and the second is the instinct of death. The death instinct would thus seem to express itself as an instinct of destruction directed against the external world and other organisms. Sadism and masochism are both manifestations of the destructive instinct. Masochism is a union between destructiveness directed inward and sexuality (Freud 1957). It is in sadism, where the death instinct twists the erotic aim in its own sense and at the same time satisfies the erotic urge. The instinct of destruction, moderated and and tamed, inhibited in its aim, must, when it is directed toward objects, provide the ego with the satisfaction of its vital needs and with control over nature. (Freud 19 57) The transformation of erotic libido into ego-libido of course involves an abandonment of sexual aims. This highlights an important function of the ego in its relation to Eros. Riviere (1962) explains that by getting hold of the libido from the object cathexes, setting itself up as a sole love-object, and converting the libido of the id, the ego is working in opposition to the purposes of Eros and placing itself at the service of the opposing instinctual impulses. It has to participate in some of the other object-cathexes of the id, so to speak. This implies an importance of the theory of narcissism. At the beginning, all of the libido is collected in the id. The id sends part of this libido out into erotic object-cathexes, where the ego, once grown stronger, tries to gain this object-libido and to force itself on the id as a love object. The narcissism of the ego is thus a secondary one, which has been withdrawn from objects. Usually, when one is able to trace instinctual impulses back, we find them to be derivatives of Eros. Some creatures die in the act, or after, copulation because after Eros has been eliminated through the process of satisfaction, the death instinct has a free hand for accomplishing its purposes. (Riviere 1960 p.37) Freud (1963) sees civilisation as based upon individuals learning to control their sexual urges and finding other ways of getting gratification.  But because sexual impulses are powerful, there is always a tension between them and the institutions in society. Civilisation, as Freud points out in Civilisation and its Discontents (1957), is the cause of many of our miseries: it forces us to give up uninhibited instinctual gratifications (in particular, genital satisfactions and aggressiveness), and it creates guilt. Life consists of the struggle of mankind between Eros and death, betw een instinct of life and instinct of destruction; this presents the meaning of the evolution of civilisation. Now we turn to explore the third structure, the superego. According to Freud, the superego is the agency in our psychs involved with conscience, morality and ideal aspirations. The superego consists of two parts, the conscience and the ego-ideal. The conscience is the familiar metaphor of angel and devil on each shoulder. The conscience decides what course of action one should take, what is right and what is wrong, and forces the ego to inhibit the id in pursuit of morally acceptable, not pleasurable or even realistic, goals. The ego ideal is an idealised view of ones self. Comparisons are made between the ego-ideal and ones actual behaviour. Both parts of the superego develop with experience with others or through social interactions. According to Freud, a strong superego serves to inhibit the biological instincts of the id, while a weak one gives into the ids urgings. The superego is part of a trio that controls our urges and desires. The id being the urge at its raw form, the ego filtering the urge (in a very complicated manner!) and the superego is the decider of whether or not the urge can be satisfied immediately or must be put aside for later. The superego is not created when we are born, rather we are born with the superego and it develops over the course of our life as new rules and regulations are brought to light. The superego is known as the seat of morality, part conscious and part unconscious. It is the part of us that induces guilt. In Civilisation and its Discontents, this question is posed, what means does civilisation employ in order to inhibit the aggressiveness which opposes it? To this, Freud explains that ones aggressiveness is internalised, it is sent back to where it came from, and it is directed toward ones own ego. There its taken over by a portion of  the ego, which sets itself over against the rest of the ego as superego, and which now, in the form of conscience, is ready to put into action against the ego the same harsh aggressiveness that the ego would have liked to satisfy upon other, extraneous individuals. The tension between the harsh superego and the ego is called the sense of guilt. Civilisation controls ones desire for aggression by setting up an agency (the superego) within a person to watch over it and control it. We can compare the superego to a personal watchdog, keeping us in line with the rules of society, sometimes these rules are broken and the superego lets us know by inducing in us a sense of guilt. When we do well, our superego makes us swell with pride and joy. Our superegos are shaped primarily by the superegos of our grandparents, as they shape our parents superegos, who then socialise us and give us our moral sensibilities. The severity of our superegos is not tied to how strict our parents were when raising us, but the way they have dealt with their Oedipus complexes and our  internalization of this process. Too complex to fully expand on now, I shall just say that the superego develops, according to psychoanalytic theory, out of our need to deny hostile wishes we have,  incestuous in nature, which may simply be described as our Oedipus complexes. I believe the words of David Stevenson (1966) give a clear and concise insight into the superego. While the ego may temporarily repress certain urges of the id in fear of  punishment, eventually these external sources of punishment are internalised,  and the child will not steal a chocolate, even unwatched, because he has taken  punishment, right, and wrong into himself. The superego uses guilt and self-reproach  as its primary means of enforcement for these rules. But if a person has done  something which is acceptable, he experiences pride and self-satisfaction. I have discussed the structural relationship within the mental personality, and although very complex, Freuds work on the ego, superego and id has continued to be greatly studied, respected and used to expend our fields of knowledge.

Interpreting The History Of Volcanoes And Volcanic Rocks Essay Example for Free

Interpreting The History Of Volcanoes And Volcanic Rocks Essay Drawing from the diagram, the volcanic history is as outlined below and other relevant details are also supplied. 1.0 Sequential summary of volcanic history the area a. Andersite porphyry: this is the oldest. Andersite indicates magma of intermediate composition. Its silica content is midway between felsic rocks (having high silica content) and mafic rocks (having low silica content). Its formation is a two-step process where slow cooling occurs at the initial stage within the crust forming large crystals as a result. However, the remaining magma moves further out and, as a result, cools to form a fine grained texture within which the earlier formed large crystals are embedded. This indicates a slow eruption. b. Turf grading into braccia: these are pyroclastic rocks formed by violent eruption of highly viscous magma. The tuff is finer than breccia but the two are of the same occurrence of formation. The magma forces its way out shattering the surrounding plastic rocks into ashes and block fragments. These consolidate to form tuff and breccia respectively and are likely to be felsic since high viscousity indicates a high silica content c. Dacite porphyry: this is of similar composition and formation style as andersite porphyry though it has higher silica content than andersite. d. Pumice Breccia: pumice is fine textured, filled with porous holes containing gases that were trapped within the forming magma at the onset of eruption. The gases later escapes to form a light, porous glassy rock. The breccia was likely to have resulted from the shattering of the rocks as the magma erupts out. Pumice is light colured which indicates a felsic composition (felsic rocks are lightly coloured than mafic rocks) e. Polymictic breccia: this indicates a mixture of breccia of varying silica content which indicates the onset of the formation of an interrupting basaltic formation which is to follow after. However, the mode of formation is still violent. f. Basalt with rough blacky top: this is a fine grained mafic rock. The rough top indicates that the forming magma was gently erupted and the viscosity low enough to cause the included gas to just escape leaving the bubble spaces at the top. g. Andersite: this has been seen as of intermediate silica composition. The absence of porphyritic material may indicate a less quiet eruption. h. Obsidian with pumice streak: the youngest rock; obsidian resembles pumice but without the bubble holes. The presence of pumice streak indicates violent eruption since some of the gases were trapped as a result of the violence. It is felsic. 2.0 Since the last eruption is about 19 years earlier (the age of the youngest layer), the volcano is still active. The earthquakes and the likes are likely pointers to another volcanic eruption. So evacuation is imminent. 3.0 This is an example of a composite or cinder-cone volcano. The seldom occurrence of pyroclastic materials and rocks of intermediate composition suggests this. These, in addition to the fact that the rocks are from highly viscous magma, also suggests that the volcano is located at a volcanic arc.

Importance Of The Performance Appraisal Business Essay

Importance Of The Performance Appraisal Business Essay Q3. Critically assess the importance of the Performance Appraisal as a function of human resource management in either a private or a public sector organization. Use a relevant case study discussed in the seminars to illustrate the importance of the above in relation to the strategic business objective of the organization. Introduction The Human Resources Management (HRM) is rational allocation of human resources in planned way based on the requirements of development strategy of organizations, which ensure the corporate strategic objectives. The HRM is a series of corporate policies in human resources affairs and relevant management activities. A diversity of functions are included in the HRM, and the key is to determine the employment needs of an organization and whether to outsource or hire staffs to fill these vacancies, recruiting, training, evaluating performance, and guaranteeing the personnel and management performs conform to numerous rules. Performance appraisal is one of the key functions of the HRM, it has a largely effect on the success of the organizations HRM, thus, it is no need to say that performance appraisal plays an important role in either private or public sector organizations. However, due to the complicated relationship within the organizations and the difficulties in designing appraisal system, performance appraisal cannot always be effective and useful. In this paper, some basic concept of performance appraisal will be discussed at the very beginning, the importance of performance appraisal will be discussed after that, issues which leads to ineffective of appraisal will be indicated and a case will also be used to illustrate the importance of performance appraisal. The Role and Purpose of Performance Appraisal The performance appraisal is one of the most important parts of HRM system. Performance appraisal is the method of obtaining, analyzing, and recording evidence about the relative value of a staff to the organization. It is an analysis of a staffs recent performance, advantages and disadvantages, and suitability for training or promotion in the future. Besides rewards allocation, organizations also use appraisals to offer growing advice to employees, as well as to know their perspectives about their positions, departments, supervisors and organizations (Walsh and Fisher, 2005). Generally speaking, the processes of performance appraisal are in six following steps: 1. discussing and establishing standards of performance with employees; 2. setting assessable targets; 3. measuring real performance; 4. comparing real performance with the employee; 5. discussing the evaluation with employee; 6. initiating corrective action when it is necessary. As a crucial function of HRM, although there is no consensus on the purpose of performance appraisal, the purpose of performance appraisal is generally identified as to improve current performance, provide feedback, increase motivation, identify training needs, identify potential, let individuals know what is expected of them, focus on career development, award salary increases and solve job problems (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2002). Performance appraisal plays a verity of roles in the HRM: it encourages supervisor and staff have regular and organized dialogue, makes the provision of feedback to the employee being assessed comprehensively; it enables to evaluate past and current performance, aims to find out the possibility for improvement and how to achieve it; it identifies the needs of training and individual or professional developmental; it gives advice for promotion and secondment; it is used to decide the performance-based payment. The Importance of Performance Appraisal in Organizations It is clearly that the HRM makes a great contribution for either private or public sector organizations to achieve organization goals, therefore, as an important function of HRM, the performance appraisal has significant importance in organizations. If there is no performance appraisal system, an organization can hardly have a clear understanding of its current situation, therefore it cannot get the direction and goals for improvement for future, the situation of the organization will be dangerous. If the performance appraisal system is full of deviation or even error, it can possibly lead the organization into a wrong direction of resource inputting, thus the organization will lose its long-term competitiveness. On the contrary, an effective performance appraisal system can ensure resources of the organization invested into the most critical processes, which can improve competitive advantage of organization. Generally speaking, the importance of performance appraisal to organization is mainly reflected in three aspects: 1. Affecting the productivity and competitiveness of organization. Performance of employees has a huge effect on productivity and competitiveness of the organization. Performance can be measured from work results, work action and work attitude of employees; 2. Performance appraisal result is an important indicator of personnel decisions. Performance evaluation offers important reference when organization making personnel decisions, such as promotion or demotion, secondment, salary adjustment and so on; 3. Effectively performance appraisal leads to better staff management. It means that an organization can make better evaluation of staff performance, which results in more reasonable remuneration and incentive. It also means that an organization will be able to offer more help to employees self-development since performance evaluation can explore the potential of employees and help them know clearly about what they should do to meet expectations better. Besides, it will help to achieve better communication between superiors and staffs, which promote greater unity of purpose. It is no doubt to say that strategic control plays an important role in meeting strategic business objective of the organizations. Strategy implementation is best accomplished through high-performing people (Michlitsch, 2000), that is to say, the HRM functions are important strategic control measurements. The ability of the organization to obtain a benefit from the professional knowledge and employees vision will be limited if there is an invaluable link between human resources functions and strategic plans of organization (Humphreys, 2005), so the link between the HRM and strategic objective is so important. As one of the core functions of the HRM, performance appraisal has purpose on administration and motivation, it provides important information and feedback for the HRM, so it is necessary for leaders of organizations to understand and create accomplished performance appraisal and feedback systems, which can link human resource management activities with the strategic needs of th e business (Schuler, Fulkerson and Dowling, 1991). On the other hand, according to the research of Walsh and Fisher (2005), organizations performance appraisal processes operate in ways that are less than ideal. Performance appraisal may be leaded to useless and inaccurate situation by many factors such as time pressures, complicated forms and psychological defense. Whats more, the appraisal process may become unclear and incoherent since employees and organizations try to meet different needs by performance appraisal. That is why most organizations agree that performance appraisal is important and must be executed, but only a few organizations can execute it continuously, usefully and effectively. Besides, a performance appraisal system should build clarity and reinforce a strategic corporate mission/direction (Chadwick, 1991), different parts of the organization will make effort to achieve the objectives in their one-sided view if a performance appraisal system didnt build clarity and strengthen strategic organization objective, th is may lead to sabotaging to overall organization goal. If things come to this situation, performance appraisal cannot act as an important and useful role in the HRM, let alone in strategic control. A Case Study of Rother Homes Effective performance appraisal systems do make important contribution for either private or public sector organizations. One of the evidence is from the experience of Rother Homes, which included in the case studies we had discussed in the seminars. The strategic business objective of Rother Homes was to reorganize its top two management tiers, which needed help in plan of succession and in-house development of managers. Rother Homes wanted to create an organization capable of grasping the opportunities which independence allowed (Analoui, 2007). After preliminary restructuring, a brand new performance appraisal system was in great need and conducted gradually. According to well-planned process and customized, well designed feedback questionnaire, Rother Homes benefited from 360-degree feedback not only for their new performance appraisal system but also their program of management development. Ten-month management-development program was conducted on the base of new performance app raisal system, the program made employees expanding and applying knowledge and views better, it also made participants doing better in teamwork. This program got very positive feedback from managers. Finally, under the help of more suitable and supportive performance appraisal system, Rother Homes successfully reorganized its management tiers, whats more, they got a more cohesive and enthusiastic management group (Analoui, 2007), well met the strategic business objective. This example well illustrated the importance of performance appraisal in relation to the strategic business objective of the organization. Conclusion As one of the most important functions of the HRM, performance appraisal plays a big role in the success of the organizations HRM. Performance appraisal affects the productivity and competitiveness of organization, the results of performance appraisal is an important indicator of personnel decisions and effectively performance appraisal leads to better staff management. Performance appraisal has a big importance to either private or public sector organizations and an effectively performance appraisal system does offers great help for either private or public sector organizations to achieve strategic goals. However, since the complicated relationship within the organizations and the complications in establishing well-designed appraisal system, performance appraisal cannot always be effective and useful as we expected it. In one word, establishing an effective appraisal system is not an easy task and it can never be completed overnight (Caruth and Humphreys, 2008). The only way to deve lop a useful and effective performance appraisal system is to work hard, think carefully, plan seriously and design accurately as what Rother Homes has done, it is not easy but is definitely worth to do.

Kraft Foods, High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) Essay -- Case Study

In 1995, Kraft was created through the reorganization and merger of J. L. Kraft, Oscar Meyer, and C. W. Post into one operating company. For the reorganization the Operations Division chose to use the High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) change management tool because they believed it was the best way to include all of the necessary elements that would contribute to the vision of undisputed leadership. They also liked the HPWS tool because of its strict structure and because it was a good platform to create and communicate a consistent management philosophy. HPWS allowed them to monitor all of their plants, new and old, for efficiency and effectiveness of the reorganization. Strengths of the Change Intervention Kraft Foods, Inc. approached their change initiative by researching and testing before implementing. The High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) was first implemented into three start-up plants. The HPWS method was successful and adopted by the new plants. HPWS helps determine factors such as total inventory, cost of production, and measurement of productivity. Once the HPWS method proved to be successful it was then implemented into the existing plants to help gain control of costs, waste, and productivity. Kraft was able to provide quality examples to the existing plants of how this method improved productivity and profits. Employees were able to embrace the change plan easier when they could actually see the possible improvements. Kraft had a bonus because the employees were able to see the method working in similar situations, which helped build trust and acceptance in the change plan. This method also empowered the employees giving them an opportunity to increase their skill levels and an opportuni... ...ecause of the communication tools provided through HPWS. â€Å"By consistently applying the tools across Operations, Kraft was assured that people and work systems were aligned† (Carter et al, p.37). In fact, most of their Champions became so adept at HPWS that they are now internal consultants for the company. That level of knowledge, commitment, and motivation among their people will surely allow Kraft to sustain momentum and realize future success. References Bridges, W. (2009). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. Carter, L., Ulrich, D., & Goldsmith, M. (2005). Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organization Change: How the Best Companies Ensure Meaningful Change and Sustainable Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change . Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

College Admissions Essay - A Willingness to Overcome Differences

College Admissions Essay - A Willingness to Overcome Differences I have a fledgling friendship with Amalia, a Spanish speaking woman. Amalia is not fluent with english, and my Spanish is wobbly and crude. So we get together whenever possible to practice each other's native tongue, half an hour of Spanish, half an hour of English. When we first started meeting, I saw a forbidding wall of words that I thought had to come down if a bond of friendship was to grow. The words that bring me such exhilaration and such rousing exchanges of ideas in English turned ornery and cantankerous in Spanish. Talking to Amalia, I was careful to bring up topics that I thought my Spanish could handle without too many searches through the dictionary Amalia and I kept between us like a life vest we had to share. Despite that, I often found myself staring at a wall of words, stranded in a maze, with the right words eluding me, defying me, mocking me from where they hid. The words turned me into a blushing, stammering nitwit. I used exaggerated hand gestures and facial expressions. I got gender and number wrong much of the time, unaccustomed as I was to having to think about that in English. I was embarrassed by my strong American accent and by the mistakes I made. When I tried to tell Amalia that I had eaten fried eggs that morning, she had to gently tell me that I was referring to male anatomy. I referred to elderly people in a degrading way. When I thought I was calling a male friend "embarrassed," I was saying that he was "pregnant". Such is the wily nature of words. Still, I decided to earn my livelihood with words because I'm enamored of them, in awe of them. I'm usually a humble person near the bottom of the food chain, but words wield... ...a and I even though objects, ideas, and feelings are expressed with different words in our respective tongues. I learned that words aren't just representational, though they are that too, but that they can also be catalysts. They can influence human interaction, even when the thing they represent is not clear or, more to the point, at precisely that time. With Amalia and I, the words impelled us toward each other. The bond grew out of a mutual determination to knock down the language barrier, not from its having been diminished. Our act of tackling words signaled to each of us that the other was a person who wished barriers between people to be gone, not reinforced. We grew close because of the language barrier, not in spite of it. The edifice of words was the bond. I'd mistaken its true form. It wasn't a wall; it was a bridge. And now we've met in the middle.

Lizard by Dennis Covington Essay

Dennis Covington is an American writer of fiction whose stories give a realistic version of the world through the lives of the fictitious characters. He did his education in fiction writing and got BA degree from the University of Virginia. He married second time to Vicki Covington in 1977 and also taught at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (Alabama Center for the Book and Auburn University, 2008) Lizard is his commendable story of a deformed young teenage boy, Lucius Sims, whose deformity gets him a nickname Lizard. The whole story revolves around this boy, his anguish as he is abused and laughed at by other children and even though not mentally retarded yet is admitted in the asylum of mentally retarded children. Lucius Sims has a disfigured face and looks completely different from others and similar to a reptile. This makes him an object of ridicule and insults. He is often insulted and called â€Å"Turd Head† (Covington, 1991, p. 10) by the boys, and nurse refers him as â€Å"that boy with squashed head† (Covington, 1991, p. 28). He is also admitted in Leesville State School for mentally handicapped boys by a woman named Miss Colley with whom he was staying. From this place onwards his troubles and problems actually start. There is no sign or even evidence of his being mentally handicapped still he is forced to stay with these children which prove nothing less than a torture for him. His sending him off to the school of mental retarded children is just a means to get rid of him, so that Miss Colley could marry without having to face burden of taking care of him. Lucius is burdened of having to face not only these children but also adults so he decides to escape. Soon he gets an opportunity when he is helped by a young actress and an actor to flee from school. He takes this chance to escape into the new profound freedom. They take him into the acting company where he plays a role of Caliban in one of the organized Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. In course of his journey, he comes across range of people- orphaned brother and sister whom he finds staying in a dirty swamp, a museum curator, a black artist, and finally again Miss Cooley whom he finds to be his own mother. On this journey he has to face many situations and circumstances which are both tragic as well as comic like interstate chase, acting debut, unreciprocated love, his acting career and many more adventures. â€Å"While performing in the play, Lizard becomes a specifically American Caliban who finds through the culturally-authoritative voice of Shakespeare, language to speak the trauma of self and nation crystallized by the extreme political history of 1963. † (Hateley, 2009, p. 158) Plot moves very slowly in the beginning but becomes more mesmerizing as it moves forward. Whole text appears to be very loosely connected with again plot appearing to be like turning here and there and twisting. In some places, rough language has also been used which has very little or no relevance to the plot. Many people have been described in the book that gives a nice view about the present society as a whole and the difficulties it faces. It is a self narrative with an autobiographical touch as this whole story has been told by Lizard himself and from his perspective. Through this story, we could not stop but admire him for the way he shows courage and strength in dealing with the circumstances and the people around him. All other characters are also very intriguing allowing us to have a good grasp of the society and its ways. Lizard is Covington’s first work of fiction as he produced originality while espousing the social themes and the worldly affairs with great dexterity and as a keen watcher. This novel is more recommended for young aged between 14 to 16 who should adopt the attitude of love and tolerance towards these â€Å"other† unconventional children. It is also a novel of hope and optimism as in this odd world, a body with disfigured face wants to make his place. Through the eyes of this young boy nicknamed Lizard, writer allows us to show great wisdom, and love for all. It is also a way to remove the undaunted fear of adolescence. While reading the novel, it appears writer has achieved what he wanted with no doubt through the confused, tormented and on some occasions violent while other funny escapades of main the protagonist Lizard. Reference List Alabama Center for the Book and Auburn University. (2008). Dennis Covington. Retrieved on May 2, 2010 from W. W. W: http://www. alabamaliterarymap. org/author. cfm? AuthorID=134 Covington, D. (1991). Lizard. New York, N. Y: Bantam Doubleday Dell. Hateley, E. (2009) Shakespeare in children’s literature: gender and cultural capital. New York, NY: Routledge. Perantoni, C. (2003) First One I and Then the Other, in Reimagining Shakespeare for children and young adults edited by Naomi J. Miller. New York, NY: Routledge. Polette, N. & Ebbesmeyer, J. (2002). Literature lures: using picture books and novels to motivate middle school readers. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. Ward, M. (2006). Voices from the Margins: An Annotated Bibliography of Fiction of Disabilities and Differences for Young People. IAP.

How to manage your time effectively Essay

Ever come up short on schedule for something that should have been finished? On the off chance that you addressed yes, maybe you experienced difficulty dealing with your time legitimately. Time administration can show you how to take advantage of your time. Time management is one of the most important skills for university students. You should be very busy with your studies while, at the same time, balancing it with an on-campus social life. You have been admitted to the school of your choice, with hopes of meeting new friends and finding success in your classes. Getting into college is the easy part, but the hard part would be finishing it in one piece. College can be fun but at the same time frustrating, especially if your professors are being difficult or too strict. You may have thought some of these things when you first visited your university’s campus: †¢ I am overwhelmed. This is too much. †¢ The campus is so big, how will I ever find my way around? †¢ Okay, now I am a college student. Now, what happens? Surviving college is not just about how intelligent you are. It is not about how high you scored on standardized tests or admissions exams, and it is not entirely about classes and studying. People need to socialize; it’s part of their human nature. College does allow you to interact, but you must also study. It is important that you balance your time between studying and socializing. Some college students study themselves to the point of fatigue, but then some of them do not pass their classes due to stress. Other college students think of the university as one endless party. Some students do not appreciate the importance of socialization, and others do not value the importance of their education. You may be an intellect but it is not the only key to success in college. What is the secret to collegiate success? Time management is vital. College requires you to balance your life. You have to manage everything, such as class preparation, studying, campus organization activities, spending time with friends, eating healthy, exercising, and sleeping. Time management is not solely about studying, but also the attentiveness on relieving the stress of college life. Here are some ways that you can effectively manage your precious time: †¢ Learn to prioritize. Once you are focused on the goals you wish to achieve, you must prioritize the activities required to reach the goal. That will help you determine what particular task needs to be accomplished first and what tasks can be reserved for the future. To accomplish your goals more efficiently, try to mark deadlines on your calendar. †¢ Try to set goals. Know what you want to achieve and make those achievements your priority. That could be anything, whether you want to achieve the goal in a day, a week, a month, or a semester. Determine what your academic goal should be. Making goals could make it simpler for you to concentrate; instead of juggling subjects that you think are easy, it could be very stressful and often results in failing to achieve your goal. If you have more than one goal, it is wise to separate them into more manageable sections. Make a list of what you want to achieve for one week and for following weeks. †¢ Use extra time constructively. As an example, instead of doing nothing before class while waiting for the professor to arrive, try to think of the latest class assignment. If you are assigned to write an essay or research paper, use the time to think of a good topic for it. It is a fantastic way to portion your time into manageable pieces, and great time saver. It also allows you more time to spend time with your friends. When it comes to finishing tasks, sooner is always better than later. †¢ Time management planning is available for you to use to your advantage. Do not squander the resources and methods or available to you. The key to time management planning is carrying out the plans. Some college students get easily swayed by friends to attend a party while the student should be studying or otherwise in the process of achieving the established goals. Oftentimes, students think that they can put off the agenda until tomorrow. Doing so often results in too many things to do the next day, resulting in stress and frustration. You may have thought that each day is too short for you to finish all your work, and you may wish that there were more hours in a day. Those wishes are impossible. Therefore, the best course of action is to make use of what little time you do have.

Antisocial Behaviour Essay

In Britain antisocial behaviour between young people is a widely argued subject in the British media. More and more Brits at the age 13-18 are dropping out of school or work-based training and refuse to return. These young people are more than likely to face criminal action possibly leading to a fine or community sentence. But when we are talking about the term â€Å"Anti-social Behaviour†, then we need to know what it exactly means. The British â€Å"crime disorder act† of 1998 describes the term â€Å"†¦ n anti-social manner, that is to say, in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons †¦ † So to simplify, Antisocial behaviour is when a person is forced by his or hers environment to cause harassment to one-self or the persons surroundings, and as far as I understand the subject antisocial behaviour does not have to be of criminal nature, but it is more than likely to be so. In 2007 the percentage of 16 to 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training was 9 percent. It is exactly these young people who are the targets for becoming antisocial. So how do you make sure that these unfortunate teenagers don’t end in this so unfortunate situation and is it possible to force the teenagers to behave in a more civilised way? There are actually many suggestions for a solution to this nationwide problem. Some of them are quit controversial and are more likely to stop antisocial teenagers doing crime, than to prevent teenagers to not at all become antisocial. One of these alternative solutions is the â€Å"Mosquito† which is a sonic device that gives out a piercing noise audible only to teenagers and people in there early twenties. This device has been installed as a â€Å"yob† (slang for an antisocial person) deterrent at nearly 3,000 locations such as grocers and shopping malls across Great Britain. This Mosquito is a camouflaged speaker box not larger than shoebox and it sends out a pulse at 18 kilohertz which in the last end will give the young people acting antisocial in front of the store a terrible headache so they quickly leave the store. This method of fighting antisocial behaviour among teens has been shown very effective. In some stores in the UK crime outside the stores had dropped by 83 % since the device was installed. The device has actually earned so much respect among shopkeepers and government officials that some are considering that the Mosquito should be obligatory by law in most public places by night. So it is quite obvious to see all the positive aspects but not all are so enthusiastic. Chief constables in Britain say they are scared the Mosquito is going to infringe human rights. Authorities say that the device is indiscriminating and that people should consider the effects on the young people, because not all young people are antisocial yobs. So you can see that the meanings about the Mosquito vary quite a lot. The device is very effective against the teens that already are in the antisocial environment but the device is not at all preventive. So what could be done if you the British teenagers to not even think about becoming antisocial. The British former PM Tony Blair wants to force errant schoolchildren back to school by using dedicated truancy officers which will be deployed in the 200 schools with biggest yob and truancy problems. This plan spans over using more than ? 70m to stamp out antisocial behaviour, as well as 24,000 community support officers will also be conducting these truancy sweeps so they can force the teens back to school. The plan does also include tougher punishments to the yobs when they get caught. This is of course a very controversial method to tackle antisocial behaviour but it could be showing really effective because it is preventive and helps the teenagers in trouble before they become antisocial yobs. But of course as mentioned by opponents of the plan, the plan is so ambitious and expensive that it more looks like â€Å"a mish-mash of gimmick and spin† than an actual plan, which within realistic measures would be preventive without costing the country enormous amounts of money and labour. So here we have two very different plans which in two very different ways will deal with two very important parts of the subject antisocial behaviour among British teens. I do not think that there is any exactly solution to this very important problem in British cities, small towns and schools but of course the Mosquito has already proven its worth in more than 3,000 locations with success and has made it safer for those people being harassed by the yobs in the public. But unfortunately the Mosquito does not help educating the teens; it just makes the yobs find an other place for them to be at. The most important factor in this case is that you need to stop the antisocial behaviour in its process and not when it already has affected the young teenagers. So perhaps Tony Blair’s plan is the right way to do it, though I personally believe that the plan is way too focussed on hard punishment than in are pedagogical way. I don’t believe that tough punishment is the way of teaching youngsters today.

The Importance of Literature to Humanity

â€Å"Literature speaks the language of the imagination, and the study of literature is supposed to train and improve the imagination† (Frye 134). According to Northrop Frye the imagination is the combination between emotions and intellect in every individual. The more an individual is exposed to literature the better that person is at expanding their imagination, which he calls the educated imagination. Having an educated imagination helps one to think for themselves and create their own ideas and opinions. The educated imagination is a necessity of life in a political world, the study of literature is not an â€Å"elegant accomplishment† but a means of entry into a â€Å"free society† (Frye 147). With an educated imagination one is able to distinguish between moral and aesthetic truth, this is extremely important when it comes to politics. Politicians or simply people in a higher authority often use rhetoric language to manipulate and brainwash people with lies . In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury shows the negative effects rhetoric language can have on those with an uneducated imagination and that without literature society produces a world filled with ignorance. The absence of books in Fahrenheit 451 creates darkness within the society. In literature darkness is a symbol of ignorance, evil, falsehood, oblivion, despair and the unknown. Light on the other hand represents goodness, life, knowledge, fame and hope. During the entire novel the author constantly relates to darkness and night, â€Å"In the late afternoon it rained and the entire world was dark and grey† (Bradbury19). Books represent light; it provides people with knowledge, exposes truths and educates the mind. In this society books are illegal and the job of a fireman is to burn any house that contains books in it. Due to the burning of these books there is a lack of light in this society, just utter darkness. Because of the ignorance within the civilization the politicians are able to manipulate and convince the population that books and everything else that causes one to think is evil. This way they are able to easily influence and lead the population. Those that have been exposed to books realize that they are living in darkness and that their only way to get out of the darkness is through books, †Maybe these books can get us half out the cave† (Bradbury 74). All the darkness within the society has blinded the people into being unaware as to what is going on around them. The population is unconsciously being brainwashed and forced to conform without even knowing it. â€Å"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal† (Bradbury 58). Watching television became the major replacement for literature. This is because watching television does not require one to think but influences their thoughts which later influences their actions. The subconscious believes television is real. Watching television physically damages the brain and reduces intelligence. It also switches brain activity from the left side of the brain which is responsible for logic and critical analysis to the right side of the brain that is responsible for emotional responses. This allows each viewer to be heavily influenced and brainwashed by what they see and hear on TV. By restricting the population from literature and replacing it with televisions, they are decreasing the intelligence within the population making it easier to have full control over the society. Without the education one receives from books these people are simply sheep in a herd following their Sheppard. â€Å"The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man that cannot read them† Mark Twain. The society is afraid of being inferior to those who read and understand. All books have meaning. Reading gives people time to think and reflect on not only the text, but their lives as well, â€Å"So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life† (83), books reveal the truth about the world. By burning books the firemen are destroying knowledge and promoting ignorance. This is the reason for all the ignorance and darkness within the society. Due to the lack of literature the people have an uneducated imagination and are therefore unable to see past the governments’ use of rhetoric. the first thing our imaginations have to do for us, as soon as we can handle words well enough to read and write and talk, is to fight to protect us from falling into the illusions that society threatens us with† (Frye 60). Those who are caught reading books are exterminated or taken away to reduce the chances of them spreading their wisdom to others. Those that read are smarter and are seen as a threat to society. These individuals are able to see past society’s use of rhetoric, â€Å"We can see here how the ordinary use of hetoric, which attempts to make society presentable, is becoming hypocritical and disguising the reality it presents beyond the level of social safety† (Frye 61). The rhetoric use of language in this society is to persuade the population into believing that being intellectual is a sin, and books are the cause of this sin, â€Å"So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach mans mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well read man? Me? † (Bradbury 58). Those that did read were able to oppose the use of eloquence. Clarisse was considered abnormal and a threat because she thought about things and often asked why, â€Å"She didn’t want to know how a thing was done, but why. That can be embarrassing. You ask why to a lot of things and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl’s better off dead† (Bradbury 60). Once again rhetoric language is used to justify the death of Clarisse and criticize the use of imagination. The main character Montag is a fireman who also reads books and is smart enough to see the flaws in his society. For this he is considered a burden and wanted by police. Those that read are able to see that there is more to life than pleasure and titillation. â€Å"Forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light† -Plato. The people in this novel are afraid of the light. They are afraid of literature and the truth, knowledge, and all goodness that comes with it. Due to the lack of literature in this society, the population is ignorant and unable to think individually. Because of the ignorance within the population the government has full control over their lives. Each individual deserves the right to live imaginative and free lives. â€Å"The fundamental job of the imagination in ordinary life, then, is to produce, out of the society we have to live in, a vision of the society we want to live in† (Frye 60). Without literature the imagination becomes limited and people are unable to vision the society they want to live in. As the world becomes more modern and grows further, away from literature, society beings to look more like Fahrenheit 451 where citizens are nothing but a sheep in a herd.

Air pollution

Air pollution Abstract The health effects of air pollution have been subject to intense study in recent years. Exposure to pollutants such as airborne particulate matter and ozone has been associated with increases in mortality and hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. These effects have been found in short-term studies, which relate day-to-day variations in air pollution and health, and long-term studies, which have followed cohorts of exposed individuals over time. Effects have been seen at very low levels of exposure, and it is unclear whether a threshold concentration exists for particulate matter and ozone below which no effects on health are likely. In this review, we discuss the evidence for adverse effects on health of selected air pollutantsAbstract The health effects of air pollution have been subject to intense study in recent years. Exposure to pollutants such as airborne particulate matter and ozone has been associated with increases in mortality and hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. These effects have been found in short-term studies, which relate day-to-day variations in air pollution and health, and long-term studies, which have followed cohorts of exposed individuals over time. Effects have been seen at very low levels of exposure, and it is unclear whether a threshold concentration exists for particulate matter and ozone below which no effects on health are likely. In this review, we discuss the evidence for adverse effects on health of selected air pollutants

Travel and Tourism Final Project (Interview) Research Paper

Travel and Tourism Final Project (Interview) - Research Paper Example We offer long term rates for those staying for more than one week. Tourists are either here just for leisure or actually for a business trip. Our individual target market is men and women aged 21 to 40, who would like to pay for a premium but reasonable fee in exchange for a good night’s rest in a hotel that is at the heart of Vegas. These travelers enjoy the perks of a hotel room with a state-of-the art communication technology, and generally a hotel that offers leisure amenities that will make guests relax and unwind. We also want to attract couples and facilities vacationing in the city and even just those passing by for a night or two and are on their way to a grand country tour. Generally, this target market belong the middle-earners, who can afford the rates but would still like to get the best value for their money. These are individuals gainfully employed, or have a business of their own. We attract the decision makers and that’s why our amenities are also tailo red fit to their needs. We also target group/ corporate clients who spend money to mobilize their team. We offer corporate and discounted group packages. We design these packages to attract business decision makers who would not compromise their reputational risks, but will look into budgetary issues as well. 3. Can you give a brief background of Hyatt Hotels? Hyatt is a chain of full service hotels and resorts with presence in key cities worldwide and operating for more than 50 years now. Part of its marketing strategies is the management of six unique brands that cater to different market segments, and offering unique hotel experience. Hyatt Place is focused on the business traveler while Hyatt Summerfield Suites offers all-suites, extended stay hotel which resembles the comforts of one’s home. Andaz, Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt are for the luxurious traveler. Hyatt Regency mirrors the contemporary lifestyle, focusing on both the business traveler and vacationing individuals and families. These brands are what distinguish the company from most of the competitors. Wherever one goes, there is a Hyatt hotel that will surely cater to the client’s needs. And there is a brand for every client who wishes to have a worthwhile stay in his city of preference. Hyatt’s commitment to provide only the best in the hospitality industry has been carried out for the last 50 years, and counting. I think, it will last for another 50 years and more because the management is very sensitive to their client’s needs, and is very in tune with the trends in the hospitality business. Having the right pulse at the right issues and concerns enables our management to make good business decisions. The company continuously innovates with the developments in technology, travel and even culture itself. It will not run out of ideas and product offerings for its target market. The tourism industry is an industry that is always evolving, and despite current threats and political and economic situations, hotels will always have a way to thrive and bring home away from home for tourists and visitors. Hyatt Hotels is always committed to providing excellent service to its clients, and its staff and personnel are always aligned with this thrust. 4. Comments/ Observations The Hyatt brand is one of the most recognized hotels in the whole world. Its Vegas hotel is one of its most successful, being in a place that is much

Managing business finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Managing business finance - Essay Example Usually banks engage in selling CLOs with different tranches that represent various ranks of seniority in terms of reward/risk profile (Duffie and Garleanu, 2001). CLO’s involve three key entities; banks, CLO managers, investors and borrowers. Now, in order to understand how CLO’s work it is important to explain the way in which securitisation works. At the very beginning a CLO manager approaches various investors in order to pull up funds from them and use them to buy loans (rather issue loans). These funds are pooled in one place sometimes also called as the securitisation vehicle which serves as the source of loans for potential borrowers. This vehicle generates interests every month which are paid back to the investors in terms of the riskiness assumed by them. There are various tranches of investments which are graded according to their risk/reward profile (Coval, Jurek and Stafford, 2009). Such as a AAA rated loan is less risk and less reward generating security whereas a BB rated loan is high risk high reward generating security. This means that when the securitisation vehicle generates interest every month, the investor a ssuming the exposure to a highly rated loan (less risky) is paid first but at the cost of a lower interest rate. On the other hand the investor assuming the exposure to a low rated loan (highly risky) is paid at the last but with a high interest rate. The fact here is that there is greater chance for the highly rated securities to pay out the return whereas there are lesser chances that the low rated investment tranches will generate a return (Antczak, Lucas and Fabozzi, 2011). Due to the demand for loans bank managers prefer to issue loans by pooling up funds from different sources in order to share the risk of default. They pool funds from their syndicates which involves (also termed as syndication) other banks, hedge funds and CLO managers. A loan is then divided into

The Role of the Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Role of the Manager - Essay Example This paper illustrates that for several years, sociologists refer to management as a class consisting of influential individuals. According to James L. Lundy, management refers to the job of organizing, planning, controlling and directing people and resources towards the attainment of organizational aims and objectives. F.W. Taylor believes that management is the task of identifying your aims and objectives and ensuring that those aims and objectives are attained in the most efficient manner. Management is mostly defined as a procedure of helping organizations obtain their aims and objectives by making people work towards the attainment of those aims and objectives. In a broader view, it is the directing and planning of what goals need to be accomplished and how they will be accomplished along with the organizing and obtaining of resources that will be needed to obtain those objectives. For years it has been argued whether the nature of management is scientific or it is an art. The v ery fact that people who have assumed the responsibility of management have to learn theories and principles that need to be further applied and experiment makes management a scientific process. On the other hand, the fact that management is related to humans in every aspect makes management an art as well as science. A manager has access to various scientific tools which help him in making day to day decisions, but managers have to heavily rely on their intuition in order to make the correct decision. Managers have four basic functions as discussed earlier and they have to perform various roles for the accomplishment of these functions. One of the roles played by managers is that of a figurehead. The top-level management acts as a figurehead while representing their organizations in societal, legal and symbolic activities. Managers are even responsible for conducting various tasks such as hiring employees, training and developing employees, and performing appraisals.

Business management course work Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business management course work - Term Paper Example A lack of coordination takes place when teams working on the same project do not coordinate and this lack of coordination is represented both vertically and horizontally. Unclear accountability mechanism further adds fuel to the fire of depleting aggregate performance of the organization. Centralization cannot be termed as an effective way to manage organization like RIM. There is no clear marketing strategy. Section II: Statements of the Problem Research In Motion (RIM) has failed to develop and maintain a sustainable motivation, accountability and effective marketing strategy (Castaldo, 2012). The organization has grown unorganized and unmanageable; where a lack of clear-cut direction and conflicting opinions have compounded the aggregate management of the company (Castaldo, 2012). Section III Causes of the Problem Demotivation Motivation is the degree to which an employee wants and selects to carry out specific behavior (Mullins, 2009, p. 471). This specific behavior is nurtured t o obtain intended departmental and organizational goals and objectives. As motivation has both aspects in the form of intrinsic and extrinsic manifestations, the employees of RIM were not given sustainable workplace environment in which they could convert their potential into the desired results. For instance, according to a former employee, the new operational staff members were never fully empowered to carry out their jobs (Castaldo, 2012). This means the staff did not receive authority, sense of work ownership and a clear cut direction to attain a particular set of objectives. As a result, the sustainable motivation did not continue instead demotivation replaced motivation. Lack of Coordination â€Å"It was common for a few teams working on the same project to realize they were unlikely to make the date, but no one spoke up, under the belief that another team was even farther behind†(Castaldo, 2012). This statement mentions that there was no active and consistent coordinat ion between teams working even on the same project. They were on their own and they did not feel necessity to obtain information and see their progress on the project. Additionally, there was no strong check from the senior management whether the teams assigned to work and complete the same project were working in the suggested direction or the teams were facing issues related to the same project. There was a complete absence of vertical and horizontal coordination in the organization. In the absence of coordination, there would be no way to entertain department and organizational objectives. Unclear Accountability Mechanism Accountability can also be defined as the systematic inclusion of critical elements of program planning, implementation and evaluation with an aim of achieving desired results (Wandersman et al., 2000, p. 389). At RIM, nobody was accountable when a proposal or project failed to meet the expected level of performance. In the absence of any accountability mechanis m, it would be very difficult to learn from mistakes and derive certain result-oriented lessons from such steps. When accountability mechanism is not present and nobody is ready and willing to take and accept responsibility, strategic loss and strategic decline is unavoidable and it is what that is happening

How Will You Vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Will You Vote - Essay Example The applicant were right in their petition saying that if we allow even the Gay Alliance for Same Sex Marriage to hold public assemblies, why not the Hampton Roads Jihad. Giving of pamphlets and holding public demonstrations are all preserved in the â€Å"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 21)† which states that: â€Å"The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interest of national security or public safety (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedom of others† (icnl.org). If Hampton Roads Jihad had passed all the scrutiny, submitted necessary requirements and paid the permit cost of $97,500, then there will be no reason why the permit-issuing body –which is the City Council–should block the permit a pplicant in proceeding with the public assembly. It is the duty of the members of the City Council to scrutinize and to consequently approve permits to hold public assembly of applicants if they laboriously went through the series of procedures and if they meant to do it peaceably on the appointed date and place. If there are pressures by the public for the City Council to prohibit the Hampton Roads Jihad, it is the duty of the state to implement what has been approved and to put in place safeguard measures and contingencies that would avoid acts of violations by groups critical towards the demonstrators. Besides, the Hampton Roads Jihad has many options to contest unfavorable decisions in the higher authorities aside from the local City Council. On the other hand, if the demonstration goes awry, it is the time to disperse the members of Hampton Roads Jihad to further avoid any damages to public property and national security. Indeed, it is righteous not to allow demonstrators who a re past criminals, themselves, to hold public demonstrations. But Hampton Roads Jihad, if they are to be believed, only filed for a permit to public demonstration just to commemorate Osama Bin Laden’s birthday. Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with that. No reason why we shouldn’t allow them. To say that since they believe Bin Laden, then they share the acts of Bin Laden is a misconception. The Hampton Roads Jihad has the right to uphold their belief in Osama Bin Laden, and no entity has the right to challenge their sentiment on public discourse except for the sake of and during discussions. This is preserved in the freedom of expression and of the press, and to violate this is tantamount to a great disservice to America. It is all clear in the First Amendment of the â€Å"United States Bill of Rights† which declares that: â€Å"Congress shall not make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the f reedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.† (Amendment I, US Bill of Rights) To vote favorably for Hampton Roads Jihad could be a great challenge that would spell the end of my career as member of a local City Council in a US soil which was once the primary target of Osama Bin Laden-led 9/11 attacks. But to prohibit the Hampton Roads Jihad in proceeding with their demonstration is a great disservice

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Research Paper

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) - Research Paper Example ODD is not a very common disorder, though a significant population of children suffers from it. â€Å"There are various statistics on the incidence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the U.S. Numbers range from 2-16% of children and teens in the U.S. have ODD† (Healthy Place, 2012). Children generally start acquiring the ODD at the age of 8 years (Healthy Place, 2012). In a vast majority of cases, children acquire the ODD before the start of teenage, though in certain cases, children may acquire the ODD in the late teenage. The effects of ODD start showing up gradually and aggravate with the passage of time. Causes of ODD A number of theories have surfaced that explain the causes of ODD in children. One of the main causes of ODD in children commonly identified by these theories is the development of temperament in the child and the response made by family to it. Some children have an inherited predisposition to ODD. Children in families where at least one parent contains a hi story of mood disorder have increased susceptibility to ODD. There is a whole range of parental mood disorder that can make a child vulnerable to ODD. Such mood disorders include but are not limited to conduct disorder, depressive disorder, antisocial personality disorder, attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and substance abuse. Families that frequently migrate from one place to another make it difficult for the children to adjust in the new locality. As a result of this, children express their discomfort through anger and hostility. ODD may also be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain or because of a head injury. In addition to that, tension between parents may also be a significant cause of ODD in children. In some families, parents have bad terms with each other which affects the psychology of the children in a negative way. In many cases, such tensions lead the marriage to the point of breakup and a child may acquire ODD as a consequence of the divorce bet ween the parents. Symptoms of ODD Differentiating between a child who is just emotional and another child who has ODD is complicated since the display of oppositional behavior is an integral feature of certain stages of development. However, there exists a range between the ODD and the normal oppositional behavior of a child. Children with ODD display a range of behaviors that include but are not limited to stubbornness, rudeness, short-temperedness, frequent defiance from the family principles and rules, placing the blame of their own mistakes on others, resentfulness, and irritability. However, they do not become violent to the physical extent or to the level that they start violating others’ rights. Actually, the hostile behavior of the children with ODD results from their lack of ability to distinguish between the appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Children with ODD do not realize that they are overreacting or expressing unnecessary anger. Instead, they think that t heir parents are demanding too much from them or are placing unreasonable demand on them. Accordingly, these children may feel guilty for having done something seriously wrong if they realize. Diagnosis of ODD A psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses a child with ODD if he/she displayed the symptoms of ODD. There are numerous disorders which may